Free Migration Agents

Free services for eligible refugees, asylum seekers and humanitarian entrants to New South Wales, Australia

Joel Gedeon

From the CEO’s desk – April 2017

AFFMA has made a terrific start to 2017.

We have a new fundraising/marketing team. These dedicated volunteers have started to expand our brand and raise awareness with community organisations throughout the Inner West. As a result, we have had a significant increase in donations and funding.

Our volunteers have also made lasting partnerships with several local businesses around Newtown. Our community involvement has brought us new clients through increased inquiries and referrals. Receiving the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Award has had a great impact in this regard.

Significant number of new volunteers joined.

We have also had a number of new volunteers join us and start making significant contributions to the organisation.

Additionally, AFFMA has started to expand our legal team. We have a new migration agent coming on board and a number of talented legal assistants joining the organisation. We are also expanding our service to include partner visas. This is particularly important for our clients who wish to begin a new life in Australia with their partners by their side.

AFFMA has started developing in house training for our volunteers, including the provision of fact sheets and legal information. This information will be available on our website in the near future.

Gene Waters
Acting CEO
LLB, Grad Cert of Migration Law and Practice
Pro Bono Migration Agent, MARN:1685583

From the CEO’s desk – March 2017

Greetings and welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for 2017.

Our offices have been open for more than a month in 2017 and we are in full swing with our operations, assisting those most vulnerable in our international community.

While we enjoy an unseasonably warm summer, please spare a thought for those refugees suffering through a bitterly cold winter in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. With previous safe havens such as the United States radically altering their refugee policies, the plight of refugees across the world is getting more desperate.

Time to come together.

Now is the time to come together and campaign for an increased intake in Australia. We need to call on politicians at all levels of government to reassess immigration policy. Australia accepts almost 200,000 migrants every year (the very people that have kept the country out of a technical recession for years, incidentally; Australia essentially imports increased demand in the form of a higher population). It is simply unacceptable that only 10% of those migrants are refugees or asylum seekers. This goes against the purported egalitarian nature of Australian society. What happened to the proverbial fair go?

This month’s newsletter will delve deeper into the topic of Trump, adding to our Newsletter Team Leader’s comments in last month’s newsletter on the problems associated with radical, far-right policies.

Thank you again for reading and for your valued support. If you are looking to assist AFFMA during 2017, please note that our fundraising efforts continue. Making a contribution is a terrific way to start the year!

Gene Waters
LLB, Grad Cert of Migration Law and Practice
Pro Bono Migration Agent,MARN:1685583
Acting CEO

From the CEO’s desk – January 2017

Greetings and welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for 2017.

I sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed their festive season and New Year break, and are relaxed and refreshed, ready to take on all that 2017 has to offer. I also take this opportunity to wish a Happy Lunar New Year to all our readers out there.

It is important to note that I, like all our readers, am very concerned with the recent events over the weekend in the United States. The politics of fear and division are deeply worrying and remind us of our important role as global citizens to resist nationalistic propaganda and ensure that compassion and kindness are extended to our fellow human beings. Make 2017 the year you take the steps to offer further assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

Again the AFFMA team and I take this opportunity to extend general thanks to the following volunteers for their assistance in 2016:

  • the whole Newsletter Team;
  • all office volunteers;
  • our volunteer Practice Managers;
  • Gene Waters, our volunteer lawyer and Acting CEO;
  • Karyn Clarke, volunteer website designer and maintenance person;
  • all board members;
  • Sabine Lorenz, Board President, volunteer lawyer, migration agent, and business and leadership coach;
  • all volunteer migration agents;
  • all our supporters and donors; and
  • everyone else who contributed to AFFMA last year.

If you are looking to assist AFFMA during 2017, please note that our fundraising efforts continue. Making a New Year’s contribution is a terrific way to give back in the season of giving.

Joël Gédéon
Juris Doctor, Master HumRights Law, Master Int’l Law, DipLegPrac.JP
CEO

Lawyer # 87472
Pro Bono Migration Agent, MARN: 1066986

From the board President’s desk – December 2016

This has been a year of great commitment at AFFMA. Our team of 25 volunteers have done an amazing job under the leadership of Joël Gédéon, our CEO, of managing AFFMA, including running the day-to-day office, writing and implementing policies, maintaining the website and electronic services, undertaking research, writing and editing our newsletter, and ensuring that AFFMA is growing and developing. Joël’s daily leadership, support, and involvement at AFFMA meant that volunteers were able to learn and develop, leading some to obtain paid work in their chosen field.

