At VisAustralia we are Migration Lawyers and Registered Migration Agents
The migration process is a legal process. Many migration agents are not lawyers, and for this reason are not familiar with the law outside the area of migration. This can be significant to your application if the agent does not have the depth of experience or expertise in law generally to be able to advise you in relation to all areas of your visa application.
An agent who is not a lawyer may not understand the full significance or interrelationship of legal principles underpinning the administration of migration law.
You should always check whether a migration agent is also a lawyer before selecting that agent to work with you on your visa application.
Nicholas Houston
(BA, LLB University of Melbourne 1992)
Nicholas Houston is a fully qualified Migration Lawyer admitted to practice law in Victoria in 1993. Previously to working at VisAustralia Nicholas Houston worked at the Department of Immigration (DIAC) as a Senior Legal Officer amending the Migration Regulations, the law upon which the Australian visa program is based.
Prior to establishing VisAustralia, Nicholas Houston worked as a Senior Legal Officer at the Department of Immigration in Canberra. As a Senior Legal Officer he was involved in transforming the details of Australian Government migration policy into legislation. The work involved comprehending both the policy implication of proposed changes but also the inner workings of the Migration Act 1958, the law upon which the Australian visa program is based.
Ten Tips on Making a Successful Visa Application
To assist you understand the role of the Department of Immigration and to make a successful visa application, we have prepared a document entitled "Ten Tips on Making a Successful Visa Application". This document explains the structure of the migration system and why it is complex, provides information about the difference between Education Agents, Migration Agents, and Migration Lawyers, and is designed to help you better understand the visa process.
We invite you to request our free publication, "Ten Tips on Making a Successful Visa Application".
