Do new migration agents need CPD in their first year?

Yes, in the sense that matters: CPD is a condition of repeat registration, and your first repeat registration falls at the end of your first year. The points you need for it have to be earned during that first year. Here is how it works for newly registered agents.

Initial registration versus repeat registration

Initial registration is earned through the entry qualification pathway: the prescribed migration-law qualification, the Capstone assessment, English language and fit-and-proper requirements. No CPD is involved. From the day you are registered, the clock runs toward your first repeat registration, and that application is assessed on CPD like every other. How the 12-month window works →

Is there a different pathway for first-year agents?

In previous years the OMARA ran a Practice Ready Programme for agents in their first registration year, which stood in for the standard CPD requirement at first renewal. The CPD framework was reset on 1 April 2026 by LIN 26/001, and whether any first-year pathway applies to you depends on your registration date and the conditions on your registration. The reliable sources are your registration letter and the OMARA portal. If neither mentions a first-year programme, plan on the standard 10 points.

What your first CPD year needs

Full breakdown: How many CPD points do migration agents need? →

A first-year plan that actually works

1. Months 1–3: do the mandatory topics while the Code is fresh. You have just studied the Code of Conduct for the Capstone. The Code of Conduct point and the ethics point take an evening each as self-paced modules.
2. Months 3–8: Category A on the work you are doing. First-year agents are usually preparing nominations and visa applications under supervision. Live workshops on exactly that work, such as the sessions on genuine position statements and labour market testing, earn Category A points and are the CPD most likely to change how you draft tomorrow.
3. Months 8–10: fill with private study. Finish the Category B modules. Remember the online cap: no more than 6 online points in 24 hours.
4. Day 60 before expiry: lodge. The portal opens repeat registration 60 days out. Lodging and paying before expiry keeps you registered while it is processed.

Mistakes first-year agents make

• Doing all the CPD in month one. Activities count only if completed in the 12 months before lodgement. Finish everything in your first month and lodge 13 months later, and the early points are outside the window.
• Assuming the Capstone or the Graduate Diploma counts. Entry qualifications are not CPD.
• Buying 10 online points in one bundle. At least 5 must be Category A, and only 6 online points count per 24 hours.
• Using an unapproved provider. Employer in-house training and law society seminars do not count unless they are OMARA-approved activities. How to check →

FAQ

Do newly registered migration agents have to do CPD?

Yes. CPD is a condition of repeat registration, and your first repeat registration falls at the end of your first year. The 10 points for it must be completed in the 12 months before you lodge that application.

Does the Capstone assessment or Graduate Diploma count as CPD?

No. Entry qualifications are separate from CPD. Only OMARA-approved CPD activities completed in the 12-month window before you lodge count.

Is there a first-year CPD programme instead of the 10 points?

The OMARA has previously run a Practice Ready Programme for first-year agents. Whether a first-year pathway applies to you depends on your registration conditions. Check your registration letter and the OMARA portal; if nothing applies, plan for the standard 10 points.

When should a first-year agent start CPD?

Early for the mandatory topics and Category A, but keep in mind that only activities completed in the 12 months before you lodge count. Spreading activities across the year and lodging about 60 days before expiry avoids both problems.

← Back to the full CPD requirements guide