A refusal is a setback,
not the final word.
If your visa or employer nomination has been refused, you may have the right to have that decision independently reviewed. We prepare and run ART appeals every week.
Refused? Here is what matters now.
- ✓The tribunal looks at your case afresh, new evidence and arguments are allowed.
- ✓The deadline is short and, for migration decisions, cannot be extended.
- ✓A registered migration agent can prepare and represent you throughout.
Brisbane
Servicing all of AustraliaOffshore
Clients worldwideMany refusals are overturned on review. The question is whether your case is put properly.
In the Administrative Review Tribunal's own published caseload figures for 14 October 2024 to 31 May 2025, 44 per cent of migration visa refusal matters finalised were set aside, that is, the refusal did not stand. Source: Administrative Review Tribunal caseload statistics. Past figures are not a prediction. Every case is decided on its own facts and no migration agent can guarantee an outcome.
The Administrative Review Tribunal reviews government decisions, including visa and nomination refusals.
The ART is the independent body that replaced the AAT on 14 October 2024. When the Department of Home Affairs refuses a visa or an employer nomination, the ART can review that decision on its merits. It stands in the shoes of the original decision-maker and can reach what the law calls the correct or preferable decision.
It is not a court. You can present fresh documents, respond to the department's concerns, and give evidence at a hearing.
Not every refusal carries a right of review, and the right often depends on where you were when you applied and when the decision was made. Confirming that is the first thing we do.
The ART is independent of both the Department of Home Affairs and of us. We can prepare and present your case. We cannot influence the outcome or how long it takes.
Refusals we take to the tribunal.
Whether it is an employer's nomination or an applicant's visa, we have run these matters before. Common refusals we act on:
Nomination knocked back?
We appeal refused employer-sponsored nominations, genuine position, salary, occupation and business criteria issues addressed head-on.
SC 482SC 494SC 186 ENSSkilled work visa refusals
Refused on skills, English, health, character or a nomination link? We rebuild the case for the visa applicant.
SC 482SC 494SC 186Character-related refusals and cancellations are treated differently by the tribunal, including a different application fee. We confirm what applies to your decision.
Partner & family visas
Relationship genuineness, evidence gaps and sponsorship concerns, presented properly to the tribunal.
PartnerFamilyStudent visa refusals
Genuine Student (GS), financials and course-progress refusals, reframed with the right supporting evidence.
SC 500Subsequent entrantSkilled & points-tested
Points, skills assessment and eligibility refusals across the skilled program taken to review.
SC 189/190SC 491Review rights for points-tested refusals generally depend on you having applied while in Australia. We confirm this before you commit to anything.
Other visa refusals
Visitor, work, and other subclasses, tell us your decision type and we will confirm your review rights and deadline.
Ask usHow an ART appeal works with us.
A clear, four-stage path from refusal letter to tribunal decision.
Case review
We read your refusal letter, confirm your review rights and, critically, your exact deadline.
Lodge in time
We prepare and lodge your application to the tribunal correctly, before the clock runs out.
Build the case
We gather fresh evidence, write detailed submissions and answer every concern the department raised.
Represent you
We prepare you for the hearing and put your case to the tribunal member on the day. The decision is the tribunal's.
Know the two numbers that decide your appeal.
The time limit and the tribunal fee are set by law. Here is what to expect, and why moving quickly matters.
Your time limit
- !You have 28 days from the date you are notified of the decision. If you are in immigration detention, it is 14 days.
- !The tribunal cannot extend these deadlines. Miss it and the right to review is lost.
- !Your exact deadline depends on your decision and how you were notified. Send us your decision letter today and we will confirm it immediately.
Time limits for some other decision types differ. Do not wait to check. Source: ART (Migration, Protection and Character) Practice Direction 2026.
The tribunal fee
- ·This is the government's application fee, separate from our professional fees.
- ·A 50% reduction may be available on financial-hardship grounds.
- ·50% is refunded if your review succeeds, the decision is set aside, varied or remitted.
