發票與收據：正確符合第 49 條

An invoice and a receipt are not the same thing. Under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021, a registered migration agent must give an itemised invoice before taking payment for professional fees, then a receipt after payment is made, see s49. A common problem is a single line such as “professional fees”, which usually does not tell a client what work is being charged for.

第 49 條要求什麼#

Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021 的 Section 49 涉及兩種不同文件。第一是發票，在收款前提供。第二是收據，在收到款項後提供。

這項規則之所以重要，是因為它讓客戶在款項離開其帳戶前，能看到被要求支付的是什麼。它也建立紀錄，顯示實際支付了什麼、何時支付，以及由誰收取。

This sits alongside other Code rules about fees and agreements. Section 42 requires a written agreement. Section 46 requires the fee structure to be set out clearly. Section 51 says money must not be taken before the agreement is in place. If funds are held on behalf of a client, s50 about client accounts can also apply.

先開發票，後開收據#

發票是付款要求。根據 s49，它必須在收費處理或收取款項之前發出。實務上，這表示要在信用卡被扣款前、在銀行轉帳被要求到期支付前，或在就專業工作收取現金前發出。

收據是已付款的證明。它是在收到款項後發出的。收據不能取代本應先發出的 invoice。

這個順序很重要。如果客戶是在被收費後才拿到收據，他們可能已錯過機會，無法核對工作內容和金額是否符合 s42 下的協議，以及 s46 下的收費結構。

「逐項列明」在實務上的意思#

“Itemised” means the work is broken into parts that a client can understand and compare. The point is not to create a long document for its own sake. The point is to show, in plain terms, what service is being billed, how much is charged for each part and what disbursements or government charges are separate.

內容薄弱的發票通常只有一行，例如：

• 專業費用

那幾乎無法讓客戶了解任何實質內容。它沒有顯示該金額是否涵蓋初步諮詢、資格評估、起草、表格準備、遞交、往來聯絡、後續跟進、向大律師簡報，或完全是其他內容。

較好的帳單會把工作分成有意義的部分，例如：

• 初步諮詢
• 文件審查
• 資格及途徑評估
• 準備並遞交申請
• 起草法定聲明或陳述意見
• 回應部門的要求
• 審裁處準備，如另有單獨約定
• 代墊費用，例如翻譯或口譯費
• 部門收費，與專業費用分開列出

The wording can vary, but the client should be able to see what each line is for. If the charging method is hourly, the invoice should make that visible in a practical way, for example by showing the hourly rate, the time spent and the total for each task or stage. If the charging method is fixed fee, the invoice should show the fixed amount for each agreed stage or service.

這也有助於比較。使用像這樣市集的人 VisaBid 可能會收到幾份針對類似工作的報價。分項發票會讓你更容易比較服務範圍，而不只是標題價格。

為什麼只寫一行「專業費用」會有問題#

單一打包的一行可能隱藏太多內容。這會讓人難以判斷金額是否與書面協議一致、某些工作是否屬於可選項目，或是否加入了未清楚標示的額外收費。

It can also blur the line between different types of costs. Professional fees charged by an agent or lawyer are one thing. Department charges, translation costs, medicals, police checks and barrister fees are different things. Putting everything into one line can make the total harder to understand.

另一個問題是爭議。如果之後對包含了什麼內容有分歧，只有一行的發票幾乎沒有什麼證據。明細發票能讓雙方更清楚知道收了哪些費用，以及原因。

從消費者角度看，分項列明也有助於客戶決定是否根本要繼續。這也是 Code 把 s38、consumer guide、s42、書面協議、s46、收費結構及 s49 的發票與收據要求連結在一起的原因之一。

發票和收據通常包含哪些內容#

The Code does not work well if the document is technically issued but missing the practical details a client needs. In everyday use, an invoice usually includes the agent or practice name, contact details, the MARN if the provider is a registered migration agent, the date, the client name or matter reference, and a list of the services being billed.

通常也會顯示每個項目的金額、應付總額、到期日，以及如何付款。如果包含部門收費或第三方成本，最好與專業費用分開列示，讓客戶看得出差別。

A receipt usually includes the date payment was received, the amount paid, the payment method and what the payment was for. It should also identify who received the money. If money is being held on behalf of a client rather than earned immediately, records around the client account under s50 become important.

