How long after my registration expires can I re-register as a migration agent?

Up to 36 months after the expiry date, by lodging a late repeat registration application through the OMARA portal. After 36 months you must apply for initial registration.

Can I keep working for clients while a late application is processed?

No. You cannot give immigration assistance until the late repeat registration is approved. Lodging and paying before expiry is what keeps an on-time renewal registered during processing; a late application has no such continuation.

What CPD do I need for a late repeat registration?

The same as any repeat registration: 10 points completed in the 12 months immediately before you lodge, at least 5 Category A, with the mandatory ethics and Code of Conduct topics.

Can I do CPD while unregistered?

Yes. Approved providers can enrol you and issue certificates in your name and MARN. Only activities inside the 12-month window before your lodgement will count.

Widen CPD › CPD Guide › Lapsed registration

CPD Guide

Registration lapsed? How to re-register as a migration agent

Missing a renewal is recoverable. The OMARA accepts late repeat-registration applications for up to three years after expiry, with the same requirements as an on-time renewal. Here is how it works, what you need, and the mistakes that turn a lapse into a full re-entry.

The short answer

You can lodge a late repeat registration application up to 36 months after your registration expired. Requirements are essentially the same as a standard repeat registration, including 10 CPD points completed in the 12 months before you lodge. You cannot give immigration assistance until the application is approved. After 36 months, you must apply for initial registration again.

The two clocks

Clock	Rule
Late application window	Up to 36 months after the expiry date of your last registration.
CPD window	The 12 months immediately before the date you lodge the late application. Points completed before your registration lapsed are usually outside it.

The second clock is the one agents miss. CPD you completed in your last registered year does not roll forward. If you lapsed in March and lodge the following February, only activities completed from the previous February count. The 12-month window explained →

What a late repeat application needs

CPD: 10 points, at least 5 Category A, 1 ethics and 1 Code of Conduct, all from OMARA-approved providers and all inside the 12-month window. Full breakdown →
Professional indemnity insurance that meets the prescribed requirements, current at the time of application.
Fit and proper person declarations and the supporting checks, as for any repeat registration.
A statement of the services you provided and the average fees charged in your last registration period, if requested in the application.
The application charge, at the rate current on the OMARA portal.

The application is lodged through the OMARA self-service portal, where the repeat registration option is available even after expiry. Keep a copy of every CPD certificate, with activity numbers, ready to upload. What the OMARA expects to see →

While you are unregistered

You must not give immigration assistance, even to existing clients, and must not hold yourself out as a registered migration agent. Both are offences under the Migration Act.
Client files and trust money remain subject to the obligations that applied while you were registered. Arrange for clients to be assisted by a registered agent in the meantime.
You may complete CPD. Nothing in the framework stops an unregistered former agent enrolling with an approved provider, and the certificate issues in your name and MARN as before.

The 36-month cliff

Once 36 months have passed since expiry, a late repeat application is no longer available. You must apply for initial registration: the prescribed qualification, the Capstone assessment, the English language requirement and the fit-and-proper process, as for a new entrant. For anyone who lapsed because of a busy year, that is a very expensive outcome compared with a late repeat application lodged in month 35.

The fastest path back

Confirm your expiry date in the OMARA portal and count forward 36 months.
Run your CPD position through the calculator, counting only activities inside the 12 months before your intended lodgement date.
Book the five live Category A points first (a CPD Weekend covers them in two days), then finish the modules.
Renew professional indemnity insurance, gather the certificates and lodge.

Get your CPD done with Widen CPD

OMARA-approved provider PPA10000420. Live Category A sessions and self-paced Category B modules — including the mandatory ethics and Code of Conduct topics — at A$30 incl. GST each, or a 10-point CPD Points Pass for A$220 that covers the whole year.

See upcoming CPD sessions Points Pass — 10 points A$220

FAQ

How long after my registration expires can I re-register as a migration agent?: Up to 36 months after the expiry date, by lodging a late repeat registration application through the OMARA portal. After 36 months you must apply for initial registration.
Can I keep working for clients while a late application is processed?: No. You cannot give immigration assistance until the late repeat registration is approved. Lodging and paying before expiry is what keeps an on-time renewal registered during processing; a late application has no such continuation.
What CPD do I need for a late repeat registration?: The same as any repeat registration: 10 points completed in the 12 months immediately before you lodge, at least 5 Category A, with the mandatory ethics and Code of Conduct topics.
Can I do CPD while unregistered?: Yes. Approved providers can enrol you and issue certificates in your name and MARN. Only activities inside the 12-month window before your lodgement will count.

← Back to the full CPD requirements guide

General information for registered migration agents, not legal advice. CPD requirements are set by the OMARA under the Migration Agents (CPD Activities, Approval of CPD Providers and CPD Provider Standards) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/001) — confirm your current obligations and renewal dates at mara.gov.au. Widen CPD is an OMARA-approved CPD provider.

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