- ·For character-related visa refusals or cancellations, the tribunal's standard fee applies instead, not the migration fee.
- ·Protection visa reviews are charged separately, at $2,293, and not all protection decisions attract a fee.
Fees current at 1 September 2026. Tribunal fees are indexed annually and can change. Check the current amount on the ART fees page. We will give you a clear, fixed quote for our own work before you commit, and set it out in a written service agreement.
Tribunal representation from an agent who does this work regularly.
Registered migration agent
Your matter is handled by Suman Dua, MARN 1800859, registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct and able to prepare and represent you at the ART.
ART matters regularly
We act on employer-sponsored, skilled, partner and student refusals, so the tribunal's expectations and procedures are familiar ground.
Evidence-led submissions
We do not just re-lodge, we answer the department's exact concerns with the right documents.
We move fast
Deadlines are unforgiving. We assess, advise and lodge without delay on our side. We cannot speed up the tribunal itself.
Transparent fees
A written service agreement setting out the work and our fees before we act, with invoices and receipts, as the Code of Conduct requires.
Honest assessment
Under the Code we must not run a matter with no realistic prospect of success. If that is your position, we will tell you plainly rather than take your money.
What people ask before appealing.
Can my refusal actually be overturned?
It can. The ART reviews the decision on its merits and can accept fresh evidence and arguments the department never saw. In the tribunal's published figures for 14 October 2024 to 31 May 2025, 44 per cent of migration visa refusal matters finalised were set aside. That is a statistic, not a prediction. No one can guarantee an outcome, but a well-prepared case that squarely addresses the reasons for refusal gives you the best chance of being properly heard.
How long do I have to apply?
For most migration decisions you have 28 days from the date you are notified. If you are in immigration detention it is 14 days. The tribunal cannot extend these deadlines, so the safest step is to send us your decision letter now and let us confirm the exact date before anything else.
What does it cost?
There is the government's tribunal fee, currently $3,727 for migration decisions under Part 5 of the Migration Act, with a possible 50% hardship reduction and 50% refunded if you succeed. Character-related refusals and cancellations attract the tribunal's standard fee instead, and protection visa reviews are charged separately at $2,293. On top of the tribunal fee is our professional fee for preparing and running the appeal, and you receive a written service agreement with a fixed quote before we act.
My employer's nomination was refused, can that be reviewed?
Often, yes. Refused employer-sponsored nominations (including subclass 482, 494 and 186) can carry a review right. We regularly act for businesses to address the position, salary, occupation and genuineness concerns behind a nomination refusal. We confirm the review right and the deadline before you commit.
Do I have to attend a hearing?
Most merits reviews involve a hearing before a tribunal member. We prepare you thoroughly and represent you on the day, so you are never facing it alone.
Can you speed up the tribunal or influence the outcome?
No, and nobody can. The ART is an independent body and we have no ability to influence its decision or how long it takes. What we control is the quality and completeness of the case put in front of it.
Nationwide Migration and Education | Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1800859 | This page is general information, not personal migration advice, and it does not take your circumstances into account. We do not guarantee visa or review outcomes, and we cannot influence or speed up the Department of Home Affairs or the Administrative Review Tribunal. Outcomes depend on your individual circumstances and on the current Administrative Review Tribunal and Department of Home Affairs requirements, which change. Immigration assistance is provided by Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1800859, registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) and bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct. Nationwide Migration and Education is not affiliated with the Australian Government or the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Talk to a Brisbane Registered Migration Agent
Nationwide Migration and Education is a migration practice. Immigration assistance is provided by a registered migration agent. Suman Dua, MARN 1800859. This page is general information only and does not constitute personal migration advice. We do not guarantee visa outcomes; all decisions, queue positions and processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and may change.
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Whether you are sponsoring talent or seeking sponsorship, our Registered Migration Agent, Suman Dua (MARN 1800859), manages the full process and maps the permanent residency options that may apply to you.
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Phone: +61 7 37265183
Email: [email protected]
Address: 320 Adelaide St Brisbane QLD 4000
Nationwide Migration and Education
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