AAT stands for Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which means Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Chinese. The AAT not only accepts visa cancellation cases, but also Australian citizenship, child support, family assistance, social security, tax and other cases. When your visa is refused or cancelled, you can appeal to the AAT for a review, and if successful, you have the opportunity to re-obtain your visa.

Please note that you only have the right to appeal if your visa is refused or cancelled within Australia, while there is no right to appeal if your visa is refused outside Australia. After a visa is refused, you can appeal in advance according to the requirements of the refusal letter, (the refusal is generally 21 days to appeal, while the cancellation of the visa is generally 5 or 7 days to appeal). If you exceed these deadlines, you may lose your right to appeal, unless there is a special reason. If you accidentally miss the AAT appeal, you can only appeal directly to the FCC Circuit Court.

After an appeal, the AAT will Review your application, called a Merits Review, where it will reconsider all the evidence, including new evidence, and then make the following decision:

· Reverse the visa refusal decision of the immigration Bureau and send the case back to the immigration Bureau for reconsideration (Set Aside) or

· The decision of USCIS to deny a visa (Affirm) or

· Change/reverse the decision of the Immigration Department and give a new decision (Remit)

AAT/MRD Review appeal

The Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has the power under federal law to conduct independent review of the decisions of administrative agencies throughout Australia. MRD stands for Migration &Refugee Division, which is a branch of the AAT and has the authority to review and determine the correctness of the Department's decision to refuse or cancel a visa.

The fee for an appeal review is normally $3153 unless waived in exceptional circumstances provided for by law.

Scope of application

Scope of application of review appeal:

In general, in the refusal letter or cancellation decision letter, the immigration officer will explain to the visa applicant whether there is a right of appeal and the limitation of appeal for the application for review. Normally, the visa categories eligible for appeal include:

· Student Visa (submitted in Australia)

· Skilled Migrant Visa (submitted in Australia)

· Employer sponsored visa

· Family reunion visa

· State-sponsored business immigrants

· Family sponsored tourist visit visa

AAT review process

Submit a valid appeal application to the AAT (either online, in person or by post) and pay the appeal fee.

Upon receipt of the applicant's application materials, AAT will send a confirmation letter to the applicant. At the same time, the AAT will request the Immigration Department to provide the relevant materials of the applicant.

③ When AAT confirms that the applicant's materials are correct, the hearing begins.

AAT invites applicants to attend the hearing, or to provide necessary supplementary materials.

The AAT makes a judgment and notifies the applicant of the result in writing.

Result of review

AAT has affirmed that the USCIS decision to deny or cancel the visa is correct.

SET ASIDE: The AAT considers that the decision of the Department of Immigration to refuse or cancel a visa should be corrected and that the AAT may make a new decision under the Immigration Act.

REMIT: The AAT considers that the Department's decision to refuse or cancel a visa should be reconsidered and the Department reconsiders the application in light of the AAT's judgment.

AAT considers that it has No Jurisdiction to reopen the applicant's case.

So what do Australian AAT appeals need to look out for?

1. You need to submit your application strictly within the 21-day or 5-day time limit

If you are lawfully in Australia at the time of the appeal, the AAT will grant you an automatic extension of your bridging visa, allowing you to remain lawfully in Australia until a decision is made on your appeal. During this time, the AAT may ask you for more information or invite you to a hearing.

2. AAT Hearing Preparation:

This is when we provide all the latest evidence in your favour. In accordance with the law, explain the specific reasons for the appeal and present arguments in your favor to try to overturn your previous decision to deny or cancel your visa.

3. Attend AAT hearings:

Although we have prepared a large amount of paperwork and evidence for you, it is important that you take the opportunity to defend yourself in person for your appeal. At the same time, AAT will also provide free translation services, if your English is not very good, you can ask for a translator to help.