Migration Institute of Australia

Migration Institute of Australia The Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) is the nation’s leading professional association for migration practitioners.

The Migration Institute of Australia was established in 1992 and is the peak membership organisation representing Registered Migration Agents and Migration Legal Practitioners. It is represented in all States and Territories in Australia and has an overseas Chapter based in London. Its membership comprises some of Australia’s most eminent registered migration agents and migration lawyers both in Australia and internationally. The MIA stands for the highest professional standards in its dealings with its stakeholders such as Federal and State Governments, Ministers, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, skills assessing authorities and its fellow stakeholder, the Law Council of Australia, with whom it regularly liaises with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and many of whose members are also members of the Institute. Cover photo courtesy of National Archives of Australia (http://naa.gov.au/)

02/10/2026

🏆 Congratulations to our 2026 MIA Award & Designation Recipients!

A special congratulations to all our members recognised at the MIA National Migration Conference 2026 in Sydney.

We were delighted to welcome our Guest of Honour, The Hon. Julian Hill MP, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education, who presented this year’s awards and professional designations.

👏 Educator of the Year Award
• Madeline Keating MMIA

Recognising Madeline’s exceptional contribution to professional education and her practical, high-quality CPD delivery.

👏 Distinguished Service Award
• Nitin Rikhi AFMIA
• Kelly Leeds LLM(AppMigLaw) MMIA

Recognising their outstanding and sustained service, leadership, advocacy and commitment to the MIA and the migration profession.

👏 Emerging Talent Award
• Taraneh Arianfar MMIA

Recognising Taraneh’s contribution to the profession through leadership, innovation, professional development and community service.

🎓 Associate Fellowship (AFMIA™)
• Heather Marr AFMIA

Recognising sustained contribution and professional engagement within the MIA and the migration profession, including support for professional standards, ethical practice, knowledge-sharing and mentoring.

🎓 Fellowship (FMIA™)
• Nilesh Nandan FMIA
• Ahmad Shady FMIA

Recognising distinguished leadership, sustained contribution and significant impact within the MIA and the migration profession.

🏅 Life Membership (LMMIA™)
• Jonathan Granger LMMIA

Recognising an exceptional and sustained commitment to the MIA and the migration profession. Melanie Macfarlane accepted the award on Jonathan’s behalf in his absence.

A huge congratulations to all our recipients and thank you for your dedication, leadership, service and contribution to the MIA and the wider migration profession. 👏

A special thank you to Westpac, our Gala Dinner Partner, for supporting this special evening and helping us celebrate our award and professional designation recipients. We greatly appreciate your continued support of the MIA and the migration profession.

MIA Notice 21 - 2 October 2026Contents:• Legislative Updates - student visa changes▸ Migration Amendment (Student Visa R...
02/10/2026

MIA Notice 21 - 2 October 2026

Contents:

• Legislative Updates - student visa changes

▸ Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026
▸ Classes of persons who must apply for a Student visa offshore (LIN 26/012)
▸ Classes of persons who may apply for a Student visa onshore or as secondary applicants (LIN 26/087 amending LIN 20/158)

• Snapshot of student visa changes
• Department webpage and factsheets on student visa changes

Read the full notice here: https://buff.ly/1g7DHzf

Only available to MIA members. Not an MIA member?
Join here: https://mia.org.au/

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the MIA National Migration Conference 2026 in Sydney! 🥂It was wonderful t...
02/10/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the MIA National Migration Conference 2026 in Sydney! 🥂

It was wonderful to see so many of you, connect with members and colleagues, and share three days of conversations, learning and networking.

We hope you enjoyed the conference as much as we did and had a fantastic time in Sydney. Thank you for being part of the MIA community and making the conference such a memorable event!

📸 Keep sharing your conference moments on social media and tag MIA and use so we can see your posts and reshare them.

Until next time!

Thank you to our sponsors:
Westpac CELPIP Test IELTS by IDP VETASSESS Identilab DNA Solutions AU TOEFL Fenton Green Insurance Advisors Pearson LANGUAGECERT Australia Workinitiatives

We were delighted to welcome Allegra Spender MP, Federal Member for Wentworth, as our guest speaker at the MIA National ...
02/10/2026

We were delighted to welcome Allegra Spender MP, Federal Member for Wentworth, as our guest speaker at the MIA National Migration Conference 2026 Gala Dinner & Awards Night.

Allegra joined us for an evening of celebration, connection and recognition as we honoured our 2026 award recipients.

A special thank you to Westpac for sponsoring the evening and supporting the MIA’s Gala Dinner & Awards Night.

It was fantastic to see our members and guests come together for such a special occasion. 🥂✨

Photography by Helene Cochaud

02/10/2026

We were lucky enough to catch up with Petra Playfair FMIA, Director, RMA, Playfair Legal Pty Ltd, during the MIA National Migration Conference 2026 and hear what she’s been enjoying about the conference so far.

We hope you’re connecting, learning and enjoying everything the conference has to offer this year — and making the most of your time in Sydney at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Sydney!

📸 Sharing your conference experience on social media? Make sure you tag MIA and use so we can see your posts and reshare them.

02/10/2026

Day 2 of the MIA National Migration Conference 2026

It was a pleasure to hear The Hon. Julian Hill MP, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs; and Assistant Minister for International Education, speak with delegates today.

His address provided valuable insights into the current policy landscape and the issues shaping Australia’s migration and international education sectors.

Photography by Helene Cochaud

✨ A wonderful evening at the MIA Gala Dinner! ✨Here are some images from the night! 📸It was fantastic to see everyone lo...
02/10/2026

✨ A wonderful evening at the MIA Gala Dinner! ✨

Here are some images from the night! 📸

It was fantastic to see everyone looking amazing and enjoying a wonderful evening of great company, conversation and celebration.

A huge thank you to Westpac for sponsoring the Gala Dinner and helping make the evening so special. We truly appreciate your support! 🥂

Photography by Helene Cochaud

02/10/2026

We connected with members throughout Day 1 of the MIA National Migration Conference 2026, including Hussain Mehdi MMIA, Migration Pathfinders Pty Ltd.

It was great to chat with Hussain and hear about his experience as a migration professional and MIA member.

We hope you’re having a great time at the conference! 🙌

📸 Sharing your conference experience on social media? Make sure you tag MIA and use so we can see your posts and reshare them.

Keep the conference moments coming! 🎉

✨ What a night! ✨What a fantastic turnout for the MIA Gala Dinner & Awards Night! 🥂 It was so wonderful to celebrate wit...
01/10/2026

✨ What a night! ✨

What a fantastic turnout for the MIA Gala Dinner & Awards Night! 🥂 It was so wonderful to celebrate with you all, connect with colleagues and friends, and enjoy a fantastic evening together.

A huge thank you to our Gala Dinner Sponsor, Westpac, for helping make the night so special. 👏

And the celebrations continue today! 🎉 Stay tuned to find out who took home an MIA Award and who achieved their MIA Professional Designation.

Photography by Helene Cochaud

A look back at yesterday afternoon ✨Before we swapped the conference room for the Gala Dinner & Awards Night, Day 1 cont...
01/10/2026

A look back at yesterday afternoon ✨

Before we swapped the conference room for the Gala Dinner & Awards Night, Day 1 continued with an afternoon of insightful sessions, great discussions and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow migration professionals.

Photography by Helene Cochaud

Address

The Executive Centre (TEC) Level 24, Three International Towers, 300 Barangaroo Avenue
Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61 2 9249 9000

Website

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