How we research and verify our guides

Our migration guides cover money, visas, and settling in — topics where a wrong number has real consequences. Here is exactly how each guide is put together and kept current.

Researched from primary sources

Every figure in a guide is traced to a primary source — a government department such as the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Taxation Office, Services Australia, or the Reserve Bank of India, or the official body responsible for the rule. Each guide lists those sources at the bottom, with the date we last checked them. Where a fact could not be confirmed against a primary source, we say so in the guide rather than presenting it as settled.

Verified on a fixed schedule

A guide is only marked verified when a person has re-checked its figures against those sources. That check is recorded and dated, and shown on the guide as a “Last verified” stamp. Because rules change, verification expires: visa and fee content is re-checked at least every 60 days, money content every 90 days, and other guides every 180 days. When a guide passes that window the stamp turns to a warning that tells you to confirm the figures at the source before relying on them — we would rather flag a guide as possibly out of date than let a stale number look current.

Named authorship and review

Guides carry a named byline, and visa-cluster guides show a registered migration agent’s review credit where one has reviewed them. We are an independent community platform, not a migration agent: our guides are general information, not immigration or financial advice. For advice about your own situation, consult a registered migration agent via the official register at mara.gov.au.

Spotted something wrong?

If a figure looks out of date or incorrect, please tell us — corrections are prioritised. Email a correction, or use our contact page. Include the guide and the source you think is right, and we will check it against the primary source and update the guide.