Yes, when the session meets the interactivity test in the 2026 instrument and you attend it properly. Here is what makes an online workshop Category A, what the provider must do, and what you need to do on the day for the point to be certified.
The short answer
Under LIN 26/001 a workshop is Category A whether it is face-to-face or online, provided it involves real-time discussion among participants and/or interactive participation tools, runs for at least one hour per point, and has no more than 30 participants. A recorded webinar with a quiz is not a workshop; it is private study, which is Category B.
What makes an online session Category A
Requirement
What it looks like on Zoom
Interactive
Live discussion, questions answered in real time, polls, breakout exercises, case problems worked through with participants. Not a presenter reading slides to a muted room.
Real time
Scheduled, with a start and end. Recordings watched later are not Category A.
Duration
At least one hour of structured learning per CPD point. A 2-point workshop is at least two hours.
Participant cap
No more than 30 participants. This is why live sessions sell out and why Category A is the pinch point of a CPD year.
Approved
The provider and the specific activity are OMARA-approved as Category A, with an activity number. How to check →
Records
The provider keeps attendance and presenter records (presenter records for at least two years under the 2026 provider standards).
What you must do to be certified
Join with your own link. Widen sends a personal Zoom link for each booking. Attendance is matched from Zoom's participant report to your booking, so joining under a colleague's link or a shared office login can leave you unrecorded.
Be there for the session. The point is for the whole workshop. Brief connection drop-outs are tolerated; arriving late or leaving early is not, and the certificate will not issue.
Take part. The instrument's test is interactivity. Answer the polls, bring a question, join the discussion when the presenter opens it. Cameras are not required by the instrument, but the session has to be more than a recording to you as well as to the OMARA.
Use your registered name. Set your Zoom display name to the name on your MARN so the attendance match is clean.
Mind the online cap. A Zoom workshop is online learning, so it counts toward the 6 online points per 24 hours. Three 2-point workshops in a day is the limit. The cap →
What happens after the session
Attendance is pulled from the Zoom report after the session ends and matched to bookings.
Attendees with full attendance receive a dated certificate showing the activity number, category, points and session time.
The completion is reported to the OMARA. Keep the certificate: it is still your evidence. Record-keeping →
If you attended but were not matched, contact Widen with the name and email you joined under, and the booking is reconciled by hand.
Things that are not Category A
Watching a recording of a workshop, even one that was Category A live.
A webinar with hundreds of attendees and a chat box. The 30-participant cap and the interactivity test both fail.
A self-paced module with an assessment. That is Category B private study, which is valuable but counts toward a different half of your year. Private study →
Live Category A on Zoom, done properly
Widen's workshops are two-hour, 2-point Category A sessions capped at 30 participants, built around case problems and discussion, with attendance recorded from Zoom and every completion reported to the OMARA. A$30 incl. GST per session, or redeem a Points Pass.
Does an online Zoom workshop count as Category A CPD?
Yes, if it is an OMARA-approved Category A activity that involves real-time discussion among participants or interactive participation tools, runs at least one hour per point and has no more than 30 participants.
Do I need my camera on for Category A CPD?
The 2026 instrument does not require cameras. It requires the session to be interactive and you to attend it. Providers may set their own expectations; what matters for the certificate is being present for the whole session under your own booking.
What if I drop out of the Zoom session for a few minutes?
Short connection losses are normally tolerated because attendance is measured against the scheduled duration. Leaving early or arriving well after the start means the point cannot be certified.
Can I watch a recording of a Category A workshop for the points?
No. A recording is not real-time and not interactive, so it is not a workshop under LIN 26/001. Some providers package recordings with an assessment as Category B private study.
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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