Immigrants trying to start a new life in Australia have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket and at risk of deportation following the deceptive actions of a migration agent who has been described as a "serious risk to consumers".

Key points: The DHA found Rebecca Mason had been "repeatedly dishonest with her clients"

The DHA found Rebecca Mason had been "repeatedly dishonest with her clients" Ms Mason accepted responsibility but said the complaints were made in her absence

Ms Mason accepted responsibility but said the complaints were made in her absence The number of migration agents disciplined has risen since 2015, authorities say

The agent, Rebecca Mason, has since gone on to receive a Federal Government grant worth tens of thousands of dollars for another business venture.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has now cancelled her licence, describing her as "not a person of integrity" and labelling her behaviour "extremely serious".

But most of those affected are yet to get their money back from Mason Migration and have questioned why it took the DHA 20 months after receiving the first complaint to eventually cancel her licence.

Tales of debt and deportation

The ABC has been contacted by a number of migrants affected by Ms Mason's actions, including a couple who have been deported and others who were left without valid visas.

One man who was left thousands of dollars in debt was 32-year-old carpenter Neale McClure.

Mr McClure has spent the past seven years trying to become a permanent resident. ( ABC News: Kathryn Diss )

"We're currently living with my partner's parents. We just can't afford to have a place of our own, we're just trying to recover from the damage that's been done," he said.

"I'm now in $13,000-$14,000 worth of credit card debt that I'm trying to recover from and Rebecca is part of that problem."

Mr McClure moved from Northern Ireland in 2011 to start a new life in Australia and has spent the past seven years trying to become a permanent resident.

But late last year he found out Ms Mason, who he paid thousands of dollars, had left him at risk of deportation.

"If I had been breathalysed on the side of the road, I would have been arrested and deported," Mr McClure said.

"So it was pretty serious. We packed up and left Melbourne in three days … quit my job, left house and drove back here."

He became suspicious of delays in his application being processed, but when he attempted to track down Ms Mason late last year he could not find her.

Rebecca Mason says she accepts responsibility for the complaints made against her. ( Facebook: Rebecca Mason )

Mr McClure phoned the Immigration Department and was told he was an illegal immigrant because his paperwork had not been filed on time and he had no visa.

"That was pretty rough news because now, because I'm technically an illegal immigrant, I have a three-year ban over my head, for something I went to a registered migration agent for and done all the right things, and I'm the one being punished for it," he said.

Mr McClure is not alone. Many others have also been left high and dry.

American migrant Brittan Guthridge's plans to work as a freelancer from her Sydney home while also caring for her daughter were significantly delayed, because her visa application was submitted eight months late and incorrect.

"I had no idea for that entire year she hadn't lodged my visa. She lodged it almost eight months late and hadn't provided any of the documents I gave her [and] had misinformation on there," Ms Guthridge said.

"I really had no idea that something was amiss as she was communicative, I did my visa, medical and everything you're supposed to do.

"It's really cost me a great deal of time — over a year, year-and-a-half."

Brittan Guthridge's visa application was submitted eight months late. ( Supplied )

Investigation reveals 'repeated' dishonesty

The DHA cancelled Ms Mason's licence in November 2018, finding she had been "repeatedly dishonest with her clients" and had "taken on clients, accepted fees in advance and then done very little if no work to act on their instructions".

It concluded her conduct had, in some cases, resulted in "the loss of visa opportunities" and in some cases deportation from Australia.

Ms Mason's clients welcomed the news, but remained angry the DHA took 20 months to cancel her licence after receiving the first complaint in March 2017.

"I hired her in August 2017, so I obviously wouldn't have hired her if the complaint had come out months before I had even hired her," Ms Guthridge said.

"It would have saved so many people a lot of heartache."

The DHA confirmed it received a number of complaints about Ms Mason during its investigation and given the serious nature of the allegations, deemed it necessary to investigate further.

A department spokesman said the natural justice process meant migration agents were given the opportunity to respond to the complaints, which could "impact on the time taken to finalise an investigation".

Ms Guthridge says the department took too long to act on the complaints. ( Supplied )

In a statement, Ms Mason accepted responsibility for the complaints against her but said they were received during her "absence from the business".

She said her reasons for not being present were private and she was now working with Consumer Protection to return money to some affected clients, including Mr McClure.

"As the director and senior migration agent of the business, however, I am liable to ensure my business, including staff, meet the code at all times," Ms Mason said.

"In the event it/they do not, I must take full responsibility for this.

"I was a very reputable agent for almost 10 years with no complaints until this certain period and, due to such, my licence was cancelled as a result of having to accept the code was not met by my business."

Grants awarded while investigation underway

While being investigated, Ms Mason went on to open another business — Co Hub Collaborative Education Hub — which received two Federal Government grants, each worth about $40,000, in October and December last year.

The business was designed to help entrepreneurs launch their ideas.

But 12 months since moving her business into a building in Perth's northern suburb of Butler, her landlord Charles Hunt kicked her out for repeatedly failing to pay rent on time.

Charles Hunt said Ms Mason repeatedly failed to pay rent for her business' building on time. ( ABC News: Kathryn Diss )

Mr Hunt said he had taken his concerns to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the WA Police Fraud Squad.

"We've had different excuses, from hospitalisations to family catastrophes, credit card fraud, everything bar 'the dog ate the cheque' basically, and it's become untenable," he said.

"She's accused us of all sorts of things. There's been nothing but obfuscation, deliberate obfuscation, she's never given us a straight answer.

"We've had to charge her interest penalties every single month. The only time she's ever paid it on time was January this year.

"Every time we've had a tradie come around to arrange to look at the electricity or the plumbing or whatever, no-one's ever been here."

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science declined to comment on whether it knew about the investigation into Ms Mason, who said Co Hub was completely unrelated to Mason Migration.

The DHA said the number of migration agents being disciplined had increased since 2015.

Last financial year it received 761 complaints, about 20 per cent of which were found to have been breaches of the migration agent code of conduct.