These are the questions migration agents most often ask Google and AI assistants about CRM and practice software, answered plainly. Where the honest answer is "it depends", we say what it depends on and point you to our comparison of fifteen products, which is sourced from each vendor's own website.
Choosing a CRM
What is the best CRM for migration agents in Australia?
There is no single best CRM for every migration practice. The right choice depends on your team size, whether you also run education work, which built-in tools you rely on, and how you feel about published pricing and contract length. Our comparison of fifteen products sets these out side by side, using each vendor's own pages. Shortlist two or three and trial them on a few live matters.
What is the best migration agent software in Australia in 2026?
It depends on how your practice works, so start with a checklist rather than a brand. Check visa stage tracking, expiry follow-ups, record keeping, data export, where data is stored, published pricing, setup fees, contract terms and trial conditions. Our 2026 comparison covers fifteen products against that checklist, with every competitor fact dated and sourced.
What is AgentDS?
AgentDS is an Australian-built Sentient CRM for registered migration agents, migration agencies and immigration law firms. It keeps clients, leads, visa applications, recorded deadlines and expiries, appointments, tasks, documents, notes, invoices and recorded payments in one workspace, and emails your team before important dates. It is made by UY4X | Australian built, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. AgentDS is not related to the AgentDS data-science benchmark.
Is AgentDS good for migration agents?
AgentDS suits practices that want a clear daily view of follow-ups, visa expiries, applications and fees, and the freedom to leave with their data at any time. It is built for migration work, with application stages, document checklists, deadline reminder emails at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days, and an owner's daily brief. The simplest test is the 14-day free trial on your own work.
What immigration case management software suits a small Australian firm?
For a firm of two to five people, the deciding factors are usually how pricing counts your headcount, whether support staff are charged, contract length, and whether the owner can see overdue work without chasing. Some products charge per user, some per registered agent, and some sell seat bundles, so model the cost on your real team. Our comparison has a section for small agencies. In AgentDS, the owner's daily brief and case assignments are built for this size of team.
Is there migration agent client management software made in Australia?
Yes. Several products for migration agents are built in Australia, including AgentDS, which is made by UY4X | Australian built, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Our comparison lists where each vendor says it is based. If local data storage matters to you, ask each vendor where records, documents and backups are kept, and which services process data outside Australia.
What CRM suits an education and migration agency in Australia?
If course applications, partner institutions and commissions are a core part of your business, look for a CRM that states it handles education work. On 26 September 2026, Agentcis, Agent Manager and ImmiLedger stated this on their own sites. AgentDS is built for migration work, so it suits agencies that want to run the migration side separately, and it imports exports from Agentcis, Zoho and Excel. See our comparison for details.
Do I need migration-specific software, or will a general CRM do?
A general CRM is built around contacts and sales deals. Migration work runs on applications with stages, recorded deadlines, visa expiries, document checklists and fees, which migration-specific software handles without custom set-up. If you already use a general CRM such as Zoho, you can move your records into AgentDS and keep your history.
Moving your data
What are the alternatives to Agentcis?
Australian alternatives to Agentcis include Agent Manager, AgentDS, ImmiDesk, ImmiLedger, LodgeHQ, Migration Manager, NextOra and Officio. Which one fits depends on whether education work is central to your business, how pricing counts your team, and what you need to export. Our comparison covers each one from the vendor's own pages, checked 26 September 2026, and our Agentcis guide explains how to move. For a closer look, read Agentcis vs AgentDS.
What are the alternatives to Migration Manager?
Alternatives to Migration Manager include AgentDS, Agent Manager, Ezymigrate, ImmiDesk, ImmiLedger, LodgeHQ, NextOra and Officio. If you rely on trust accounting or automated form filling, check those first: on 26 September 2026, LodgeHQ listed a trust account ledger and ImmiAccount auto-fill, Officio listed ImmiAccount form population, and Ezymigrate listed trust accounting. Our Migration Manager guide explains how to export your data before your agreement ends, and AgentDS vs Migration Manager sets the two side by side.
How do I move my migration practice from Agentcis to a new CRM?
Export your records from Agentcis as CSV files, keep an untouched copy, then import them into the new CRM in a small test batch before moving the rest. In AgentDS you upload the export, match your fields, check duplicates and linked records, and review everything before it is saved. Keep Agentcis running until you have compared the imported records with the originals. Our step-by-step Agentcis guide walks through each stage.
Can I move my client records from Zoho or a spreadsheet?
Yes. AgentDS imports Zoho exports and Excel or CSV spreadsheets: upload the file, match each column to an AgentDS field, and check duplicates and linked records before anything is saved. Contacts from an email address book need to be exported to CSV first, then completed with the required client details. See our guides to moving from Zoho and moving from a spreadsheet.
What file formats can AgentDS import?
