Indian migration agent banned for five years in Australia for lying on visa applications

An Indian migration agent in Australia has been banned for five years after authorities found she submitted false information in visa applications and breached multiple professional rules, reports the Noticer. Vaneet Kaur Chadha worked with Sydney-based Royal Migration & Education Consultants and had her registration cancelled last month following an investigation by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.The regulator said it launched a probe after reviewing visa applications Chadha had submitted to the department of home affairs, where officials identified a number of concerns.In its findings, OMARA said Chadha had “failed to act in accordance with the law” by not declaring the immigration assistance she provided to clients. It also found she gave false and misleading information and made statements in visa applications that she knew were inaccurate.The authority further concluded that she engaged in misleading online advertising, suggested she had a relationship with the DHA when she did not, and failed to properly supervise staff. It also found she allowed someone within her business to provide immigration assistance unlawfully.Investigators said Chadha did not meet professional standards, including failing to “take all reasonable steps to maintain the reputation and integrity of the migration advice profession”. The ruling added that she acted “in a way that was intended to defeat the purpose of migration law and acted in a way that was intended to evade a requirement of migration law”.OMARA ultimately ruled that Chadha was “not a person of integrity or is otherwise not a fit and proper person to give immigration assistance”.Chadha was first registered as a migration agent in 2016. Videos still available on her former employer’s social media accounts show her promoting migration services in English.In one clip, she says, “With years of legal experience in migration matters, and being a migrant myself, I understand how overwhelming the migration journey could be.”In another, she cautions applicants against submitting fake documents, saying, “Stay truthful and avoid future complications. Your integrity matters.”The consultancy, also known as Royal International Migration Consultants, states on its website that it has operated since 2007 and assists thousands of people each year with student and other visa applications. The firm itself has not been accused of any wrongdoing.