If advertising or document branding mentions migration services, the provider’s registration details also matter in other parts of the Code. Section 25 deals with showing the MARN in advertising. If there is any doubt about whether a person is registered, the public register and checking tools matter. VisaBid has a page to 查核服務提供者, 而 OMARA（官方註冊機構）維護正式名冊。

這與報價、協議和客戶款項如何配合#

報價不等於發票。報價是在客戶聘用服務提供者之前，列出擬提供的工作和費用。發票則是就已識別服務提出的正式付款要求。兩者在逐項列明時都更容易理解。

根據 s38，必須先提供消費者指南（consumer guide）。根據 s42，必須有書面協議。根據 s51，在該協議生效前不得收款。然後根據 s49，必須先有明細發票，收費之後在付款後提供收據。

這個順序保護雙方。客戶可以在付款前看到提供者的條款和費用。提供者也有更清楚的書面紀錄，顯示已同意的工作、開票金額和已收金額。

If money is paid into a client account to be held for future work or disbursements, s50 may apply. That is different from money that has already been earned as professional fees under the agreement. Whether funds must be held in a client account depends on how the money is being handled and what the agreement says.

比較服務提供者的人，常常只看總費用。更好的比較方式是服務範圍加上價格。 費用估算工具 可以幫助了解大致範圍，但真正的價值在於看清楚某一份報價是否包含諮詢、準備、遞交和後續跟進，而另一份報價可能會把這些階段分開計價。

客戶付款前可以查看什麼#

The first check is whether the provider is allowed to give immigration assistance at all. In Australia, giving immigration assistance for a fee without being a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner can breach the Migration Act 1958, see s280 and s281. If a migration agent is involved in an application, Form 956 is commonly used to record appointment or assistance, see s312A.

第二個檢查點是文件是否一致。依 s38，消費者指南應先提供。依 s42，書面協議應已生效。依 s46，費用結構應清楚。然後依 s49，發票應分項列明並在付款前開立。

The third check is whether the invoice separates professional fees from other costs. Department charges change over time and are best checked on the relevant visa page rather than relying on an old invoice or screenshot. Third-party costs such as translations, health examinations and police certificates can also sit outside the provider’s own fees.

第四項查核是看服務提供者是否作出《Code》不允許的承諾。第 26 條禁止對結果作出保證。正式發票應說明工作內容和費用，而不是承諾簽證結果。

如果紀錄缺失或不清楚，在付款前以書面要求釐清是合理的。如果對行為有嚴重疑慮，起點通常是服務提供者的投訴程序、相關情況下的 OMARA（移民代理註冊管理局），以及像 VisaBid 的資訊 投訴頁面 和 消費者指南頁面.

常見問題#

有發票就夠了，還是我也需要收據？#

它們是不同階段的不同文件。根據第49條，發票在收款前開立，收據則在收到款項後發出。如果一開始沒有正式的明細發票，單有收據並不能補救這個問題。

移民代理可以只用一行寫專業費用嗎？#

單靠那樣的措辭通常太含糊。「逐項列明」表示客戶可以看見收費是針對哪些工作或階段，以及金額如何組成。單一打包項目可能使人難以比較報價，或查核收費是否符合協議。

移民發票上哪些項目應分開列示？#

Professional fees are usually separated from Department charges and third-party costs. Third-party costs can include translations, interpreters, medicals, police checks or barrister fees. Clear separation helps show what the agent or lawyer is charging personally, and what is being passed on from somewhere else.

如果我已付款，之後才拿到收據怎麼辦？#

That can raise a question about compliance with s49, because the invoice is meant to come before payment and be itemised. Other parts of the Code may also matter, including s42 on the written agreement and s51 on taking money only after the agreement is in place. If there is concern about conduct, it helps to keep the documents, payment records and all written communications together.

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關於本指南。 這是關於某項程序在澳洲如何運作的一般資訊。這不是 immigration assistance，也不是針對你情況的建議。根據 section 280 of the Migration Act 1958 只有註冊移民代理或澳洲法律執業者可以提供這項服務。政府收費會按指數調整，而且大多數會在 1 July 變更，所以請自行查核任何金額於 immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, 並在以下位置查核任何代理 OMARA（移民代理註冊管理局）名冊.