A 482 decision is reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) when the person the Migration Act names applies within 28 days of being notified, or 14 days in immigration detention, and pays the $3,727 fee by that deadline. Refusals of a sponsorship, a nomination and an onshore 482 visa, and most cancellations made in Australia, are reviewable; an offshore visa refusal is reviewable only in limited cases, and the ART has no power to extend the time. First check the decision letter, which must say whether the decision can be reviewed, the time limit, who can apply and where, then lodge with a copy of that letter.
Time limit
28 days after you are notified; 14 days if you are in immigration detention; 9 days for a character decision under s 501. The ART cannot extend any of them.
Worth knowing
This guide explains the rules. It is not advice about your situation: whether your decision is reviewable, and by whom, depends on the letter and your facts.
Which 482 decisions can be reviewed?
| Item | Amount | Applies from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Review Tribunal fee, migration (Part 5) decision | $3,727 | current | Administrative Review Tribunal: fees |
| Time to apply to the ART for review of a reviewable migration decision (nomination, sponsorship, onshore visa), person not in detention | 28 days | current | Migration Act 1958, s 347(3)(b) |
| Time to apply to the ART for review of a reviewable migration decision if in immigration detention when notified | 14 days | current | Migration Act 1958, s 347(3)(a) |
| Time to apply to the ART about a character decision under s 501 (person in the migration zone) | 9 days | current | Migration Act 1958, s 500(6B) |
| ART fee for a character-related visa refusal or cancellation (the Tribunal standard application fee; not the Part 5 migration fee in art_fee) | $1,195 | current | Administrative Review Tribunal: fees |
| ART fee reduction for financial hardship (Part 5 migration decisions) | 50% | current | Administrative Review Tribunal: fees |
| Time after a refusal or tribunal decision when a Bridging visa A (or B) ends | 35 days | 19 November 2016 | Home Affairs: Bridging visa A |
| Decision | Reviewable at the ART? | Who applies | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard business sponsorship refused | Yes, if the business was assessed as lawfully operating in Australia (reg 4.02(4)(a), (4A)) | The business that applied (reg 4.02(5)(a)) | 28 days | $3,727 |
| Nomination refused | Yes, on the same condition (reg 4.02(4)(d), (4B)) | The employer that nominated (reg 4.02(5)(c)) | 28 days | $3,727 |
| Sponsorship cancelled or sponsor barred (s 140M) | Yes (reg 4.02(4)(h)), on the same condition (reg 4.02(4B)) | The sponsor (reg 4.02(5)(g)) | 28 days | $3,727 |
| 482 visa refused, applicant in Australia | Yes, if in an approved nomination, or a sponsor or nomination review is pending, when refused (s 338(2)(d); reg 4.02(1A)(kb)) | The applicant, who must be in Australia when applying for review (s 347A(1)(a), (2)) | 28 days (14 days in detention) | $3,727 |
| 482 visa refused, applicant outside Australia | Only if the nominator is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, a company or partnership operating in Australia or a government agency, and the nomination is approved or under review (reg 4.02(4)(l), (4AA)) | The sponsor or nominator (reg 4.02(5)(k)) | 28 days | $3,727 |
| 482 visa cancelled while in Australia | Yes, unless made in immigration clearance or personally by the Minister (s 338(3)) | The former holder, in Australia (s 347A) | 28 days (14 days in detention) | $3,727 |
| Refusal or cancellation on character grounds (s 501) | Yes, under s 500, not Part 5 | The person | 9 days (s 500(6B)) | $1,195 (ART fees page) |
| Decision made personally by the Minister | No merits review; judicial review only (Home Affairs Cancelling a visa page) | – | – | – |
The first three rows share one condition: a sponsor that Home Affairs never assessed as lawfully operating a business in Australia has no review right (reg 4.02(4A)–(4B)). An offshore visa refusal is reviewable only when the nominator falls within regulation 4.02(4AA), and a decision the Minister made personally has no merits review at all.
The grounds a worker’s visa is refused on, and the consequences at each stage, are set out under 482 visa refusal. The employer’s side of a refused nomination is covered under 482 nomination refused. A 482 visa cancellation made while the holder is in Australia is reviewable, with the exceptions in the table.
Who can apply for review?
Section 347A of the Migration Act 1958 and regulation 4.02(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994 fix the applicant for each decision:
- the business, for a refused sponsorship;
- the employer, for a refused nomination;
- the worker in Australia, for an onshore visa refusal or a cancellation;
- the sponsor, for an offshore visa refusal;
- family members, whose visa reviews can be combined with the primary applicant’s under one fee (reg 4.12, 4.13(3)).
A party can choose another person to represent them at the ART (Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024, s 66), but charging a fee for representation in a migration review is restricted under the Migration Act (ss 276(1)(d), 281), so paid representation should come from an Australian migration lawyer. The ART’s immigration and citizenship page lists the migration decisions it reviews.
