Protection Visas: A Guide For Refugees Seeking Convention Based And Complementary Protection In Australia

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Get Protection Visa Here.

Are you a refugee or asylum seeker in Australia?

Lodge Your Refugee Visa Application Quickly.

There are three (3) key advantages to lodging your protection visa application as early as possible.

  1. your claims are far more credible
  2. you may forfeit favourable work rights conditions
  3. you might become ineligible for meeting the refugee visa rules

Refugee Visa or Protection Visa?

In Australia, refugee visas for those seeking asylum or Australian government protection are known as protection visas.

What is a “refugee visa”?

A Refugee Visa is also known as a “protection visa” “asylum visa” “asylum application” or “asylum-seeker visa”, a refugee visa provides refugees protection in Australia, by allowing a temporary or permanent residence visa for asylum-seekers and those who fall within complementary protection provisions.

An international convention defines what a refugee is and determines whether or not someone is a refugee. However, the conventional definition of a refugee has been re-scoped by legislation and court decisions to include other applicants seeking protection. These are known as the complementary protection provisions.

How do I get a refugee visa?

A protection visa application is made to the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) or a Government agency either onshore or offshore.

Refugees need to prove that they are genuine refugees. The DHA officer determines whether the applicant meets the DHA criteria for a protection visa. To do this, the DHA officer relies on your home country’s information research and your submissions.

Many desperate visa applicants lodge protection visa applications onshore as a last resort to remain in Australia. Therefore, our practice assists only genuine asylum seekers and refugees to effectively present their cases for protection.

Refugee-Visa-Nilesh-Nandan-MyVisa-Australia-Immigration-Lawyer
Protection Visa Nilesh Nandan Immigration Lawyer

What does it cost?

Protection visas attract a small fee or no fee upon lodgement of the application with the Department of Home Affairs.

A schedule of fees and charges applicable to applications lodged at the Department is published regularly.

If you use an Immigration Advisor or Registered Australian Migration Agent, additional fees are payable.

Although, the pricing of fees charged by Immigration lawyers and migration agents depends on the skill level of the Immigration Law Specialist, the complexity of the applications, and the urgency of the application.

Filing Fees For Visa Applications

Fees for these types of visas are nominal (almost nothing) if you are not in immigration detention and nothing if you are currently in immigration detention.

Legal Aid For Visa Applications

Try the following for assistance if you have no money to pay a private lawyer:

  1. legal aid refugee service
  2. refugee advice and casework service
  3. immigration advice and rights centre

Temporary Protection Visas For Refugees

The TPV (subclass 785) allows refugees to stay in Australia for up to three years. That’s provided you are found to meet the legal tests that trigger Australia’s protection obligations, as well as some other criteria. I can advise on these requirements.

Permanent Residence Visas For Refugees

The PV subclass 866 allows refugees to stay permanently in Australia.

Protection Visa Appeal Success- Former Solicitor General of PNG

The AAT decision to affirm an earlier decision of the Delegate of the Minister for Immigration to refuse protection has been overturned in the Federal Circuit Court.

FSR17 & Ors v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2018] FCCA 2931 (18 October 2018)

The decision made news here and in the Asia Pacific. The former solicitor general was refused a protection visa for Australia on two occasions.

I was then instructed to file an appeal to have the decision of the AAT quashed and this was successful in the FCC.

Your Experience?

Please share your comments with me.

I’d love to know more about your experience with applying for this visa subclass!

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Nilesh Nandan

Nilesh Nandan is Australia's most sought after immigration lawyer for visa refusals and visa cancellations. Appeal your visa or get help to relodge your Australian visa application or citizenship application.

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39 Responses

  1. i have solid and genuine reason to file asylum but dont know what to do and how. i have a strong background in my country, Permanent good job of me and my wife, Own house + plots for investment, Good bank Balance and have inheritance property of my parents. can these things make my case stronger that i have no intend to leave my country but due to life and safety threats to me and my family i cannot go back. Kindly guide and also let me know that can to take my case ?

  2. I recently arrived in Australia on a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and want to apply for a Protection Visa as their is currently an ongoing war in the country I have left (Sudan).

  3. 4 years ago my application for protection visa got rejected
    Now my wife n kids have Australian citizenship and passsport,
    Can I apply partner visa on her new status

    1. Thank you very much for your post. Here are the first three (3) things that come to my mind. There may also be other important issues that arise from your particular circumstances. Please seek specific immigration law advice before taking any further steps. It could be that I have misunderstood you :).

      1. In most cases you’re able to make an application from outside of Australia, but I suspect you are more interested in making APPLICATION inside Australia.

      2. I am with you can make an application inside Australia. You need to consider whether you are affected by any statutory bar. Hey bar is a specific term used to refer to a rule in the migration act which says that you cannot make an application inside Australia except in limited circumstances.

      3. One common bar applies if you have arrived in Australia by boat and you will need to discuss whether or not this bar and applies to you, and if so, whether there is any scope of lifting this bar so that you may make a valid application for a partner Visa in Australia. Enough issue which comes to mind is if you have previously lodged a partner Visa application and had that partner Visa application refused (in respect of another partner for example).

      For greater clarity about your immigration issue you can book in a quick 10-minute-chat with me here: https://myvisa.com.au/10-Minute

      Regards Nilesh Nandan Immigration Lawyer & Special Counsel MyVisa® Immigration Law Advisory http://myvisa.com.au/

      *In the interest of speed, my communications are transcribed and transmitted using voice-to-text software – please ignore any unintended typographical or interpretation errors. Please also see the standard Notes and Disclosures which apply to my communications. These are located at the footer of my work emails.

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