Our role

Our role

In short, our role as migration professionals is to:

• Advise you of your legal rights under the Migration Act 1958.
• Help you navigate the complexities of Australian migration law and policy successfully.
• Prepare the best possible applications to ensure you receive your visa quickly and without stress.
• Represent you before the Department of Immigration and Australian authorities in relation to your applications; and
• Support and provide you with accurate advice throughout the time it takes to prepare your visa application.

Our role is more than filling in forms, although we do that, but to provide you with critical strategic advice at each point in the visa process.

The Role of the Department of Immigration

The Australian Government makes migration law and policy, and the Department of Immigration applies the law and administers the visa program.

The role of the Department is to determine whether your application meets the legal requirements for a visa. It’s role is similar to that of a judge. It is not the role of a judge to help you prepare your case, tell you whether you are eligible for a visa, or assist you prepare your application but to either grant or refuse the visa application in accordance with the law. You cannot expect assistance from the Australian Government to make your visa application.

Your Role

Under the Australian visa system, you are responsible for preparing your own application. However, you can request the assistance of a migration lawyer or agent. To help applicants the Australian Government has established a system of registration of migration agents that ensures there is a body of competent and ethical professionals to help with your visa process.

At VisAustralia we are Migration Lawyers practicing as registered Migration Agents.

Advocacy

It is part of the role of a good lawyer to advocate passionately and publicly on behalf their clients. VisAustralia has always had a broad understanding of what advocacy entails in the migration context.

We have always seen it as part of our role to advocate to Government on behalf of our clients. We contribute to Government reviews on the shape and structure of the migration program, and we push accrediting bodies and state government to uphold proper standards of decision making.

If need be we are prepared to lead from the front and facilitate protest against particular decisions. This makes us very different from other migration law firms and education agencies who are frequently passive in the face of system changes that can affect a visa process.

Protest and class action – ACT, August 2018

In August 2018 VisAustralia coordinated a wave of protest by international students frustrated by the sudden closure of the ACT nomination program. VisAustralia worked with student groups and prepared to launch a class action on behalf of our clients and other students against the ACT Government.

In the face of the threat of legal action and street protest the ACT Government reformed its program to make it fairer to applicants. VisAustralia played a key role in pressuring the ACT Government to implement higher standards in its decision making and policy formation. The result is the ACT state nomination program is both the model and the measure against which other state government programs can be measured.

With VisAustralia you can be confident we will fight for your case as best as we are able.