On behalf of the Board, I take this opportunity to congratulate our CEO, Joël Gédéon, on his Admission as Lawyer to the Supreme Court on 06 December 2016.

We all enjoyed working together and we look forward to another productive year in 2017.
Best wishes to everyone for the festive season and the coming new year.

Many Kind Regards,
Sabine Lorenz
Board President

From the CEO’s desk – December 2016

Welcome to the December 2016 newsletter, which has been sent out a week later than usual so we can share our latest triumphs and publicly recognise our volunteers for their hard work this year.

I would like to announce that after a long road, I was admitted to the legal profession as a solicitor on 06 December 2016. This is a proud moment for me, and I look forward to offering expanded services to the refugees we assist at AFFMA.

Yesterday the office volunteer team celebrated another successful year with a pleasant lunch. I would like to thank all those who helped our office run smoothly this year, including our highly professional Practice Manager Daniel Fang (pictured), who won the CEO’s Volunteer of the Year Award, our second Practice Manager Gavin Durbridge, a tech savvy who worked tirelessly to incorporate Google Drive into our existing system, our receptionists Tim Su, Erin Logie, and Shezza Khan, whose marketing strategies, suggestions and dedication to AFFMA are unparalleled, our Graphic Designer Devi Sutarsi, who designed our new email signature and award logo and last but not least our compassionate and committed Administrator, Lawyer-Migration Agent, and Acting CEO Gene Waters.

AFFMA’s OFFICE VOLUNTEERS (07 December 2016)

Last night we also hosted a Christmas dinner for the AFFMA board, newsletter team, and bookkeepers. I would like to offer a huge thank you to the newsletter team (James Gounis, Libby Wright, Jesika Haangana, Vijhai Utheyan, Megan Sturges, and Ariza Arif), the board members (Sabine Lorenz, President, Sherlene Heng, Secretary, David Barton, Treasurer, Karyn Clarke, Communication Director, Jesika Ha’angana, Social Media Director, and Ammar Hamad, PR Manager), and our bookkeepers (Edi Soysa and Angie Zhu).

DINNER WITH SOME AFFMA’s BOARD MEMBERS (07 December 2016, Atom Restaurant, Newtown

Please click this link to meet all our board members:
http://www.FreeMigrationAgents.org.au/affma-board-members/

I take this opportunity to thank our past clients and volunteers for keeping in touch with us throughout 2016: Lauren Lamarque (Newsletter Team Member), Holly Zhu and Jessica Craft (Practice Managers), and Warren Oakes (Board Treasurer) etc.

Finally, on behalf of everyone here at AFFMA, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. While you celebrate the festive season, please be grateful for the safe and prosperous lives we have here in Australia. It is important to remember that, apart from the traditional owners of this land, we are all either immigrants ourselves or descended from immigrants, be they convicts, economic migrants, or refugees.

There are currently over 60 million refugees displaced worldwide, many of whom are now preparing for a long, harsh European winter. Our thoughts are with them all during this time.

Please be advised that our office will be closed from Monday 12 December 2016 to Tuesday 31 January 2017 inclusive. The office will resume normal hours on Wednesday 01 February 2017. The newsletter team will also be taking a break, and our next newsletter will be out on 01 February 2017.

Thank you again for your support throughout 2016. Please consider donating $35 only this festive season which will pay the application fee for one refugee. (See below under ‘ Sponsor a Refugee’. Happy holidays.

Joël Gédéon
Juris Doctor, Master HumRights Law, Master Int’l Law, DipLegPrac.JP
CEO
Admitted Lawyer

Pro Bono Migration Agent
MARN: 1066986

Advertisements and jobs board – 31st of October 2016

External Notice:

Migration agents sought for participation in research on language, communication and forced migration.

We are seeking participants for a study examining language and communication in the context of Australian refugee applications and appeals, and policy. The study is being conducted by Laura Smith-Khan to meet the requirements of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics, under the supervision of Professor Ingrid Piller of the Department of Linguistics (ph: 0298507674) and with associate supervision by Dr Daniel Ghezelbash of Macquarie Law School and former board member at AFFMA.

