Initial consultation
AU$330
30 minutes
Includes GST.
Discuss your circumstances, questions and next steps with a lawyer.
- Discuss your circumstances with a lawyer
- Monday to Friday, 9:00 am–5:00 pm
- Melbourne local time
A family firm serving families and businesses since 1990
Melbourne migration lawyers: bring the right people to Australia, your team and your family
AU$840
Immigration strategy report
As a Melbourne family firm established in 1990, we help Australian businesses sponsor skilled professionals from Asia. We also guide established families from Southeast Asia and China as they settle here. Our immigration team includes two Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law. Alongside your visa, we can advise on property, family business succession and estate planning, discreetly and in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.
Includes GST. Includes up to 1 hour of consultation.
Up to 1 hour consultation includedYour circumstancesYour next steps
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Australia-wide, and wherever you are
Clear pricing, no surprises
Advice in your language
Trust across generations
Since 1990
For more than 35 years, families and businesses have trusted us with their most important decisions in Australia.
A family firm
Now in its second generation, our firm understands family enterprises from the inside, and many of our clients' children and grandchildren now come to us too.
Advisers who stay with you
Many clients have worked with the same lawyers for over a decade, from their first visa to permanent residence, property, business and succession planning.
Next Steps
A conversation. A plan. Your next step.
Start with a consultation to talk through your situation with one of our lawyers, or choose a personalised written Immigration Strategy Report for a clear plan you can share with your family or business. Consultations are available in person in Melbourne or online, in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.
After-hours consultation
AU$495
30 minutes
Includes GST.
Discuss your circumstances outside standard office hours, subject to availability.
- Outside standard office hours, including weekends
- By appointment, subject to availability
- Payment alone does not confirm your appointment; our team must confirm it
Immigration strategy report
AU$840
Up to 1 hour consultation included
Includes GST. Includes up to 1 hour of consultation.
A personalised written immigration strategy, tailored to your circumstances and next steps. Includes up to 1 hour of consultation.
- A written report tailored to your circumstances
- Relevant requirements, costs and indicative processing times
- Report scope and delivery timeframe confirmed before proceeding
This is an enquiry, not an order. No payment is taken on this website.
See consultation options and pricingOur Services
Migration advice shaped around your circumstances
Whether you are sponsoring skilled staff, planning a move for your family, or responding to a refusal, every matter starts with understanding your goals. Our immigration team, including two Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law, advises employers, professionals and families on the pathway that fits, and on the property, business and succession issues that often come with it.
Skilled Migration
Skilled Migration
Turn your qualifications and experience into a pathway to permanent residence. We guide skilled professionals through skills assessments, EOIs, state nomination and visa applications, including the 189, 190, 491 and graduate 485 visas, with advice in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Learn moreFamily Migration
Partner Visas
Build your future together in Australia. We advise on partner and prospective marriage visas and help you present your relationship with clear, consistent evidence, including complex cases involving previous refusals, time apart or Schedule 3 issues.
Learn moreFamily Migration
Family & Parent Visas
Bring your family together in Australia. We advise on parent, child and other family visas, compare the options for cost and timing, and prepare complete, well-evidenced applications, with advice in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Learn moreBusiness & Employer Sponsorship
Employer Sponsored Visas
Hire skilled workers and professionals from Asia with confidence. We guide Australian businesses through sponsorship, nomination and visa applications, and help you meet your ongoing sponsor obligations, from the first hire to permanent residence.
Learn moreProtection & Humanitarian
Protection Visas
If you fear serious harm if you return to your home country, we can advise on your eligibility for protection in Australia and help you prepare a clear, well-supported claim, with confidential advice in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Learn moreVisa Refusals & Review
Visa Refusals, Appeals & Cancellations
Received a visa refusal or a notice of intention to cancel? We review the decision, act quickly on strict deadlines, and build a strategy for tribunal review, judicial review, a fresh application or ministerial intervention.
Learn moreAbout Our Firm
Generations of trust. A future in mind.
A Melbourne family firm, serving families and businesses since 1990.
