What to Do If Your Migration Lawyer or Agent Goes into Liquidation

Losing your migration lawyer or agent unexpectedly can be stressful, especially when you have a visa application in progress or deadlines approaching. The recent liquidation of Gold Migration Lawyers has left many applicants unsure about what happens next and how to protect their matter. If you have found yourself in a similar situation, here is what you need to know.

1. A Change or Withdrawal of Representation does not Withdraw your Application

If your lawyer or agent goes into liquidation, your visa application does not disappear. Anything already lodged with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) remains in their system. What you do need is clarity on what stage your matter is at and what deadlines are coming up. Make sure you have copies of any DHA, Administrative Review Tribunal and/or other correspondence relating to your migration matter so that you are satisfied your application was actually lodged, or that you are certain of the correct deadline for a response to any request received.

2. Request your file immediately

As soon as you are made aware that your representative has ceased acting, you should:

• Ask for a full copy of your file, including forms, submissions, evidence, and invoices
• Request confirmation of what has already been lodged
• Ask whether any Departmental correspondence has been received

You can take steps to import a copy of the application to your own Immi Account and make a Form 424A request for a copy of your file from the DHA to confirm what exactly has been submitted to the DHA. These steps may vary depending on the type of application you have made, we can help guide you with finding the correct approach for your application type.

3. Update your Details with the Department

If your previous representative is no longer operating, you should contact the DHA or ART directly to notify them of your correct contact details. This ensures you don’t miss important emails or deadlines until you are able to secure a new representative.

4. Get your Matter Reviewed ASAP

A new migration lawyer should review:

• What has been lodged
• Whether anything is missing
• Whether deadlines or requests for further information are outstanding
• Whether your strategy needs to change

This is especially important if your previous representative closed suddenly, leaving work incomplete.

How We Can Help

If you’ve been affected by the Gold Migration Lawyers liquidation, or any sudden loss of representation, our Migration Team at Stone Group Lawyers can step in quickly and carefully. We can:

• Retrieve and review your file;
• Review your application for risks or gaps;
• Take over communication with the DHA or ART; and,
• Provide clear next steps so you feel back in control.

While the steps outlined in this article can help you gather what information you can regarding your matter, you don’t need to navigate this alone.

If you would like us to review your situation, our team at Stone Group Lawyers is here to help and can prioritise urgent matters.