Continuing professional development (CPD) is not optional housekeeping for a registered migration agent — it is a condition you have to satisfy every year to keep your registration with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). Get the points, categories and timing right and re-registration is a formality; miss them and your application can be refused. This guide sets out the CPD framework as it stands in 2026, including the changes that took effect on 1 April 2026, so you can plan your year rather than scramble in the final weeks.
The figures below are drawn from OMARA and the relevant legislative instrument as at 2026. Because the rules were updated this year, always confirm the current position on the OMARA website before you rely on any specific number.
How many CPD points you need each year
To stay registered, you must obtain 10 CPD points in each registration year. CPD activities have to be completed in the 12 months immediately before you submit your re-registration application — the points are tied to that 12-month window, not to a calendar year, so the clock you care about is your own registration anniversary.
Of those 10 points, a minimum must come from a higher-tier of activity, and the balance can be made up from a broader pool. The split is what trips most agents up, so it is worth understanding the categories properly rather than just chasing a total.
Category A and Category B: the split and the caps
OMARA divides CPD activities into two categories. The shorthand most providers use:
- Category A — the more rigorous, instructor-led or assessed activities: workshops and structured courses in migration law and practice, whether delivered face to face or online.
- Category B — primarily private study and distance learning, typically self-paced.
The core rule is that at least 5 of your 10 points must come from Category A activities. The remaining 5 can be drawn from either category — so you can do all 10 in Category A if you prefer, but you cannot satisfy the requirement on Category B alone. In practical terms, Category B is effectively capped at 5 points per registration year because of that Category A floor (confirm the current figure on the OMARA/Home Affairs website if a specific activity's category status matters to your plan).
Plan for the Category A minimum first. Self-paced private study is easy to leave to the last minute, but it cannot, on its own, get you re-registered.
The new mandatory ethics and Code of Conduct points (from 1 April 2026)
The biggest change for 2026 comes from the Migration Agents (CPD Activities, Approval of CPD Providers and CPD Provider Standards) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/001), which commenced on 1 April 2026. Under the new framework, part of your annual CPD must be specifically directed at professional conduct:
- A minimum of 1 point from an activity covering ethical standards for migration agents; and
- A minimum of 1 point from an activity covering the Code of Conduct.
These two mandatory points can be drawn from either Category A or Category B, but they are no longer something you can skip. This is a deliberate tightening — the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents has been in force since 1 March 2022, and OMARA now wants every agent to actively refresh their understanding of it each year. If you are due for a Code refresher anyway, our OMARA Code of Conduct compliance checklist for 2026 is a useful companion to whatever formal CPD you choose.
The online learning cap
The 2026 instrument also reduced how quickly points can be accumulated online. An activity undertaken through online learning is now worth a maximum of 6 points in any continuous 24-hour period, down from the previous 10-point ceiling. The practical effect is that you can no longer knock out a full year's CPD in a single online "blitz" day — you will need to spread online study across more than one day, or mix in face-to-face activity. Build that into your calendar early rather than discovering it the night before your renewal.
Private study completion deadline
Another new rule: private study with assessment (a Category B activity) must now be completed within 12 months of the date of enrolment. Under the older instrument there was no completion deadline, so a long-dormant enrolment could be finished and counted. That loophole is closed for activities under the new framework, so do not enrol and forget.
Timing: complete your CPD before you renew
CPD is a precondition of re-registration, which means the sequencing matters as much as the content:
- All required CPD must be completed within the 12 months immediately before you lodge your re-registration application.
- You can submit your re-registration application up to 8 weeks before your current registration expires.
- OMARA recommends finishing your CPD at least 8 weeks before your registration expires, so the points are banked before you lodge.
Leaving CPD to the final fortnight is the single most common cause of stress at renewal. Course availability, assessment turnaround and provider processing times are all outside your control, and the online daily cap now slows down any last-minute catch-up. Treat your CPD plan as a year-round task, not a deadline task.
Transitional arrangements for 2026
Because the new instrument landed mid-cycle for many agents, there is a transitional buffer. For re-registration applications lodged between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, CPD activities undertaken under the previous rules and commenced or completed on or before 30 June 2026 may still be counted — including activities addressing ethics and the Code of Conduct. After that, the new framework applies in full. If your renewal falls in this window, check exactly which rule set applies to your activities before you assume they qualify (confirm the current position on the OMARA website).
Keeping CPD records
Earning the points is only half the obligation — you must be able to prove it. Keep evidence of every CPD activity you complete: the provider, the activity title, the date completed, the category, the points awarded, and a certificate or statement of attendance or completion. OMARA can ask you to substantiate your CPD, and "I did it but I can't show it" is not a defence.
The discipline here mirrors the rest of your practice. The same agents who keep clean, contemporaneous CPD records tend to keep good client file notes and clear fee disclosure and client agreements — and those are exactly the records OMARA looks at if a complaint is ever made. A simple register, updated as you go and backed by saved certificates, removes the renewal-week panic of hunting for proof.
What happens if you don't meet your CPD
CPD is a hard requirement, not a target. If you have not completed the required CPD when you apply to re-register, and you do not have evidence of exceptional circumstances beyond your control, OMARA may refuse your re-registration application. A refusal is far more disruptive than a few hours of study — it can interrupt your ability to practise lawfully and create real problems for clients whose matters are mid-stream.
There is limited relief. Where there are exceptional circumstances genuinely beyond your control, OMARA may allow up to an additional 3 months to complete your CPD. That is a safety net for serious, unforeseen events — not a planning tool. Do not build your year around an extension you may not get.
One narrow exemption is worth noting: the CPD requirements do not apply to holders of a restricted legal practising certificate (RLPC) who are also registered with OMARA, because those practitioners are subject to the CPD obligations of their relevant legal professional association instead. If that's you, confirm your position with OMARA rather than assuming the exemption applies (confirm the current rule on the OMARA website).
Making CPD part of your compliance system
The agents who never sweat re-registration are the ones who treat CPD as one line in a wider compliance routine — deadlines tracked, evidence filed, Code obligations front of mind all year. That is much easier when your practice management system reminds you what is due and keeps the proof in one place, rather than leaving CPD as a sticky note for renewal week. If you are weighing up the tools that do this well, our rundown of the best software for registered migration agents in 2026 and the comparison of LodgeHQ versus Migration Manager are good starting points.
LodgeHQ is built specifically for Australian registered migration agents — deadline tracking, structured file notes, fee disclosure and compliance reminders in one place, so the obligations around re-registration sit alongside your casework rather than on a separate to-do list. If you want to see how that works for your practice, start a free trial or learn more about LodgeHQ.
This article is general information for registered migration agents, not legal or regulatory advice. CPD rules changed on 1 April 2026 and can change again — always verify current point totals, categories and timing on the official OMARA website before you rely on them.