In order to clean up the Australian Immigration System, the government of the nation has made a fresh database of agents who are offering e-visa services to the students coming from India. The government has only registered only twenty-two firms of the one hundred and twenty one companies who have showed their interest in the same.

This initiative was taken so as to stiffen the immigration process and in response questions pertaining to the credibility of many such Indian consultants. It was being suspected that many were not following the law and were aiding the students with fake documents and sending them abroad.

Previously this year, the Government of Australia had requested those consultants catering to e-visa for the students to register themselves as per the new agreement. This agreement clearly mentions the functions that these agents are expected to perform as well as a code of conduct that must be followed. These guidelines are meant for registered consultants in Australia as well as those based overseas.

The agreement formed prior to the new one has been ended and so, the agents have been asked to file new expression of interests. This change has been made in the light of the recent attacks on the Indian students and also after considering many private colleges closing down which had left the students isolated.

Here, it has to be noted that the number of Indian students coming to Australia for further education has also dropped post these attacks. As per the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), the Australian High Commission in New Delhi would be catering to the re-registrations for the consultants functioning in India.

According to a Spokesperson from the DIAC, the New Delhi office had organized information sessions for all the migration agents regarding the agreement and the re-registration. The sessions informed the agents of 6 important criteria that would be expected of all e-visa agents by the Government of Australia. These criteria include procedures pertaining to suitable verification of information. This is specifically when the application for visa are being evaluated along with its documentation. With this, there would be a strong procedure for internal auditing.

Above all, the new agreement caters to a process that would be transparent in nature which would provide for the audits and would help in finding any agent breaking the law.