Founded in Melbourne in 1990 and now in its second generation, Chua Tan Associates has helped professionals, business owners and families from across Asia build their future in Australia for more than three decades. As a family firm ourselves, we know migration is rarely just about a visa. Our immigration team includes two Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law, and our lawyers also advise on property, business succession, Wills and cross-border estate planning. We advise discreetly, in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Meet Our TeamAccredited Specialists in Immigration Law
Our immigration team includes two lawyers accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as Specialists in Immigration Law. Only a small number of practitioners hold this recognition, which is earned by passing a demanding assessment.
Advice in your language
We advise in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, so you and every generation of your family can discuss important decisions clearly, with nothing lost in translation.
One firm for the whole picture
Alongside your visa, our lawyers advise on property, business succession, Wills and cross-border estate planning, so your migration plan and your family's wider interests are handled together under one roof.
Discreet, long-term relationships
Many clients have stayed with us for over a decade, from their first visa to permanent residence and beyond. We treat every family's and business's affairs with care and confidentiality.
How We Work
A structured process, with a lawyer beside you
01
Understand your situation
We start with a consultation to learn about your background, your goals and your family or business circumstances, in person or online, in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.
02
Choose the right pathway
We compare the visa options available to you, explain the requirements, risks, costs and timing and recommend a clear strategy. You receive a written quote before any further work begins.
03
Prepare and lodge
We help you gather and organise the evidence, prepare submissions and lodge a complete, carefully reviewed application.
04
Support through to the outcome
We manage communication with the Department, respond to any requests for information and keep you updated. We then help you plan your next step, from permanent residence and citizenship to property and succession.
Free Tools & Courses
Useful starting points, available anytime
Estimate your skilled migration points, prepare for a partner visa consultation or learn how student and graduate visas work at your own pace. Our free tools and online courses help you understand your options before you speak with a lawyer. They provide general information only, do not determine eligibility, and are not legal advice.
Explore all toolsEstimate your points for skilled migration
Australia's points-tested skilled visas use a points test to rank applicants. These are the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas. This calculator gives you an estimate of your score, based on factors such as your age, English language ability, skilled employment, qualifications, Australian study, and partner skills or state nomination. Use your estimate to understand where you stand and to see which factors could raise your score, such as improving your English test result or gaining more skilled work experience. Meeting the minimum points threshold does not guarantee an invitation. In many occupations, applicants are invited only with scores well above the minimum. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. Bring your results to your consultation, and we can discuss your occupation, your chances of an invitation and the best pathway for you. This calculator provides an estimate only. It does not determine eligibility and is not legal advice. Points are assessed by the Department of Home Affairs based on your evidence at the time of invitation, and the rules change regularly. For advice about your situat
Prepare for your partner visa consultation
A partner visa application is about more than paperwork. It tells the story of your relationship. This guide helps you gather the key information before you meet with our lawyers, so your consultation can focus on your options and the strongest way to present your application. The guide asks a series of questions about you, your partner and your relationship. These cover how and when you met, whether you are married or in a de facto relationship, your living arrangements, and your immigration history. It then gives you a checklist of documents and information that are commonly needed. It also highlights issues that may need closer attention, such as previous visa refusals, a short relationship or time spent living apart. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. You can bring the results to your consultation or send them to us beforehand. This guide does not determine eligibility and is not legal advice. Every relationship and application is different. For advice about your situation, please book a consultation.
Illustrative Cases
View All Cases What careful preparation can look like
Illustrative Case · Melbourne
A carefully prepared application reunites a family in Melbourne
For families who have built their lives in Australia, being separated from parents overseas can be one of the hardest parts of migration. In this illustrative case, a couple who had settled in Melbourne and established a business here wanted the husband's parents to join them permanently. They wanted to be close to their grandchildren and supported in their later years.
This example shows how we approach parent and family visas. We begin by checking eligibility, including the balance of family test, and by comparing the available options, such as the contributory parent visas, along with their costs and processing times. We then help the family gather and organise the evidence, prepare the sponsorship and assurance of support, and present a complete application from the start. Because family migration often connects to a family's wider plans, we also consider related matters such as property, Wills and arrangements for the next generation.
This is an illustrative example based on common situations. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. For advice about your family's situation, please contact us.
