|
WELCOME TO MPE
We value your time as much as you do
The MARA has approved our CPD activities so that we can offer our ground-breaking course program that enables registered migration agents with at least three years experience in the profession to complete their annual CPD requirement quickly and efficiently. For these agents, there will be no need to spend two whole days away from their practice and definitely no need to sacrifice their precious, hard-earned weekends or sit tests in order to get their CPD points.
The course program is structured into morning (9:00am to 12:45pm) and afternoon (1:45pm to 5:00pm) sessions. You can earn 6 MARA CPD points at the morning session and 4 MARA CPD points at the afternoon session. The afternoon session is approved by the MARA as a mandatory activity.
Practising lawyers and accountants who have been registered migration agents for at least three years, will be able to complete their annual CPD obligations by earning 6 MARA CPD points in one morning.
What does this mean for you?
CPD Express is designed specifically for the serious practitioner who wants a return on their investment in CPD and to be treated as a professional and not as one of the crowd. We know how busy you are and that you want to get straight to the point rather than being lectured on basic matters.
Our classes are strictly limited to 40 people and take place in a comfortable interactive learning environment that is conducive to sharing ideas and networking with other experienced professionals.
The course program is supported by course materials designed to be used as reference materials in your professional practice so you get ongoing value from your CPD.
We also ensure your energy levels are kept up with good quality catering throughout the day.
What will the course program cover?
Our CPD Express program is flexible enough to cover recent and forthcoming legal and policy changes, “hot” issues affecting the migration portfolio and issues of particular interest to participants. This means our course programs will always be as up to date and directly relevant to you as possible.
PART 1: MORNING SESSION (6 CPD points)
Module 1 - The Advanced Refresher – 1.5 hours
(9:00am-10:30am)
We start the morning session with a concise wrap-up of recent developments in the immigration portfolio. In this module, we provide an update on the latest changes in case law, legislative and policy with a focus on:
- Court decisions that set precedents which must be followed by decision-makers or are relevant to the day-to-day work of the migration professional
- Tribunal decisions that highlight matters relevant to advanced practice such as approaches to evidence, procedures, statutory interpretation and trends in decision-making
- Critical analysis of recent legislation and policy developments in immigration and other areas of law that impact on migration practice
- Discussion and analysis of media commentary, political debates and government inquiries concerning migration matters and the migration agent profession.
Module 2 - Interactive Case Study Workshop Series I –
2 hours (10:45am-12:45pm)
This module features our popular and enjoyable case study workshop series, with cases based on realistic scenarios relating to various visa subclasses and the more complex issues encountered by experienced agents in everyday practice. We guide participants to work through a solution to the problems posed using legislation, case law and other relevant resources. The workshop scenarios feature cases involving the more difficult aspects of migration practice and cover a range of areas such as:
- Permanent and Temporary employer sponsored visas
- Sponsorship issues and other migration law obligations
- Health and character issues
- Compliance and cancellation matters
- Section 48 issues
- Unlawful non-citizens
- Time limits and valid application requirements
- Bridging visas
- Code of Procedure
- Waivers – health, character, condition 8503, exclusion periods, sponsorship limitations etc.
- Partner visas
- Business Skills visas
- General Skilled Migration visas and SkillSelect issues
- Citizenship matters
- Visitor visas – sponsored and unsponsored
- Family visas
- Student Visas
- Protection Visas
- Merits and Judicial Review
PART 2: AFTERNOON SESSION (4 CPD points - mandatory activity)
Module 1 - Interactive Case Study Workshop Series II
-
1.5 hours (1:45pm-3:15pm)
We start the afternoon session by examining more workshop case scenarios involving various visa subclasses and migration matters. While we continue to work through these scenarios by exploring the finer points of migration law and policy, we will also focus on how to handle these cases from a practical point of view. These workshops will give insight into how to handle practical problems that practitioners face in everyday practice including:
- How to deal with difficult clients and decision-makers
- How to negotiate effectively with decision-makers and make persuasive submissions and cogent policy advice requests
- If, how and when to use the media to advance your client’s case
- How to handle clients who are adversely affected by changes in law or policy
- How and when to seek vacation of an unfavourable decision
- How to advise clients with limited prospects including the advancement of their case to judicial review and / or Ministerial intervention
- How to deal with ethical dilemmas and conflicts of interest
- How to manage legal professional privilege and client confidentiality obligations
- How to deal with disputes with clients over fees and services
- How to deal with complaints to the MARA and other regulatory bodies
- How and when to notify professional indemnity insurers and deal with such claims
- How to establish the scope of your client agreement and professionally terminate that agreement.
Module 2 - Experiential Workshop – 1.5 hours
(3:30pm-5:00pm)
We conclude the afternoon with our brainstorming session where you will be able to raise for group discussion any issues of concern that you face in your own. This can range from “true confessions” where you have made mistakes to venting some steam about what irks you about working in the migration field. The discussion will be moderated to ensure benefit not only to you but to the group as a whole.
In order to maximise the learning and networking opportunities at our courses, MPE may invite expert guest speakers from time to time to participate in panel discussions and take questions from course participants during this afternoon session. Our guest speakers will be drawn from the DIBP, the review tribunals, the judiciary, the media, the migration agent profession, professional indemnity insurers, the MARA, medical, legal and insurance professionals, skills assessing bodies, political parties and international organisations. This will give course participants a chance to engage with decision-makers, thought-leaders and those who influence them.
WHY CHOOSE MPE FOR YOUR CPD?
Because:
- You are a discerning professional committed to quality in your work and who expects the same from CPD
- You want to be treated as an individual and not just one of a crowd
- You want to be part of a learning environment that includes other professionals with the same commitment to quality as you
- We value your time as much as you do and that is why we offer migration agents with at least three years experience the opportunity to earn all the CPD points they need in the fastest, most convenient way possible without compromising on quality
- We ensure that the CPD experience with us is practical, relevant and readily applicable in professional practice
- Our courses are conducted in easily accessible, comfortable conference venues with natural light and catering to keep you energised throughout the day
If you would like to plan your annual CPD and need to know when, where and what the next series of courses will be, please click here to find out more and register your place.
|
