Question 1

What happened to the AAT?

Accepted Answer

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) were both replaced by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) on 14 October 2024. Migration decisions made on or after that date are reviewed by the ART. The standard review deadline is approximately 28 days from notification — missing it permanently extinguishes review rights, so a registered agent's first conversation should happen the week the refusal arrives.

Question 2

Should I appeal myself or use an agent?

Accepted Answer

Refusal cases involve evidence assessment, document submission strategy, hearing preparation, and sometimes Section 359A response drafting. A registered agent can assess whether a review has realistic prospects before you commit to the fee, and manage deadlines that are unforgiving if missed. Pricing varies — Migratio's matching surfaces fee quotes within minutes.

Question 3

What does MARA-registered mean?

Accepted Answer

MARA (the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority, sitting within Home Affairs as OMARA) is the federal regulator for Australian migration agents. Registration requires a Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice, ongoing CPD, professional indemnity insurance, and adherence to a binding Code of Conduct. Every agent listed on Migratio is checked against the public MARA register when our data is refreshed — always verify current registration on the official OMARA register.

Question 4

How does Migratio's matching work?

Accepted Answer

Tell us about your visa situation once. Migratio sends your brief to every registered agent whose practice matches your visa type and state; agents who want the case confirm within minutes with their consultation fee, and you compare and book the one you prefer. Free for applicants — you pay only the consultation fee of the agent you book, and the platform fee comes out of that fee, not on top of it.

Question 5

What does it cost to use Migratio?

Accepted Answer

Nothing for applicants. You pay only the consultation fee charged by the agent you book — across Migratio the median quoted consult is about $220 (most fall between $150 and $275) — plus any agent service fees if you later engage them for your full application. Migratio's platform fee is deducted from the agent's consultation fee, not added to it.

Visa Refusal & Appeal Agents in Melbourne, VIC

Common questions