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The 14 Best Immigration Lawyers in Melbourne

Visa advice in Victoria comes from registered migration agents and from lawyers. Both can prepare and lodge applications, but only a lawyer can run a judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court, and the Law Institute of Victoria accredits a small group of solicitors as specialists in immigration law. Most of Melbourne's immigration firms work from the CBD, along Collins, Bourke and William streets.

This guide lists law firms only. For each one we note the visas it focuses on, whether it takes on tribunal and court work and how the first consultation works, so you can shortlist two or three before booking.

How this guide is ordered

We chose these immigration lawyers with the person searching in Melbourne in mind: businesses that know their trade, keep customers happy, are easy to reach and are close by.

A few businesses pay to appear with more visibility in our lists.

Top 3Full listMapHow to choose

Compare 14 local options

Australian Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#1
What stands out
  • Open seven days

  • CBD and Southbank offices

  • Instalments on some visa types

Australian Migration Lawyers

5.0483 reviews
Level 45/600 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Weekend appointments and instalment fees

Weekend availability sets this firm apart, with appointments seven days a week and offices in both the CBD and Southbank. It practises only immigration law, and its team includes an accredited specialist in immigration law. Work runs from first applications to tribunal appeals, judicial review and section 501 cancellations. Fees are fixed in a costs agreement, and some visa types can be paid in three to six monthly instalments, which helps families spread the cost of a partner or parent visa.

Hannan Tew Lawyers, Melbourne#2
What stands out
  • LIV accredited immigration specialist partner

  • Published fee estimates

  • Melbourne and Perth offices

Hannan Tew Lawyers

5.0387 reviews
Level 3/162 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Transparent fixed-fee pricing

Budget-conscious applicants get unusual price clarity here, since the firm publishes estimated fixed fees for its main visa services. One partner is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in immigration law. The team draws on experience at large international immigration firms and advises start-ups and multinationals on Skills in Demand and Employer Nomination visas. Matters run through an online client portal, which suits people who prefer to handle documents digitally.

Global Vision Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#3
What stands out
  • Direct contact with an admitted lawyer

  • Consultation fee credited to later work

  • Offices in five cities

Global Vision Migration Lawyers

5.0318 reviews
Ste 6.03 Level 6/160 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Skilled visas and Victorian nomination

Victorian skilled applicants weighing up state nomination will find focused advice here, including points and skills assessments for the 190 and 491 streams. Clients deal with an admitted lawyer throughout rather than a case manager. The firm also advises employers on 482, 186 and 494 sponsorship and responds to notices of intention to consider cancellation. A consultation fee applies, but it is credited against professional fees if you go on to engage the firm.

Augustine & Co. Immigration Lawyers, Melbourne#4
What stands out
  • Fixed-fee quote at the first consultation

  • Secure client portal

  • Tribunal and court review

Augustine & Co. Immigration Lawyers

5.0286 reviews
Level 11/456 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Partner and skilled visas

Couples and skilled migrants make up the core of this firm's work, with partner visas and the 189 and 190 skilled streams named as its main areas. Founded in 2019, it acts for clients across Australia and overseas from a CBD office on Lonsdale Street. Refused or cancelled visas are taken to the Administrative Review Tribunal or the Federal Circuit and Family Court. Once a matter starts, documents move through a secure client portal, so office visits are optional.

Visa Plan Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#5
What stands out
  • Admitted solicitors only

  • Same lawyer from application to court

  • Fixed fees agreed in writing

Visa Plan Migration Lawyers

5.0268 reviews
Level 13/257 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
High-risk applications and appeals

Applicants with a difficult history or a likely refusal should look here, as the firm prepares every file with a possible review or court case in mind. Only admitted solicitors handle matters, and the same lawyer stays on from first advice to any Federal Circuit and Family Court hearing. Its lawyers bring in-house experience advising the Australian Government on migration law. Fees are fixed in writing at the start, so the scope of work is clear before you commit.

Assent Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#6
What stands out
  • Principal in immigration law since 2000

  • Protection and humanitarian visas

  • Opinions for migration professionals

Assent Migration Lawyers

5.070 reviews
L40/140 William St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Long-standing immigration experience

Long experience is the draw here, as the principal solicitor has worked only in Australian immigration law since 2000. The firm covers protection and humanitarian visas, refusal and cancellation appeals, and labour agreements and DAMA arrangements for employers. Other migration professionals can also commission its opinions on difficult points. New Zealand citizens seeking permanent residence will find that pathway offered as a separate service, with team members in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Victoria.

