Immigration Lawyer in Melbourne
Whether you are a skilled worker eyeing Victorian nomination, a Melbourne employer short of staff, a family planning around a partner visa or someone holding a refusal letter, a conversation with an immigration lawyer is usually the quickest way to see where you stand.
Our Melbourne team is on the Ground Floor of 470 St Kilda Road and works with clients across Victoria and surrounding regions. Meet us in person or by video call, with a fixed fee explained up front.
- Fixed fees, agreed up front
- Offices in Sydney and Melbourne
- Video consultations Australia-wide
- Led by Principal Lawyer Tina Nematian
How we help
Victorian skilled nomination
For skilled workers who want to live in Melbourne or regional Victoria on a 190 or 491. We help with your Expression of Interest, your Victorian Registration of Interest and the nomination and visa steps that follow. We also compare it with other states.
Learn moreMelbourne employer sponsorship
For Melbourne businesses that need to sponsor skilled staff. We handle sponsor approval, nominations and the worker's visa, and we talk through the compliance duties your business takes on once it sponsors someone. We act for the employer and the worker.
Learn moreRegional Victoria and DAMA
For employers outside the metropolitan area, where a Designated Area Migration Agreement may suit roles that the standard program does not cover. We check whether your region and occupation are a realistic fit. Not every region or role qualifies.
Learn moreLabour agreements for Victorian businesses
For businesses with roles that sit outside the standard sponsorship settings. A labour agreement is negotiated with the Department, so we help put the business case together before anything is lodged. Planning early saves time.
Learn morePartner visas for Victorian couples
For partners applying from Melbourne or from overseas. We look at which visa applies, how your relationship evidence reads on paper, and what to organise before you lodge. We also cover onshore and offshore differences and what the Department scrutinises.
Learn moreParent and family visas
For parents, children and other relatives looking to join family in Victoria. Each pathway has its own sponsor rules and its own queue, so we help you compare them before choosing one. Queues and rules differ by relationship.
Learn moreStudent visas in Melbourne
For international students at Melbourne providers who want to study, change course or plan what follows. The rules on applying onshore changed on 2 October 2026, so it helps to check your position early. We map the options.
Learn moreRefusals and ART reviews
For anyone in Victoria with a refused or cancelled visa. We read the decision with you, check the review deadline and discuss whether a Tribunal review or another option is worth pursuing. Time limits are short.
Learn more
Victorian nomination: what to know before you register
If you want a 190 or 491 with Victoria behind you, the Victorian Government runs its own nomination process, and the Department of Home Affairs decides the visa itself. In outline:
- You lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
- You register your interest with Victoria through the Live in Melbourne portal. A Registration of Interest (ROI) is not an application for nomination.
- Victoria invites selected applicants to apply for nomination, in rounds ranked by the Victorian Points Test.
- If nominated, you lodge your visa application with Home Affairs.
Places are limited and an invitation is not guaranteed, so how and when you register is worth planning rather than guessing.
Where the program stands
As at October 2026, Live in Melbourne says information about the 2026-27 program will be published when it is available. It has also announced that fees for service now apply to Registrations of Interest and nomination applications for the 190 and 491, and that if you registered in an earlier year you must submit a new ROI when the program opens.
We have not repeated allocation numbers or eligibility rules here, because Victoria changes them from year to year. Always read the current criteria on the Live in Melbourne skilled migration page before you act.
190 or 491?
The 190 is a permanent visa. The 491 is provisional and is tied to living and working in regional Victoria. Which is realistic depends on your occupation, points and where you want to live. Our skilled visas page covers the pathways, and a consultation can compare them for you.
Melbourne employers and regional Victoria
Victorian businesses come to us for different reasons. A Melbourne business hiring a skilled worker may need standard employer sponsorship. A business in a regional town may find a DAMA or a labour agreement is the only workable route.
Sponsoring is not a one-off task. The business is approved as a sponsor, nominates the position, and the worker then applies for their own visa. Your obligations as a sponsor continue after the grant, so we cover those at the start, not as an afterthought.
If you are not sure which of the three routes your role fits, our DAMA and labour agreements pages explain what each is for, and we can talk it through in a first consultation.
We act for the employer and, where it helps, the worker, so both sides of the application line up. Mismatches between the nomination and the visa application are a common cause of delay, and they are easier to prevent than to fix.
