Migration Registry

Privacy Policy

Last updated: [DATE]

Migration Registry ("we", "us", "our") operates the website migrationregistry.com.au (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. What Personal Information We Collect

Information from site visitors

  • Usage data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, operating system, pages visited, time spent, referring URL, and search queries entered on the Site
  • Cookies and tracking: We use cookies and similar technologies to improve site functionality and analyse usage patterns (see Section 8)
  • Contact form submissions: Name, email address, phone number (if provided), and message content when you submit an enquiry through the Site

Information about listed migration agents and businesses

  • Publicly available data: We collect migration agent information from the publicly accessible MARA Register maintained by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), including agent name, Migration Agent Registration Number (MARN), registration status, and registered business name
  • Agent-submitted data: If an agent claims their profile or submits additional information, we collect: biography, profile photo, languages spoken, visa type specialisations, and additional contact details
  • Business data: Business name, ABN, office address, phone number, email, website URL, and logo
  • Payment data: For agents or businesses purchasing featured listings, payment is processed by Stripe. We do not store credit card numbers. We receive confirmation of payment status, subscription tier, and Stripe customer ID

2. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information:

  • Directly from you — when you submit a contact form, claim a profile, or purchase a featured listing
  • From publicly available sources — specifically the MARA Register maintained by OMARA
  • From third-party services — including Google Places API (business ratings, reviews, opening hours) and Stripe (payment confirmations)
  • Automatically — through cookies and analytics tools when you browse the Site

3. Why We Collect Personal Information

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

  • To operate and maintain the directory of registered migration agents
  • To display agent and business profiles to site visitors
  • To process featured listing purchases and manage subscriptions
  • To respond to enquiries submitted through contact forms
  • To forward lead enquiries to relevant migration agents or businesses
  • To analyse site usage and improve our services
  • To comply with legal obligations, including verifying agent registration status
  • To prevent fraud, spam, and misuse of the Site

4. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to:

  • Listed migration agents and businesses — when a site visitor submits an enquiry directed to a specific agent or business, we forward the visitor's contact details and message to that agent or business
  • Service providers — including Vercel (hosting), Airtable (data management), Stripe (payment processing), Google (analytics and business data), and Resend (transactional email). These providers may store data in the United States and other countries outside Australia
  • Regulatory bodies — if required by law, we may disclose information to OMARA, the OAIC, the ACCC, or other government authorities
  • Legal proceedings — if required by a court order, subpoena, or other legal process

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Overseas disclosure

Some of our service providers are based overseas, including in the United States (Vercel, Airtable, Stripe, Google). By using the Site, you acknowledge that your personal information may be transferred to and stored in countries outside Australia. We take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle personal information in accordance with the APPs.

5. How We Store and Protect Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure. These steps include:

  • Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Access controls limiting who can view and modify personal information
  • Secure authentication for administrative access
  • Regular review of data handling practices

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. Agent listing data sourced from the MARA Register is updated periodically and retained while the agent remains registered.

6. Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

Under APPs 12 and 13, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of any personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading

Migration agents and businesses: To update or correct your listing information, or to request removal of your profile, contact us at the details below.

Site visitors: To access or correct personal information you have provided through contact forms, contact us at the details below.

We will respond to access and correction requests within 30 days. There is no charge for making a request or for the correction of personal information. We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access if the request requires significant effort.

7. Data Removal Requests

Migration agent and business profiles on this Site are created using publicly available data from the MARA Register. If you are a migration agent or business listed on this Site, you have the right to request removal of your profile at any time, regardless of whether you have claimed your listing or hold a subscription.

To request removal, contact us at [PRIVACY_EMAIL]. We will process removal requests within 14 business days and confirm removal by email.

Upon removal:

  • Your profile page will be taken down and will no longer appear in search results on the Site
  • Any agent-submitted content (biography, photos, custom details) will be permanently deleted
  • Your MARN and name will be added to an internal suppression list to prevent your profile from being recreated during future data updates

Note that information sourced from the publicly available MARA Register may continue to be publicly accessible through the OMARA website regardless of removal from this Site.

8. Spam Act 2003 — Use of Contact Information

Contact details displayed on this Site (including email addresses and phone numbers) are published for the purpose of enabling consumers to contact migration agents about their professional services. In accordance with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth):

Publication of a registered migration agent's details on this website, including their email address, is not to be interpreted as consent, either expressed or implied, to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages as defined by section 6 of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

Any person who uses contact details obtained from this Site to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages may be in breach of the Spam Act 2003. Recipients of unsolicited commercial electronic messages may refer the matter to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA):

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Essential cookies — required for the Site to function correctly (e.g., session management)
  • Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors use the Site, including pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns. We use [Google Analytics / Vercel Analytics] for this purpose
  • Preference cookies — to remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect Site functionality.

Under the expanded definition of personal information in the Privacy Act (as amended in 2024), technical identifiers such as IP addresses, device IDs, and cookie identifiers are treated as personal information and handled in accordance with this policy.

10. Automated Decision-Making

We may use automated processes to sort or rank migration agent listings in search results. Factors that influence listing order may include:

  • Featured listing status (paid placements appear in a designated "Featured" section)
  • Relevance to the user's search or filter criteria
  • Geographic proximity to the selected city or suburb

Featured listings are paid placements and are clearly labelled as such. Payment for a featured listing does not affect an agent's position in non-featured search results.

11. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you may lodge a complaint with us by contacting us at the details below. We will investigate your complaint and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

  • Website: www.oaic.gov.au
  • Phone: 1300 363 992
  • Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For privacy-related enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints:

  • Email: [PRIVACY_EMAIL]
  • Post: [BUSINESS_ADDRESS]

This Privacy Policy was last reviewed on [DATE] and applies to information collected through migrationregistry.com.au.