Farrell Rose Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#7
What stands out
  • Migration and refugee law together

  • Character and identity matters

  • Melbourne and Sydney offices

Farrell Rose Migration Lawyers

5.055 reviews
477 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Protection and humanitarian visas

Refugee and humanitarian cases are where this firm's background shows, with protection visas and offshore humanitarian applications central to its work. Its co-founders met in 2014 at another immigration law firm and bring migration and refugee law together. The team handles identity problems, character issues under section 501 and cancellations under sections 109 and 116. Review work reaches the tribunal, the Federal Court and the High Court, so a case can stay with one firm if it escalates.

Ethos Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#8
What stands out
  • LIV accredited immigration specialist partner

  • Corporate and individual practice

  • Office in Richmond

Ethos Migration Lawyers

4.9719 reviews
Level 3/47 Blazey St, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia
Best for
Employer sponsorship and complex cases

Employers sponsoring staff will find a strong fit here, since corporate immigration sits alongside work for individuals and families. The firm practises only immigration law, and its partner is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in immigration law. Corporate work covers labour agreements, training visas and overseas business sponsorship. Health, character and cancellation cases are handled too, so people with a complicated visa history can stay with one team from application to review.

Kindra Migration Lawyers, Melbourne#9
What stands out
  • Free 10-minute first call

  • More than ten languages

  • Pro bono and low bono Bridge Project

Kindra Migration Lawyers

4.9622 reviews
Level 10/277 William St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
HR teams and multilingual clients

HR teams managing sponsored staff and individuals facing a refusal are both well served here, by a firm known until November 2025 as WLW Migration Lawyers. It was set up in 2015 around fixed fees and online tools, and its multilingual team works in more than ten languages. Tribunal and court appeals sit alongside corporate and personal visa work. New clients get a free 10-minute call, a quick way to check whether a full consultation is worth booking.

Katsaros & Associates, Melbourne#10
What stands out
  • Free 10-minute first call

  • One lawyer per file

  • Melbourne, Dubai and Athens

Katsaros & Associates

4.9401 reviews
242A Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia
Best for
Investors and one-lawyer service

Investors and founders with links to the Gulf or Greece have a natural fit here, as the firm also works from Dubai and Athens alongside its Brunswick base. It has practised only immigration law since 2013. One lawyer runs each file from consultation to decision rather than passing it between paralegals. A free 10-minute call shows where a case stands, and a paid 30-minute session is available for those ready to go further.

Roam Migration Law, Melbourne#11
What stands out
  • Employer-focused immigration practice

  • Sponsor compliance and audit preparation

  • Fixed fees with senior lawyer access

Roam Migration Law

4.9242 reviews
level 7/276 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Businesses sponsoring several workers

Built for employers rather than individual applicants, this practice works with organisations that sponsor several overseas staff at once. Its services cover sponsorship, nominations and visas, plus compliance reviews based on its own Complize methodology. Clients come from construction, IT, health and aged care, engineering and defence. Every engagement runs on a fixed fee with access to a senior lawyer, which makes it easier for HR teams to plan sponsorship costs ahead.

Emigrate Lawyers, Melbourne#12
What stands out
  • Fully paperless, remote service

  • LGBTIQ+ client advocate

  • Fixed-fee guarantee

Emigrate Lawyers

4.994 reviews
Suite 8.07/365 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Partner and protection visas online

Partner and protection visas are where this firm puts most of its emphasis, and it suits applicants with tangled histories such as Schedule 3 or section 48 issues. Melbourne-based but fully paperless, it runs consultations and document collection remotely for clients across Australia and overseas. The team includes an LGBTIQ+ client advocate. A fixed-fee guarantee means the legal cost is known upfront, and the firm's family lawyers can step in if a relationship breaks down.

Bardo Le Noureddine Lawyers, Melbourne#13
What stands out
  • Accredited immigration specialist principal

  • Notary public in-house

  • Family, criminal and property law too

Bardo Le Noureddine Lawyers

4.9182 reviews
Level 2/545 King St, West Melbourne VIC 3003, Australia
Best for
Visa issues tied to other legal matters

Clients whose visa problem overlaps with criminal charges, a separation or a business deal can keep everything in one office here. The principal solicitor is an accredited specialist in immigration law, and the team handles refusals, cancellations, Federal Court appeals and requests to the Minister. The firm also offers notary public services for documents needed overseas. Its West Melbourne office aims to respond to new enquiries on the same day.

