Qualify migration enquiries before booking a consultation
RMA Society · 2026-10-30

Screen enquiries for service fit, urgency, capacity, and the next decision. Keep that administrative process separate from assessing migration options. Every enquiry needs an owner, a status, and a recorded next action—even when the practice cannot assist.


## Give every enquiry a destination

Qualification decides what your practice should do next with an enquiry. It does not establish visa eligibility. The immediate question is whether the person needs clarification, an appropriate consultation, prompt RMA attention, or an explanation that the practice cannot take the work.

Assess four things: the service requested, any time-sensitive issue, the practice’s competence and capacity to respond, and whether the person understands the proposed next step. A large budget does not make a matter suitable; a small budget does not justify dismissing someone without a clear response.

## Ask enough to choose the next step

Use a short first-contact form. Every required field should change how the enquiry is handled.

| Ask | Use the answer to |
| --- | --- |
| Preferred name and safe contact method | Contact the person without assuming phone or email is safe or convenient. |
| “What would you like help with?” | Route by the actual request, including enquiries that do not fit your service labels. |
| Current location and time zone | Arrange contact and give the RMA relevant context. |
| “Is there a date or deadline we should know about?” | Flag a stated date for review without interpreting its legal effect. |
| Language or communication support needed | Arrange an accessible next step. |
| Referral or enquiry source | Assess which channels generate suitable enquiries. |

Use “not sure” as an available answer where appropriate. A person may not know the visa subclass or legal terminology; forcing a selection can produce inaccurate information.

Tell the person when the form is monitored, what response to expect, and that submission does not confirm acceptance of the matter. Do not invite passports, health records, or a complete migration history into a general marketing form. Collect further information through an approved process when it is needed.

## Route enquiries consistently

Make the routing rules explicit. The following is an operational example, not a rule about legal time limits:

| Status | Trigger | Owner and next action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time-sensitive review | A deadline, expiry, refusal, cancellation, or other immediate concern is mentioned. | Assigned RMA reviews promptly under the practice’s escalation process; staff do not reassure the person that waiting is safe. |
| Clarification needed | The request is incomplete or service fit is uncertain. | Intake owner asks one focused question and records when to check for a reply. |
| Suitable for consultation | Service scope and capacity appear suitable for an initial discussion. | Explain the consultation, fee, and preparation; offer the appropriate booking. |
| Outside scope or capacity | The practice cannot provide the requested service or respond in time. | Explain the limit promptly; offer an independently verifiable route to help where available. |
| Closed | The person declines, confirms they no longer need help, or the enquiry is closed under a documented follow-up process. | Record the reason, stop date, and any promised action. |

Give urgent flags a recipient and a backup recipient. Review the queue at defined points during staffed hours. If your intake system sends an alert but no one is responsible for checking it, the flag does not protect anyone.

Support staff can collect information and arrange a next step within defined roles. Their script should not assess migration options, recommend a pathway, or promise an outcome. [OMARA’s practice management guidance](https://www.mara.gov.au/tools-for-agents-subsite/Files/practice-management-duties.pdf) explains the RMA’s supervision duties and the need for staff to identify their role accurately.

## Try a clearer response

For an incomplete enquiry, ask for the missing decision-making information:

> Thank you for contacting us. What would you like assistance with, and is there a date we should know about? Please do not send identity documents through this form. Once we understand the request, we will explain whether our consultation is an appropriate next step, what it covers, and any fee.

For an enquiry the practice cannot take, be direct about that limit. Do not leave the person believing their matter is being assessed when it is merely sitting in a sales queue. Ask before sharing their information with a referral contact.

## Keep one enquiry record

Record an enquiry ID, received time, source, request category, stated urgency, assigned owner, status, next action, due time, and outcome. Keep detailed case information in the appropriate protected record rather than copying it across marketing spreadsheets.

Separate operational screening from the professional intake checks required before substantive work. A booking link does not perform an identity check, resolve a potential conflict, or establish the agreed scope of assistance.

## Measure quality as well as volume

Compare enquiries by the month they arrived, allowing time for them to progress. Deduplicate a person who contacts you through multiple channels. Use consistent definitions for “suitable” and “booked”.

For a fictional example, a channel produces 40 enquiries, 16 fit the practice’s service and capacity, and 10 book. Service-fit rate is 16 ÷ 40 = 40%; booking rate among suitable enquiries is 10 ÷ 16 = 62.5%. These figures describe that example, not targets for the profession.

Record an actual reason when one is known: outside scope, no capacity, consultation declined, or unable to contact. Keep “unknown” for cases you cannot explain. Otherwise you risk redesigning the process around assumptions.

Review the oldest open enquiries and every enquiry with an unacknowledged urgency flag before reviewing marketing volume. Then use the [conversion guide](/resources/enquiry-to-engagement/) to improve the handover from screening to booking.


Sources & further reading

OMARA — practice management duties
https://www.mara.gov.au/tools-for-agents-subsite/Files/practice-management-duties.pdf