AgentDS imports CSV, Excel, TSV, JSON and supported ZIP exports. Named sources include Agentcis, Zoho and Excel. The import review explains any limits and lists records it can't import, so you can fix them before you finish.
Can my team keep working while we switch CRM?
Yes, and they should. Keep your old system running while one person exports, imports and checks the data, and cancel the old subscription only after the imported records match the originals. A quiet week away from lodgement peaks and end-of-month invoicing makes the move easier.
Visa expiries and deadlines
What software do registered migration agents use to track client visa expiry dates?
Many practices still track visa expiries in a spreadsheet or a personal calendar, and many use a migration CRM that records the expiry on the client profile. In AgentDS, a recorded expiry appears on the dashboard, can generate a suggested follow-up task, and triggers reminder emails to your team at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before the date, and again when it falls due. See visa expiry tracking.
How does AgentDS remind me before a client's visa expires?
Each morning, AgentDS emails the practice owner and the responsible person when a recorded visa expiry is 90, 60, 30 or 7 days away, and again when it falls due. Owners can switch these deadline reminders off under Communications > Deadline reminders.
Do deadline reminders go to clients?
AgentDS deadline reminders go to your team: the practice owner and the responsible person. When it's time to contact the client, your team can send a prepared message from AgentDS. Every client email carries an unsubscribe link, and a client who unsubscribes is never emailed again through AgentDS.
Which dates can AgentDS remind my team about?
AgentDS sends deadline reminder emails for recorded visa, passport, document, application and task dates. The same schedule applies to each: 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before the date, and when it falls due.
Where do I see upcoming visa expiries and overdue work?
On the AgentDS dashboard, which shows applications, appointments, overdue work, client concerns, fees and visa expiries, and updates live as your team works. The owner's daily brief also lists follow-ups that are due, unpaid invoices, client concerns and applications with no activity for 14 days.
Can I put visa expiry reminder dates in my calendar?
Yes. Our free visa expiry date planner works out the dates 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before an expiry and lets you download them as a calendar file, with no sign-up. Inside AgentDS, reminders arrive by email and appointments can be exported as calendar files. Two-way calendar sync is coming soon and is not available yet.
Security and data
Where does AgentDS store practice data?
AgentDS stores practice records in Sydney, Australia, and files attached to document records are also stored privately in Sydney. Sign-in accounts are processed in the United States. The security page lists every service that processes data, the country it operates in, and how backups work.
Is client data used to train AI?
No. Identifiable client records are never used to train AI. No AI model or AI provider is used in AgentDS today; its suggestions follow clear rules on your own records. When AI features arrive, the practice owner decides whether they are switched on, and the provider will be named first.
Does AgentDS support two-step sign-in?
Yes. Owners and staff can turn on two-step sign-in with an authenticator app under Account security, so each new sign-in needs a code. Everyone has their own account, and you can choose to stay signed in on your own device for 30 days.
Who can see client records inside my practice?
Owners manage who is in the practice, and individual accounts, staff roles and case assignments control access to records. Practitioners see private case work only when it is assigned to them, and reception and accounts staff have separate permissions. Details are on the security page.
Can I upload client documents securely?
Yes. You can attach PDFs, Word and Excel files, CSV, text files and phone photos to document records. Files are stored privately in Sydney and checked for malware before anyone can open them, and only staff who can see that record can open its files. See document checklists.
Trial and plans
Is there a CRM for immigration law firms in Australia with a free trial?
Yes. Several Australian products offer free trials, and conditions differ on length, whether a card is required and whether every feature is included; our comparison lists each vendor's published trial terms. AgentDS offers a 14-day free trial with every feature, for your whole team, with no card needed.
How long is the AgentDS free trial, and do I need a card?
The AgentDS free trial lasts 14 days and includes every feature for your whole team. You don't need a card to start. Start your free trial or book a demo first if you'd like a walkthrough.
How much does AgentDS cost?
Plans are shown when your trial ends. Every plan includes every feature, with nothing extra to unlock. If you subscribe by 31 October 2026, you get 50% off your first 12 months. See how plans work.
What happens when the AgentDS trial ends?
You choose a plan and everything stays switched on, or you download all your data as a CSV file and leave. You can also export all your data at any time, not only at the end of the trial.
Is there a lock-in contract?
No. You can cancel renewal at any time, and your agency keeps its rights in its client data. If AgentDS hasn't saved your firm time or money in your first 90 days as a paying customer, we'll refund you (terms).
Still have a question?
Email usman@agentds.ai, or book a short video walkthrough and bring your own questions. Every change to AgentDS is listed, dated, on the announcements page. For the terms used in migration practice, see the migration practice glossary.
See how AgentDS fits your practice. Try every feature free for 14 days. No card needed.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. AgentDS is not affiliated with them. Details checked on 26 September 2026; check each vendor's site for current information. This page is general information, not legal advice.