Families, partners and students in Melbourne
Melbourne is home to many international students, and universities and colleges across the city enrol people from all over the world. Many ask us what happens after the course ends. Options may include a Temporary Graduate visa, an employer-sponsored visa or a skilled visa. Our student visa page covers study itself.
One recent change matters if you are already in Australia. From 2 October 2026, holders of many temporary visas must be outside Australia to apply for a Student visa. Please check where you stand before you lodge.
For couples and families, the important early question is whether you apply onshore or offshore, because it changes the visa and how your application is prioritised. See partner visa lawyer and family migration.
Families also ask about parent and other relative visas. Those pathways differ widely in cost and waiting time, so it is worth comparing them before you commit to one.
Talk to a lawyer about your situation
Book a ConsultationRefused or cancelled? Reviews and the ART
A refusal can often be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the AAT on 14 October 2024. The ART has an office in Victoria, and hearings may be in person, by video or by phone. For most onshore refusals the time limit is generally 28 days from being notified, shorter in immigration detention, and the Tribunal cannot extend it.
Your decision letter states your exact deadline. Bring it, along with anything the Department relied on, to a consultation and we will look at the reasons given and the options open to you.
A review is not the only option. Depending on the reason for refusal, a fresh application, a request to the Minister or a different visa may be worth considering, and we will say honestly if a review looks unlikely to help.
Read more on our appeals page or in our guide to the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Awards and Affiliations
We believe in the power of migration.
Simplifying Immigration, Connecting Humanity.
Our Team Members
Tina Nematian
Founder & Principal Lawyer
Ivana Djoneski
Immigration Practice Leader
Joseph Sukkar
Immigration Lawyer
Simon Jeans
Special Counsel
Eva Chen
Senior Registered Migration Agent
Maria Reglos
Finance Lead
Speak to a migration lawyer in Melbourne
Tell us what is happening and we will explain where we think you stand and what the sensible next step is. Meet the team on St Kilda Road or on video from anywhere in Australia, with the fee explained before you commit. Book through our consultation page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is your Melbourne office?
Our Melbourne office is on the Ground Floor at 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria. We meet clients there in person, and also offer video consultations for anyone elsewhere in Victoria, interstate or overseas, so you do not have to travel to speak with a migration lawyer. Tell us at booking which you prefer.
What is the difference between a migration agent and an immigration lawyer in Melbourne?
Both can give immigration assistance if they are properly authorised. A lawyer is an Australian legal practitioner holding a practising certificate, and what you tell a lawyer is generally protected by legal professional privilege. Whoever you choose, check their authorisation first. Home Affairs publishes a consumer guide for legal practitioners. That check applies to us too.
How much does an immigration lawyer in Melbourne cost?
It depends on the visa and how complex your situation is. Our fees are fixed, so you know the cost up front once we understand your matter, and we explain what the fee covers before you decide. Government charges, including any Victorian nomination fees, are separate and set by the relevant agency. Ask us what is covered at the first meeting.
Is Victorian nomination open right now?
As at October 2026, Live in Melbourne says details of the 2026-27 program will be published when available. Check the Live in Melbourne website for the current status, because it can change. We can talk through whether to prepare your EOI now. Registering early may help, but only once the criteria are known.
Does Victorian nomination mean I will get a visa?
No. Nomination is one requirement for the 190 and 491. Home Affairs still decides the visa application, and you still need to meet the health, character and other criteria. Victoria invites applicants in rounds, places are limited and an invitation is not guaranteed. Treat a nomination as one step in a longer process, and keep your own timeline realistic.
Can you help a Melbourne business sponsor an overseas worker?
Yes, depending on your business and the role. Sponsorship usually involves sponsor approval, a nomination and then the worker's visa application. We can also look at a DAMA or labour agreement where the standard settings do not fit. See employer sponsorship. We can advise on the three steps in order.
My visa was refused. How long do I have to ask the ART to review it?
For most onshore refusals the time limit is generally 28 days from being notified of the decision. It is shorter if you are in immigration detention, and the Tribunal cannot extend it. Your decision letter states your deadline, so read it carefully and contact a lawyer as soon as you receive it. Do not wait to gather documents.
I study in Melbourne. Can I switch to a work visa?
You may have options such as a Temporary Graduate visa, employer sponsorship or a skilled visa, depending on your qualification, occupation and visa history. Rules for applying for another Student visa onshore changed on 2 October 2026, so check before you lodge. See student visas. Bring your visa history to the first meeting.