The Department of Home Affairs has announced changes to the approved list of education providers. These providers deliver courses and exams to register as a migration agent.
For more information, access the full list of education providers.
New list of specified courses
Under
LIN 26/002, the six currently specified Graduate Diploma courses have all been included in the new instrument. The Master of Australian Migration Law and Practice offered by Griffith University is now no longer specified and transitional arrangements apply.
A new addition to the list is the Master of Australian Migration Law and Practice course provided by the Australian Catholic University.
The below table shows courses approved in
LIN 26/002.
Courses approved in LIN 26/002
| Course provider | Course Name |
|---|
Australian Catholic University |
Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice
Master of Australian Migration Law and Practice |
Griffith University |
Graduate Diploma of Australian Migration Law and Practice |
Murdoch University |
Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice |
University of Technology Sydney |
Graduate Diploma in Migration Law and Practice |
Victoria University |
Graduate Diploma in Migration Law |
Western Sydney University |
Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law |
Legacy courses (Graduate Certificates)
Legacy courses (Graduate Certificates) will still be accepted, but only if the Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice was offered by a prescribed provider and completed before 1 January 2018.
If you completed the course prior to 2018 and either:
- never registered or
- let your registration lapse for more than 3 years (as per s 289A(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958)
you can register with this qualification.
If you need further information, please
contact OMARA.
Transitional arrangement for the Master of Australian Migration Law and Practice offered by Griffith University
Applicants that started Griffith University’s Master of Australian Migration Law and Practice before 1 April 2026 can still use it to apply for registration as long as they complete course requirements by 1 April 2027. They must include evidence of this with their application.
If you need further information, please
contact OMARA.
Changes to the English language test providers
Under LIN 26/002 there are now six English language test providers:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test (including IELTS One Skill Retake)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (C1 Advanced)
- LanguageCert Academic
- Michigan English Test (MET) (including MET Single Section Retake)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic)
The specified minimum score required in each of the English tests is benchmarked against the IELTS Academic exam.
The IELTS test score requirements remain the same as the previous instrument (IELTS 7 overall with 6.5 minimum in each subtest), with equivalent scores for the other tests. The TOEFL iBT score accepted for registration as an RMA has changed slightly to provide equivalence. See the table below for details.
The specified validity period of English tests for registration is extended to 3 years in most cases.
The below table shows the accepted English test scores for each test provider.
Accepted English test scores for each test provider
| Provider | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Overall score |
|---|
C1 Advanced | 187 | 169 | 168 | 180 | 178 |
IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7 |
LANGUAGECERT Academic | 76 | 62 | 65 | 71 | 73 |
MET | 53 | 59 | 59 | 64 | 62 |
PTE Academic | 66 | 53 | 54 | 60 | 63 |
TOEFL iBT | 22 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 91 |
Why the TOEFL iBT scores changed in LIN 26/002
As a result of the updated concordance study conducted by TOEFL (TOEFL-IELTS Concordance Study 2025) which maps equivalency between TOEFL and IELTS, the TOEFL iBT score accepted for registration as an RMA has changed.
- Previously an overall score of 94 (speaking 20, listening 20, reading 19, and writing 24) was accepted.
- It has now changed to an overall score of 91 (speaking 22, listening 19, reading 19 and writing 23).
Transitional arrangements for previous English test scores
As a transitional arrangement, a TOEFL IBT score meeting the prior standard before LIN 26/002 will still be valid for registration for up to 2 years, provided it was achieved on or before 30 June 2026.
NOTE: All TOEFL iBT tests taken after 21 January 2026 must be registered under the TOEFL iBT Australia pathway. Results not registered under the TOEFL iBT Australia pathway will be marked under the new scoring scale and will not be accepted for registration by OMARA.
English tests that allow multiple re-sits
Only IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) and MET Single Section Retake (SSR) are accepted by OMARA for registration purposes.
The department currently does not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores or any other re-sit product.
Changes to publishing the Notice of Intention
Publishing a notice of intention to apply for registration as a migration agent has been amended to a cumulative period of 30 days rather than a continuous period of 30 days.
The requirement to include a physical address in the published notice of intention has also been removed.