As part of this study, we are interested to gain insight into the experiences of legal professionals and migration agents who assist in refugee applications and/or appeals in Australia. We are particularly interested in exploring the role of intercultural communication in these processes, as well as considering the way different stakeholders (such as interpreters, support people, decision makers and legal advisors) each contribute to the process. We hope that by critically exploring these processes, we can contribute to a discussion that will lead to improved procedures and outcomes in the future. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to participate in a semi-structured interview with the Co-Investigator, Laura Smith-Khan. This will be arranged at your convenience and can be conducted in person, at a suitable location, or over the telephone or via Skype.

The interview should take approximately 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on our discussion and on your availability. It will be audio-recorded (if you consent to this) and the researcher will also take written notes. With your prior consent, the researchers may also contact you after the interview with follow-up questions or to seek clarification.

Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential, except as required by law. No individual will be identified in any publication of the results. Only Professor Piller, Dr Ghezelbash and Ms Smith-Khan will have access to this data. A summary of the results of the data can be made available to you on request and we will keep you updated on any publications that come out of this research.

Participation in this study is entirely voluntary: you are not obliged to participate and if you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without having to give a reason and without consequence.

If anyone would like to participate, I ask them to please contact me directly by email [laura.smith-khan@hdr.mq.edu.au] or phone call (0401870250) and we can arrange a time to talk

WANTED: Lawyer

To begin in November/ December this year, a commercial law firm (to be) is seeking a permanent Principal solicitor with a minimum of five (5) years experience and expertise in property law, family law and contract law. This is a commercial opportunity for a self-motivated lawyer who wants to set up a thriving, commercial, legal business but lacks the funds to do so. There will be a substantial office rent reduction (inclusive of electricity, water and cleaning services) in exchange for supervision of two junior lawyers who will undertake legal duties in the nominated areas of law. You will have your own locked office space. The office is situated in a prime position on King Street in Newtown with no law firms nearby.

Please email your expression of interest to the CEO [info@affma.org.au]

Do you have a vacancy you wish to advertise? AFFMA’s Members can advertise vacancies free of charge. Please email [newsletter@affma.org.au] for further information.

WANTED: Volunteer Migration Agents

AFFMA is looking for migration agents who are willing to complete a Spouse visa application from beginning to end on a pro bono basis, either at their own office/home or at AFFMA’s office in Newtown. AFFMA is an Approved Voluntary Organisation by the OMARA. Migration agents volunteering with us can claim one CPD point for every three hours of pro bono work.

WANTED: Volunteer CPD developers and reviewers ( Online Private Study Booklets)

AFFMA is calling for expressions of interest from members interested in developing, reviewing and updating CPD materials in the following areas:

Protection and Humanitarian – Ethics and Professional Practice – Accounts Management – Business Management – File Management – Partner Visa – Code of Conduct – Ministerial Intervention – Winning at the RRT

For every three hours of volunteer work on CPD materials, you will gain one CPD point which will be reported to the OMARA.

If interested, please send an email with details of your area(s) of interest, availability and experience to: [info@affma.org.au]

From the President’s desk – October 2016

affma-presidentWelcome to the AFFMA October newsletter.

After winning the 2016 Regional Volunteer Team of the Year Award, AFFMA is in the running for the NSW State award which will be announced next month, on 02 December. In the meantime, we are proud to announce our partnership with SHS Law, (formerly Foott Law & Co), one of Australia’s oldest legal firms which was established in1868.SHS Law is a premium player in the Australasian legal market. Focusing on market sectors that are dynamic and evolving, SHS Law advises individuals and companies on transactions that impact and shape world markets.

David Barton as a treasurer.

We are also pleased to announce that the Board, as its meeting on 19 October 2016, elected David Barton as a treasurer. Not only is his role vitally important to AFFMA, his experience, commitment and professionalism is something any organisation can only hope for, let alone a volunteer organisation. AFFMA feels truly blessed. David’s profile can be viewed on: http://www. freemigrationagents.org.au/ affma-board-members/

Volunteering

Whilst on this topic, AFFMA would like to attract more board members of the same caliber and is advertising for a Vice-President, a Social Media Manager and a Fundraising Manager. Before applying, please take a minute to reflect if this is something you can realistically commit to. Please ask yourself if you have the time, and the passion to fulfill the role you choose. Volunteering can be really rewarding as long as you take full advantage of the opportunity. Action speaks louder than words. Unless you volunteer as if you are paid, you will not develop your skills and reputation and eventually move into a paid leadership position. We owe it to humanity to counteract the authoritarian, ultra conservative, rising forces in the world by education and example – the world needs you! So, come and join us.

