Experience. Diligence. Empathy.

In the early 1980’s Mr. Stirling Henry joined, what was then known as the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, as its New South Wales (NSW) State Director . Whilst there, he connected closely with the NSW business community who were looking for support from the Department to bring skilled workers to Australia. This was long before temporary skill shortage visas were established, and business was having problems bringing in skilled staff on a short-term basis.

In the early 1990’s Stirling established the first ever independent migration advice firm in Australia. This firm would, in time, become Stirling Henry Global Migration. This was before the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) was established. New migration agents were starting to set up in what was largely an unregulated environment. Several migration advisers and lawyers decided that the time was right for a representative body to be founded. The MIA was started with Stirling as Chair of the first management committee board.

Meanwhile, the Government decided that it was time that the profession became regulated and so a formal registration process for agents was started. This would provide professional standards and a compliance framework. Stirling was one of the first immigration advisors to advocate for both formal registration and for professional standards, training and sanctions for breaches. At the time, the profession was poorly regarded by both the Department and the Government, Stirling and the new MIA were keen to see if they could change that view. The two matters came together when the Department met with the MIA and the Law Council to implement a migration registration authority.

Stirling was the first migration advisor in Australia to become a Registered Migration Agent. Decades on he is still commended for his work and services by the MIA. Stirling Henry passed away in 2018 but he is a lifetime honorary member of the MIA and retains the registered migration license number ‘001’.

Stirling Henry Global Migration has been assisting the Australian business community and prospective migrants for over 35 years.