Immigration
Received a Visa Refusal: What Should You Do First?
Read the complete decision letter immediately, preserve the application record and obtain advice about review rights and deadlines. Migration-review time limits can be strict and depend on the decision, notification method, location and legislation. Do not assume that lodging a new application is possible or that it protects a review deadline.
Immediate checklist
- Save the decision letter, attachments and notification email.
- Record when and how notification occurred.
- Download the lodged application, evidence and correspondence from ImmiAccount.
- Check visa status and any bridging-visa conditions separately.
- Obtain advice before the stated review period expires.
- Do not submit inconsistent new information without understanding its effect.
Is ART review available?
Not every decision is reviewable and the person entitled to apply may vary. The Administrative Review Tribunal’s migration practice direction confirms that the Migration Act contains very strict application time limits. The refusal notice should identify available review information, but legal assessment should verify jurisdiction and calculation.
What should an adviser assess?
- refusal reasons and legal criterion;
- evidence before the decision-maker;
- procedural correspondence and responses;
- factual or documentary gaps;
- review eligibility and deadline;
- visa and bridging status;
- whether another application is legally available; and
- consequences for family members or sponsors.
Hypothetical example
A refusal states that financial evidence did not meet a requirement. Uploading new bank statements without first assessing review jurisdiction, the relevant date and legal test may not solve the problem. The strategy must respond to the actual criterion and procedural pathway.
Seek prompt advice
Request a visa-refusal assessment and provide the decision date and deadline. An enquiry does not extend time.
Sources checked
First drafted: 21 July 2026. General information only. Deadlines and eligibility require immediate individual assessment.