Move forward with AFFMA

The Board wants to elect three more dynamic, knowledgeable, committed and professional members who will take advantage of the current group’s energy and engage with one another, exchange ideas, communicate likes and dislikes respectfully, set and commit to goals, educate and change community perceptions, problem-solve, and eventually become a resource to inform our local politicians. This needs people of the caliber of a think tank. We can do it. AFFMA wants to move forward. Move forward with AFFMA.

Please apply by sending in your résumé to: [BoardSecretary@affma.org. au]

Last but not least, please tell us what you think of our refreshed Facebook page on: https://www.facebook.com/Association-of-Fee-Free-Migration-Agents-AFFMA-1530538203879736/

Many Kind Regards,
Sabine Lorenz
Board President

From the President’s desk – September 2016

Welcome to the September edition of AFFMA’s monthly newsletter affma-president

This month, we focus on AFFMA’s recent achievements, namely, AFFMA’s prestigious award, the quality of our teams, our plan to offer assistance in spouse visa applications and, finally, our CEO’s personal achievements and plans.

2016 Regional Volunteer Team of the Year Award

AFFMA has won the prestigious 2016 Regional Volunteer Team of the Year Award in August this year. The Centre for Volunteering and the Minister for Multiculturalism presented the award. This award meant that AFFMA was finally recognised for its pro bono legal and migration volunteer services. Since its foundation, AFFMA has kept its doors open by the sheer commitment of its volunteer staff and has been able to draft winning submissions and lodge successful visa applications to the Department of Home Affairs, thus helping asylum seekers prove their status as refugees.

Who are AFFMA’s winning volunteers?

Next, who are AFFMA’s winning volunteers? To answer this question, this section of the newsletter will focus on one of AFFMA’s volunteer teams. Today, I’m proud to report on the work of the volunteers who make up the Strategy Sub-Committee, headed by AFFMA’s Board Member and Communications Director, Karyn Clarke. Karyn owns a website development agency, Hubsite Builder. She has a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience in website design and has tirelessly offered her expertise to AFFMA from the very beginning.

She designed and has been servicing AFFMA’s website totally unpaid. She also regularly grows AFFMA’s communication technology within our Newtown office and beyond. As Karyn is also an experienced business planner, the sub-committee, under her guidance, is reviewing AFFMA’s business plan for the big to medium picture as a guide to our volunteers in administration, marketing, fundraising and public relations. Karyn pointed out to me the many hours of research and input that was provided to her by the office volunteers, especially, Jonny, Corey and Daniel who are all trained, supported and supervised by our CEO, Joël Gédéon, This is precisely the reason why AFFMA’s volunteers are able to transition so well into paid employment. This same section in October will focus on our newsletter team.

Regarding volunteers, before I move on, I would like to point out that AFFMA also keeps attracting high calibre volunteers. We welcome a former migration agent who has taken the role of Senior Practice Manager and a lawyer who has taken the role of administrator/Acting CEO bringing the total of AFFMA’s dedicated volunteers to 25.

Spouse Visa Applications

Thirdly, Spouse Visa Applications: Under the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) legislation, AFFMA, (and charities in general), can charge a fee for its services in order to raise funds for its charitable work. Therefore, since AFFMA does not get any government funding, we are pleased to announce that we will extend our services to offer assistance in Spouse Visa Applications. Donations for the spousal service will support AFFMA’s asylum seekers and refugees fee free charitable work. Migration agents who are experienced in spouse visas and interested in volunteering their services to AFFMA, are encouraged to contact us. We shall report more details on this in the coming month.

AFFMA plans to open an independent, commercial legal practice in early 2017

Lastly, our CEO, Joël Gédéon, apart from being a migration agent, is now also on his way to becoming a lawyer. Dedicated to the plight of asylum seekers and refugees, he has just recently successfully completed both his Juris Doctor law degree and his PLT (Practical Legal Training). We are eagerly awaiting his admission to legal practice and the date for his admission ceremony (the submission is currently before the Legal Practitioners Admission Board). With that in mind, let it be said that AFFMA plans to open an independent, commercial legal practice in early 2017. To that effect, AFFMA is advertising for an experienced solicitor as the Principal of the legal practice. The aim is that, in years to come, the law practice will be in a position to contribute funding to AFFMA (stay tuned for more details in the coming months).

From all of us at AFFMA, we wish you a happy and safe Labour Day long weekend.

Sabine Lorenz, ,LLB, DipLegPrac., Grad.Cert.Migration Law, Certification in Leadership and Transformational Coaching

Board President
MARN: 0956401