Employer Sponsored Visas
Skills in Demand (482), Employer Nominated (186), Regional Sponsored (494), Labour Agreements, and DAMA streams.
Australian immigration lawyers, from first application to the Federal Court.
Visa Plan Lawyers acts for individuals and businesses across employer sponsored visas, skilled migration, partner and family streams, business and investor visas, citizenship, and Administrative Review Tribunal appeals. Every matter is handled by an admitted solicitor, and your communications are protected by Legal Professional Privilege.
- Every matter handled by an admitted solicitor
- ·Legal Professional Privilege on all communications
- ·Australia-wide and offshore representation
- ·Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation
Immigration Law Practice Areas
Solicitor-led advice across all Australian visa categories.
Skilled Visas
Skilled Independent (189), State Nominated (190), Regional Skilled (491), and skill assessment guidance.
Partner Visas
Onshore (820/801) and offshore (309/100) applications, including same-sex and domestic-violence streams.
Family Visas
Parent, child, and remaining-relative streams under the family migration program.
Business and Investor Visas
National Innovation Visa, employer sponsorship, and skilled pathways for business and investor migrants.
Visa Appeals
Administrative Review Tribunal merits review and Federal Court judicial review.
Citizenship
Conferral applications, citizenship by descent, and resumption of Australian citizenship.
Skill Assessment
Assessment authority strategy and submission preparation across nominated occupations.
What instructing a law firm gives you
Australia allows both registered migration agents and admitted lawyers to give immigration assistance, and for a straightforward application either can do the work well. Instructing a law firm adds three things that matter when a matter is complex, sensitive, or already refused: privilege over what you tell us, the ability to run the matter through to court, and advice on the legal risk before it becomes a refusal.
Legal Professional Privilege
What you tell an admitted solicitor is protected by Legal Professional Privilege under the Evidence Act, and cannot be compelled by a departmental notice or a subpoena in later proceedings. That protection lets you disclose the difficult parts of your history early, which is usually what determines how well a matter can be run.
One firm, application through to court
If a decision needs to be challenged, the firm acts at the Administrative Review Tribunal and in judicial review proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court. The matter stays with the practitioner who already knows the file, with no referral to external counsel and no handover.
Legal risk assessed before lodgement
Every file is structured with the review pathway in mind: identify the criterion most likely to be contested, build the evidence that answers it, and preserve the position for tribunal review if the decision goes the other way. The work that wins an appeal is usually done before the application is lodged.
Compare migration agents and immigration lawyers — what each can do, and when an agent is enough.
Where to start
Migration Lawyers
Solicitor-led representation across all visa categories, ART merits review, and Federal Court judicial review. National practice with the head office in Melbourne, available to clients across Australia and offshore.
Migration Agents
What registered migration agents do, how the role differs from an admitted solicitor, and how to tell which one your matter calls for. A plain reference for anyone deciding who should handle their application.
Speak with an immigration solicitor before lodging
An initial conversation with a solicitor gives you a written assessment of your visa pathway, the legal risks specific to your matter, and a clear scope and fee for any work that follows.
Book a ConsultationA legal practice, on the record
Visa Plan Lawyers operates as an Australian legal practice under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. The credentials below define how the firm differs from migration agencies, and what they mean in practice for your matter.
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Admitted solicitors only.
Every immigration matter at the firm is handled by a solicitor admitted to legal practice in an Australian jurisdiction, from the first consultation through to any tribunal or court step.
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Prior Australian Government legal experience.
The practice carries prior in-house experience advising the Australian Government on migration and administrative law, applied to private immigration work.
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Legal Professional Privilege on all client communications.
Communications between the firm and clients are subject to Legal Professional Privilege under the Evidence Act and the Legal Profession Uniform Law.
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Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Required of every Australian incorporated legal practice; the firm carries professional indemnity insurance accordingly.
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National practice, Melbourne head office.
The firm operates from Level 13, 257 Collins Street, Melbourne, and represents clients across all Australian states and territories and offshore.
What the firm handles
Across the Australian visa system, the firm represents clients in the categories below. Each links to a dedicated practice page with the substantive law, application thresholds, and current processing realities.
Employer sponsored visas
The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is the principal employer sponsored work visa, replacing the former Temporary Skill Shortage stream. The Employer Nominated visa (subclass 186) provides direct permanent residence for nominated workers in eligible occupations. The Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 494) covers regional employer sponsorship. Visa Plan Lawyers acts for both employers and employees, including labour agreement and Designated Area Migration Agreement arrangements. Where a sponsor's accreditation is at issue, or where a nomination has been refused, the firm handles the merits review and judicial review pathway.
Skilled migration
The General Skilled Migration program covers the Skilled Independent (189), State Nominated (190), and Regional Skilled (491) streams. Each stream has its own occupation list and different thresholds for points, age, English, and skill assessment. The firm advises on stream selection, points calculation, skill assessment authority strategy, and state nomination submissions, and acts in ART merits review where points or English language test results have been disputed by the Department.
Partner and family visas
Partner visa applications cover the onshore (subclass 820/801) and offshore (subclass 309/100) streams, with separate provisions for same-sex couples and applicants exiting domestic-violence relationships. Family visa applications include the parent, child, and remaining-relative streams. The firm prepares evidence of relationship, manages decision timing across the two-stage onshore and offshore pathway, and acts in ART merits review on relationship and refusal grounds.