MJ Legal, Melbourne#14
What stands out
  • Student to graduate visa pathway

  • Fixed-fee visa services

  • Contact by WhatsApp

MJ Legal

4.9168 reviews
Ste 6, Level 12/350 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Best for
Students moving towards permanent residency

Students planning a route to permanent residence can get help with each step here, from course and professional year enrolment to the 485 graduate visa. The firm also practises family law and property conveyancing. Skilled, employer-sponsored, partner and parent visas are covered, along with written submissions and representation at the Administrative Review Tribunal. Consultations can be held online or in person, and questions can go through WhatsApp, which suits clients juggling study and work.

The comparison at a glance

#BusinessRatingReviewsBest for
#1Australian Migration Lawyers 5.0483Weekend appointments and instalment fees
#2Hannan Tew Lawyers 5.0387Transparent fixed-fee pricing
#3Global Vision Migration Lawyers 5.0318Skilled visas and Victorian nomination
#4Augustine & Co. Immigration Lawyers 5.0286Partner and skilled visas
#5Visa Plan Migration Lawyers 5.0268High-risk applications and appeals
#6Assent Migration Lawyers 5.070Long-standing immigration experience
#7Farrell Rose Migration Lawyers 5.055Protection and humanitarian visas
#8Ethos Migration Lawyers 4.9719Employer sponsorship and complex cases
#9Kindra Migration Lawyers 4.9622HR teams and multilingual clients
#10Katsaros & Associates 4.9401Investors and one-lawyer service
#11Roam Migration Law 4.9242Businesses sponsoring several workers
#12Emigrate Lawyers 4.994Partner and protection visas online
#13Bardo Le Noureddine Lawyers 4.9182Visa issues tied to other legal matters
#14MJ Legal 4.9168Students moving towards permanent residency

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Map of immigration lawyers in Melbourne

Most firms in this guide are in the Melbourne CBD, with others in Richmond, Brunswick and West Melbourne.

Services to compare

  • Partner and family visasOnshore and offshore partner visas, prospective marriage, parent, child and carer visas, including the family violence provisions.
  • Employer-sponsored and skilled visasSkills in Demand 482, Employer Nomination 186, regional 494 and points-tested 189, 190 and 491 visas, plus sponsor compliance.
  • Refusals and cancellationsResponses to notices of intention to consider cancellation, section 501 character matters and health or identity issues.
  • Tribunal and court appealsMerits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal and judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court.
  • Citizenship and ministerial interventionCitizenship by conferral or descent, resident return visas and requests for the Minister to step in after a tribunal decision.

How to choose Immigration Lawyers in Melbourne

  1. Check that you are dealing with a lawyerSolicitors hold a practising certificate you can look up on the Victorian Legal Services Board register, while migration agents appear on the separate register of the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
  2. Ask for an accredited specialist on hard casesFor character cancellations, repeated refusals or court work, ask whether a Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialist in immigration law will handle or supervise the file.
  3. Match the firm to your visaSome practices work mainly for employers on sponsorship and compliance, others on partner, family or protection visas, so ask how many matters like yours they ran in the past year.
  4. Get the full cost in writingAsk for a fixed-fee quote that separates professional fees from Department of Home Affairs charges and explains what happens if the application is refused or goes to review.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an immigration lawyer or a migration agent?

A registered migration agent can prepare and lodge a straightforward application. A lawyer adds most when a visa has been refused or cancelled, when character or health issues come up or when the matter may reach court, because only lawyers can represent you in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. What you tell a lawyer is also protected by legal professional privilege.

How much does an immigration lawyer cost in Melbourne?

It depends on the visa, your immigration history and whether review or court work is involved. Most firms quote a fixed fee once they have assessed your case, while first consultations range from short free calls to paid sessions of up to an hour. Department of Home Affairs charges are paid on top and can be substantial for partner and parent visas.

What should I bring to the first consultation?

Bring your passport, your current visa grant notice, any refusal or cancellation letters, other correspondence from the Department and a short timeline of your time in Australia. Skilled applicants should add a CV. Review deadlines are short and run from the date of the decision, so mention that date when you book.

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