Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) Services

Professional Assistance After a Visa Refusal or Cancellation

Receiving a visa refusal or cancellation can be stressful and uncertain, particularly when you believe the decision does not properly reflect your circumstances.

In some cases, you may have the right to ask the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) to review a decision made by the Department of Home Affairs.

Astra Consulting Group provides professional migration assistance to eligible clients seeking review of migration and visa-related decisions before the ART. As an OMARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2619282) and Member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MMIA™), we can assess your circumstances, explain the review process and assist you in presenting your case.

Can Your Decision Be Reviewed?

The ART can review certain decisions relating to migration and visas, including some decisions to:

• Refuse a visa
• Cancel a visa
• Refuse or cancel certain sponsorships
• Refuse certain nominations
• Make certain character-related visa decisions
• Refuse or cancel certain protection visas

However, not every immigration decision can be reviewed by the ART. Your decision letter will generally explain whether the decision is reviewable and whether you are entitled to apply for review.

For this reason, obtaining advice promptly after receiving a refusal or cancellation decision can be important.

Strict Time Limits Apply

One of the most important aspects of an ART review is the time limit for applying.

The time limit depends on the type of decision and your circumstances. These deadlines can be very short, and the ART generally has no power to extend certain statutory time limits. The deadline specified in your Department decision letter should therefore be checked immediately.

If you have received a visa refusal or cancellation, we recommend contacting us as soon as possible rather than waiting until the review deadline is approaching.

ART Eligibility Assessment

Before proceeding, we can review your decision and circumstances to help determine:

• What decision has been made
• Whether the decision may be reviewable
• Whether you are entitled to apply for review
• The applicable review deadline
• What evidence may be relevant
• What issues may need to be addressed
• Whether further information or evidence should be provided
• What the review process may involve

An initial assessment is particularly important because the ART’s jurisdiction is determined by legislation and not every Department decision can be reviewed.

Preparing Your ART Review

A successful review application requires more than simply disagreeing with the Department’s decision.

We can assist you in understanding the reasons for the decision and preparing evidence and submissions that address the relevant issues.

Depending on your circumstances, our assistance may include:

• Reviewing the Department’s decision
• Reviewing relevant visa and immigration history
• Identifying issues raised by the Department
• Assessing additional supporting evidence
• Preparing written submissions
• Organising supporting documents
• Lodging the review application where authorised
• Providing additional information to the ART
• Responding to procedural requests
• Preparing you for the review process
• Representing you before the ART where appropriate

Representing You Throughout the Review

The ART has its own procedures and requirements. We can help you understand what to expect and assist you throughout the review process.

Depending on the type of matter and the applicable procedures, this may involve written material, requests for information, conferences or a hearing.

Importantly, the way a review is conducted can vary depending on the type of decision. For example, legislative changes that commenced on 1 June 2026 mean that most student visa refusal reviews are now decided without an oral hearing, subject to limited exceptions.

We therefore tailor our assistance to the particular decision under review.

Visa Refusal and Cancellation Matters

We can assist with eligible review matters involving a range of visa categories, including circumstances involving:

Student Visas
Review assistance for eligible Student visa refusal decisions.

Visitor Visas
Assistance with eligible Visitor visa refusal matters.

Temporary Work Visas
Review assistance for eligible temporary work and activity visa decisions.

Partner & Family Visas
Assistance with eligible reviewable partner and family visa decisions.

Skilled & Employer-Sponsored Visas
Review assistance for eligible skilled, nominated and employer-sponsored visa matters.

Other Reviewable Migration Decisions
Depending on the circumstances, the ART may also review certain sponsorship, nomination, cancellation, character and other migration-related decisions.

What Happens After Lodgement?

Once a review application has been lodged, the ART will manage the review according to the applicable legislation and procedures.

The Department will generally be notified that a review application has been made, and the applicant may be required to provide further information or documents during the review process.

The length of the review process varies considerably depending on the type and complexity of the matter. ART processing times can be lengthy for some migration review categories, so applicants should not rely on a particular timeframe when making important decisions about their visa status or future plans.

Our ART Assistance

As an OMARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2619282) and Member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MMIA™), we provide professional migration assistance for eligible ART matters.

Our approach is to:

Understand your decision
We carefully review the Department’s decision and the reasons given.

Assess your options
We explain whether a review may be available and what the relevant process involves.

Prepare your case
We help identify and organise relevant evidence and prepare appropriate submissions.

Represent you professionally
Where appropriate, we can represent you during the review process and communicate with the ART on your behalf.

Keep you informed
We explain important developments and keep you updated throughout your matter.

Received a Refusal or Cancellation?

Don’t ignore a Department decision or assume that you have no options.

If your visa has been refused or cancelled, contact us promptly so that we can review the decision and advise you about any available review options and applicable deadlines.

Important Information

The ART can only review decisions where it has jurisdiction under the relevant legislation. Not every visa refusal, cancellation or migration decision is reviewable, and eligibility to apply for review depends on the particular decision and circumstances.

Strict statutory time limits apply to many ART review applications. The ART generally cannot extend the time limit for certain review applications, so you should check your Department decision letter carefully and seek professional advice promptly.

An application for review does not guarantee that the original decision will be changed. The ART independently reviews eligible decisions and may affirm, vary, set aside or otherwise deal with a decision in accordance with its legal powers.

Professional Migration Assistance: Australian immigration assistance is provided by an OMARA-registered migration agent – MARN 2619282 – and Member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MMIA™).

Important: Professional migration assistance does not guarantee a successful review, visa grant or any particular immigration outcome. The ART makes its own decision based on the applicable law, evidence and circumstances of each case.