Business and investor visas
The National Innovation visa (subclass 858) is now the principal permanent residence pathway for individuals with an internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement, having replaced the Global Talent visa on 7 December 2024. The Business Innovation and Investment Program (subclasses 188 and 132) closed to new applications on 31 July 2024; the firm continues to act for existing 188 holders on extensions and on transitions to the permanent subclass 888 visa. For new business migration inquiries, the firm advises across employer sponsorship (482, 186, 494), the NIV, and skilled migration as the available pathways.
ART appeals and judicial review
Where a visa application has been refused, the next step is merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal in the Protection and Immigration Jurisdictional Area. The firm handles ART preparation and representation, including hearing advocacy, and where the tribunal decision is itself contested, judicial review proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia or the Federal Court. Time limits for both review pathways are short and statutory; early instruction is essential.
Citizenship
Australian citizenship by conferral is open to permanent residents who meet the residence requirement and pass the citizenship test. Citizenship by descent applies to those born outside Australia to an Australian parent. The firm handles citizenship applications, identity and character evidence, resumption applications, and review at the Administrative Review Tribunal where a citizenship application has been refused.
Australia-wide representation
The firm represents clients across all Australian states and territories, and applicants outside Australia where the visa stream allows. The pages below cover city-level representation across the firm's practice footprint.
Verified Google Reviews
A selection of recent reviews from clients across the firm's practice areas.
★★★★★
"I had an excellent experience with Andrew and the team throughout my visa journey. From start to finish, they were professional, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. They guided me through every step of the process, answered all my questions patiently, and made everything feel much less stressful."
★★★★★
"Visa granted after less than 2 months — faster than forecasted. I cannot thank the whole Visa Plan team enough, but especially want to give a special shoutout to Katherine Ho and Jasper Galvez. They handled our difficult and tumultuous application process with extreme care and patience."
★★★★★
"I applied for my partner visa with Visa Plan and received my subclass 820 visa approval today. My case was extremely complex and honestly felt almost impossible, but the Visa Plan team made it happen. They were very thorough, detail-oriented, and always showed genuine care and understanding for my situation."
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions clients ask most often before instructing the firm.
What is the difference between a migration agent and an immigration lawyer in Australia?
A migration agent is registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority and works to a regulated scope under the Migration Act. An immigration lawyer is an admitted solicitor under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. The lawyer holds Legal Professional Privilege over client communications, can represent matters in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court, and is bound by the broader professional conduct framework that applies to all Australian legal practitioners.
Why use an immigration lawyer rather than handling a visa application yourself?
Most straightforward visa applications can be lodged without legal representation. Where the matter involves complex character or health issues, prior visa refusals, an employer accreditation question, an ART appeal, or judicial review, legal representation substantially affects the outcome. The legal risks at stake, including refusal, cancellation, and bans from re-application, are difficult to assess from public materials alone.
What is the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) and what role does it play in visa decisions?
The Administrative Review Tribunal is the federal merits review body that replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2024. Visa decisions made by the Department of Home Affairs that an applicant disagrees with are reviewable at the Tribunal in the Protection and Immigration Jurisdictional Area. The ART can affirm, vary, or set aside the original decision, and remit the matter back to the Department for redetermination.
Can Visa Plan Lawyers represent applicants outside Australia?
Yes. The firm acts for offshore applicants in every visa category that admits offshore lodgement, including offshore partner (309/100), employer sponsored, skilled migration, and business and investor streams. Communication is handled remotely; client identification follows the firm's standard verification process for offshore matters.
What is Legal Professional Privilege in immigration matters and why does it matter?
Legal Professional Privilege is a common law principle, codified in the Evidence Act, that protects communications between a client and an admitted solicitor from compulsory disclosure. In an immigration matter, a notice from the Department or a subpoena in subsequent proceedings cannot compel disclosure of privileged advice. The privilege attaches to the lawyer-client relationship, so it applies to advice from an admitted solicitor and not to assistance given under the migration agent registration framework.
What practice areas does Visa Plan Lawyers handle?
Employer sponsored visas (Skills in Demand 482, Employer Nominated 186, Regional Sponsored 494, Labour Agreements, DAMA), General Skilled Migration (189, 190, 491), partner and family visas, business and investor visas, citizenship, ART merits review, and Federal Court judicial review of Migration Act decisions.
Does the firm handle judicial review of immigration decisions?
Yes. Where a tribunal decision is contested on jurisdictional or legal error grounds, the firm acts in judicial review proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia or the Federal Court. Time limits are statutory and short, typically 35 days from the tribunal decision, and early instruction is essential.
What is a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)?
A DAMA is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and a regional or state authority that allows local employers to sponsor overseas workers for occupations not available under standard employer sponsored streams. Each DAMA has its own occupation list, salary concessions, and English thresholds. DAMA visas are granted under subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) or 494 (Regional Sponsored).
How does an Employer Sponsored visa differ from a Skilled Independent visa?
An Employer Sponsored visa requires an Australian employer to nominate the applicant for a specific position. A Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) does not require sponsorship; it is points-tested against age, English, qualifications, and work experience. The Skilled Independent stream is selective and competitive; employer sponsored streams trade points-testing for the constraint of an employer commitment.
How do I get started with Visa Plan Lawyers?
Make an enquiry through the form on this page or call (03) 9958 5854. An initial conversation with one of the firm's solicitors covers your visa pathway, the legal risks specific to your matter, and a clear scope and fee for any work that follows. Most engagements run on fixed fees against scoped deliverables.
Information current as at 12 August 2026. Visa Plan Lawyers is an incorporated legal practice. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.