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Visa appeal lawyers in Melbourne
If the Department of Home Affairs has refused or cancelled your visa, the first thing to settle is the deadline. We act for Melbourne clients at the Administrative Review Tribunal and, where a legal error is in issue, in the courts, with the same lawyer from the first review of your decision letter to the hearing.
Book a consultation
Or call (03) 9958 5854
Visa review in brief
Most refusals and cancellations of visas made in Australia can be reviewed on the merits by the Administrative Review Tribunal, which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 14 October 2024. The Tribunal looks at the decision again and can affirm it, set it aside, vary it or send it back to the Department. Some decisions carry no Tribunal review right at all, which is why the decision letter is the first thing we read.
Above the Tribunal sits judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. A court does not decide the visa again; it decides whether the Tribunal made a legal error. Ministerial intervention is a separate, discretionary request to the Minister.
Melbourne matters at the Tribunal
Review applications are lodged online. The Tribunal's Melbourne Registry is on Level 4, 15 William Street, a short walk from our office. When a hearing is held in person in Melbourne, we meet you at the Collins Street office beforehand to go through what will happen, and we attend the hearing with you.
The refusals we see most often from Melbourne clients involve student visas, partner visas where the relationship evidence was not accepted, and employer sponsored nominations. Each has its own review rules and time limit, set out in the decision letter.
For the full rules, subclasses and current processing information, see our national visa appeals page.
When a deadline is running
A review deadline does not wait for a convenient appointment. Call (03) 9958 5854 during office hours, or send the decision letter through the enquiry form below, and a lawyer will look at the time limit first. You can then meet us at Level 13, 257 Collins Street or by video, whichever lets you start sooner.
Many clients appealing a refusal find it reassuring to sit with their lawyer in person before the hearing. If you are outside Melbourne, or prefer not to travel, the preparation works equally well by video. For a closer look at the review pathways, see our pages on visa refusals, cancellations and judicial review.
Our Melbourne office
Visa Plan LawyersLevel 13, 257 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8:45 am to 5:15 pm, closed on Victorian public holidays
- Phone
- (03) 9958 5854
Government charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| ART application fee, migration decision (Part 5) | $3,727 |
| Reduction for financial hardship, migration decision | 50% |
| Refund if the decision is set aside, varied or remitted | 50% |
| ART fee, protection decision (payable only if affirmed) | $2,293 |
| ART standard application fee (including character decisions) | $1,195 |
Percentages apply to the migration application fee. Court filing fees are separate and are set by the court.
Checked on 27-09-2026. Source: Administrative Review Tribunal, fees. Our professional fees are separate and are quoted in writing before you instruct us.
How the matter runs
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Deadline check
We read your decision letter, confirm whether the Tribunal can review it and fix the last day to apply. If time is short, we lodge first and build the case after.
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Decision analysis
You receive a written analysis of why the application was refused or the visa cancelled, what the Tribunal will look at again and what new evidence could change the picture.
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Evidence and submissions
We gather the evidence and prepare written submissions that answer each reason in the decision.
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Hearing
We prepare you for the hearing at our office and represent you at it, whether it is held in person at the Melbourne Registry, by video or by telephone.
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After the decision
If the Tribunal sets the decision aside, we explain the next steps with the Department. If it affirms, we advise on judicial review or other options and their time limits.
Questions from Melbourne clients
Where is the Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne?
The Tribunal's Melbourne Registry is on Level 4, 15 William Street, Melbourne, near the corner of Flinders Lane, according to the Tribunal's locations page. Its offices are open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Will my hearing be in person in Melbourne?
Not necessarily. The Tribunal decides how a hearing is held, and hearings may be in person, by video or by telephone. If yours is in person in Melbourne, we prepare you beforehand at our Collins Street office and attend the hearing with you.
My refusal letter arrived today. What should I do first?
Read the part of the letter that explains review rights and note the date it says the time limit runs from. Time limits for review are short and strictly applied, and some decisions cannot be reviewed at the Tribunal at all. Then call us on (03) 9958 5854 or send the letter through the enquiry form so a lawyer can check the deadline.
How much is the Tribunal fee for a migration review?
The application fee for review of a migration decision under Part 5 of the Migration Act 1958 is in the government charges table on this page. A reduction is available for financial hardship, and part of the fee is refunded if the decision is set aside, varied or remitted. For a protection decision, the fee is payable only if the Tribunal affirms the decision.
If the Tribunal affirms the refusal, can the matter go further?
Where the Tribunal's decision involves a legal error, judicial review may be available in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Court proceedings have their own strict time limits. We prepare a Tribunal case with that possibility in mind, so the record is ready if a court application is needed.
After a refusal, in their own words
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"My husband and I put our faith in him, and my only regret is not engaging Visa Plan earlier."
Reviewed by James Bae, Managing Director and Principal Immigration Lawyer. This page is general information about Australian migration law and is not legal advice for your circumstances.