There are hundreds of different Australian visa options depending on your reasons for travelling to Australia.
What types of visas are available for individuals?
These visas fall into several broad categories:
- Temporary visas (including tourist visas)
- Family visas (including partner visas)
- Skilled visas
- Business visas
- Refugee and Humanitarian visas
It can be daunting at first to work out what visa you need and how to meet the visa requirements. Our migration lawyers are experts at understanding your unique situation and recommending the best Australian visa for you.
How can an immigration lawyer assist with my visa application?
Immigration lawyers assist by:
- Helping you decide which visa to apply for
- Saving you stress, as Australia’s migration system is complicated and can be overwhelming for people unfamiliar with it
- Saving you time trying to work out how to meet the visa requirements
- Saving you money by ensuring you lodge a successful application the first time, avoiding the need for subsequent visa applications or appeals
Our clients regularly tell us that our professional service, expert advice, quick and clear communication and genuine care about our clients gives them peace of mind that their application is in safe hands.
Can I appeal the decision if my visa is refused?
Most personal visa refusals decisions have the right to be appealed to a tribunal or a court. Some visas do not have a right of appeal, for example, if they were lodged offshore and there is no sponsor in Australia.
You should read your visa refusal notice carefully because each decision is different. This letter should advise:
- if you have the right to appeal your decision
- the timeframe available to lodge the appeal
- the relevant appeal body your appeal should be directed to
We recommend you receive immigration advice from a lawyer before lodging your visa appeal so that you can learn if your visa appeal is likely to win. In some cases a visa appeal cannot win because certain visa criteria have not been met. In other situations there may be a quicker or cheaper alternative to appealing the visa refusal, such as applying for another visa.
The most common place to appeal a visa refusal decision to is the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). There are strict time limits when appealing to the AAT so it is very important to read the appeal deadline in your visa refusal letter carefully. Unfortunately, AAT appeal deadlines cannot be extended. You can read more about this process on our Administrative Appeals Tribunal page.
Some visa refusal decisions are appealed to the courts instead. For example, when the Minister for Immigration personally decides to refuse a visa based on character grounds. You can read more about this process on our Court appeals page.
If you are intending to seek legal assistance with your appeal, we recommend you do so as early as possible.