An immigration lawyer is more likely to succeed at the ART because they confirm the decision is reviewable and that the right person is applying, lodge and pay before a deadline the Tribunal cannot extend, and put in the evidence that answers the exact criterion refused, which is what a remittal order under s 349 needs.
What is the deadline for ART review?
The deadline is 28 days after the day you are notified of the decision (s 347(3)(b)), or 14 days if you were in immigration detention on that day (s 347(3)(a)). A character decision under section 501 has 9 days (s 500(6B)). The ART cannot extend any of them (s 347(5); for character decisions, s 500(6B)).
“Notified” means taken to have received the letter: at the end of the day it is sent for an email or ImmiAccount message, and 7 working days after its date for post within Australia (s 494C).
Worked example: a refusal emailed on Thursday 1 October 2026 is taken to be received that day, so the 28 days run from Friday 2 October and the last day to apply, and to pay, is Thursday 29 October 2026.
What does review cost?
| Situation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Most 482-related reviews (Part 5 migration decisions) | $3,727 |
| Financial hardship | A 50% reduction; pay the reduced or full fee by the deadline and lodge the request form before the review ends |
| Character decisions (s 501) | The standard fee, $1,195 |
| Combined family visa reviews | One fee (reg 4.13(3)) |
| A nomination review and the worker’s visa review | Separate applications, each with its own fee |
Refunds follow the ART fees page and regulation 4.14: 50% of the fee paid if the decision is set aside, varied or remitted; all of it if the application is invalid; on withdrawal, only in very limited circumstances. The fee is indexed each 1 July (reg 4.13A).
What can the ART decide?
- Affirm the decision.
- Vary the decision.
- Set it aside and substitute a new decision (Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024, s 105).
- Set it aside and remit a visa application or a nomination to Home Affairs with an order that a criterion is taken to be met (Migration Act s 349(2); reg 4.15).
After an affirmed decision, the remaining routes are judicial review for an error of law (Cancelling a visa page) and the Minister’s non-compellable public-interest power (s 351).
What happens while the review runs?
A Bridging visa A linked to the refused application continues until 35 days after the ART decides (Sch 2 cl 010.511(1)(b)(iii)), with the work conditions in its grant letter.
For reviews finalised between 1 March and 31 August 2026 (ART processing times page):
| Review type | Half finished within | 95% finished within |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary work visas | 1 year and 6 months | 2 years and 10 months |
| Nomination and sponsor approval | 1 year and 6 months | 2 years and 4 months |
Condition 8607(5) has no pause for a pending review. A 482 holder whose new employer’s nomination is under review keeps counting break days.
Common mistakes
- Applying late. The ART cannot extend 28 days (Migration Act s 347(5)).
- Paying the fee after the deadline. For Part 5 migration reviews, the fee must be paid before the deadline for applying (ART fees page).
- The wrong person applying: the employer for a nomination, the worker for an onshore visa, the sponsor for an offshore visa (s 347A; reg 4.02(5)).
- Leaving Australia before lodging review of an onshore visa refusal or a cancellation (s 347A(2)).
- Seeking review of a decision that is not reviewable: a sponsor never assessed as lawfully operating in Australia (reg 4.02(4A)–(4B)), an offshore refusal outside regulation 4.02(4)(l), or a decision made personally by the Minister.
- Not reviewing the nomination, which leaves a later onshore visa refusal unreviewable (s 338(2)(d)).
- Assuming one fee covers the nomination and the visa reviews. Only combined family visa reviews share a fee (reg 4.12, 4.13(3)).
- Losing track of the bridging visa after the decision. A Bridging visa A ends 35 days after the ART decides (cl 010.511(1)(b)(iii)).
Unregistered agents
An unregistered agent who gives immigration assistance on a sponsorship, nomination or visa is breaking the law (Migration Act 1958 s 280). They also carry no professional indemnity insurance, so if their mistake leads to a refusal, lost fees or a closed pathway, the worker or employer has no insurer to claim against. A practising Australian lawyer must carry that insurance.
Questions people ask
What is ART after visa refusal?
The Administrative Review Tribunal re-decides a reviewable refusal on its merits. It can affirm the decision, vary it, or set it aside.
How long does an ART decision take?
For temporary work reviews finalised between 1 March and 31 August 2026, half took up to 1 year and 6 months and 95% took up to 2 years and 10 months.
What are the ART fees for a visa refusal?
$3,727 for most 482-related reviews, with a 50% reduction for financial hardship. Character decisions attract the standard fee of $1,195.
How long do I have to apply to the ART?
28 days after you are notified of the decision, or 14 days if you are in immigration detention. The ART cannot extend it.
Can I keep working while my 482 review is at the ART?
If you hold a Bridging visa A, its grant letter sets your work conditions, and it continues until 35 days after the ART decides.