Illustrative Case · Regional Australia
A regional employer secures the specialist skills it needs
For many regional businesses, finding skilled staff locally is a constant challenge. In this illustrative case, a family-owned business in regional Australia had tried for months to fill a specialist role. With no suitable local candidates, the business identified a qualified professional from Asia, but it was unsure which sponsorship pathway fitted its needs or what obligations it would take on as a sponsor.
This example shows how we help regional employers. We start by understanding the role and the business's long-term workforce plans. We then compare the available pathways, such as the Skills in Demand visa, the regional employer-sponsored visa (subclass 494) and, where relevant, a Designated Area Migration Agreement. From there, we guide the business through sponsorship, nomination and the visa application, and set it up to meet its ongoing sponsor compliance obligations. The aim is to give both the business and its new team member a clear path forward, including towards permanent residence where available.
This is an illustrative example based on common situations. Past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. For advice about your business, please contact us.
This example shows how we help regional employers. We start by understanding the role and the business's long-term workforce plans. We then compare the available pathways, such as the Skills in Demand visa, the regional employer-sponsored visa (subclass 494) and, where relevant, a Designated Area Migration Agreement. From there, we guide the business through sponsorship, nomination and the visa application, and set it up to meet its ongoing sponsor compliance obligations. The aim is to give both the business and its new team member a clear path forward, including towards permanent residence where available.
This is an illustrative example based on common situations. Past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. For advice about your business, please contact us.
Illustrative Case · Sydney
A clear review strategy after an unexpected refusal
A visa refusal often arrives without warning, and the deadline to respond starts running straight away. In this illustrative case, a skilled professional living in Sydney received a refusal for an application they had expected to be granted. Their job, their home and their family's plans in Australia were suddenly uncertain.
This example shows how we approach a refusal. We review the decision record to understand exactly why the application failed. We check the strict time limit for seeking review. We then assess whether the best path is an appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal, a fresh application, or another option. Finally, we build a strategy that addresses each of the decision-maker's concerns with the right evidence and submissions.
This is an illustrative example based on common situations. It is not an account of a specific client's matter. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. If you have received a refusal, contact us as soon as possible, as review deadlines are short and strictly applied.
This example shows how we approach a refusal. We review the decision record to understand exactly why the application failed. We check the strict time limit for seeking review. We then assess whether the best path is an appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal, a fresh application, or another option. Finally, we build a strategy that addresses each of the decision-maker's concerns with the right evidence and submissions.
This is an illustrative example based on common situations. It is not an account of a specific client's matter. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a particular outcome. If you have received a refusal, contact us as soon as possible, as review deadlines are short and strictly applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a clear answer
Should I book a consultation or an Immigration Strategy Report?
A consultation suits you if you have specific questions or want quick guidance on where you stand. The Immigration Strategy Report suits you if you are weighing several pathways, planning a move for your whole family, or preparing to sponsor staff, and want a written plan you can refer back to and share.
Can you help if I am outside Australia?
Yes. We advise clients across Australia and overseas through online consultations, in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Many of our clients begin planning their move to Australia before they arrive.
Can my business sponsor skilled workers from Asia?
Generally, a business that is lawfully and actively operating can apply to become an approved sponsor and nominate a genuine position in an eligible occupation. We advise on the right visa, the requirements and your ongoing obligations as a sponsor.
What is an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law?
It is a lawyer recognised by the Law Institute of Victoria as having substantial expertise in immigration law, after passing a rigorous assessment. Our immigration team includes two Accredited Specialists, and only a small number of lawyers hold this accreditation.
Your next step starts with a strategy
Get your personalised Immigration Strategy Report, including up to an hour of consultation, for AU$840 (including GST). You'll receive a clear written plan setting out the visa pathways that may be available to you, the key requirements and risks, the documents you are likely to need, and the recommended next steps and timeline. During your consultation, we'll discuss your background, your goals and your family or business situation, so the report reflects your real circumstances rather than general information. The report suits skilled professionals weighing their options, employers planning to sponsor staff from overseas, and families considering a long-term move to Australia. Where your plans also involve property, a family business or estate planning, we'll identify those issues too, so nothing important is overlooked. Consultations are available in person at our Melbourne office or online, in English, Mandarin or Cantonese. Your report gives you something you can keep, refer back to and share with your family or business partners as you decide on your next step, and if you choose to proceed, we'll provide a clear written quote for the next stage before any work begins.