My visa was refused. Can I ask for a review?

Last checked: 1 November 2026

The short answer

Often, yes. If the Department of Home Affairs refuses your visa, your decision letter will say whether the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) can review it, who can apply and the deadline. For most decisions you have 28 days after you are told of the decision, or 14 days if you are in immigration detention, and the ART cannot give you more time. Act straight away, because the fee for most migration reviews must also be paid by the deadline.

Key dates and time limits

• 28 days after you are notified of the decision, if you are not in immigration detention (most migration and protection refusals).
• 14 days after you are notified, if you are in immigration detention on the day you are notified.
• 9 days after you are notified, for a refusal on character grounds under section 501 made while you are in Australia.
• The ART has no power to extend the 28 day or 14 day limits for migration and protection decisions.
• For most migration reviews, the fee (or half of it, if you will ask for a reduction) must be paid before your deadline.
• If you hold a Bridging visa A and do not apply for review, it usually ends 35 days after the refusal.
• If you lose at the ART, the time to apply to a court for judicial review is 35 days from the date of the ART decision.

Step by step

1. 1

   Read the decision letter

   Find the reasons for the refusal, whether the ART can review it, who can apply and the time limit. Write down the date on the letter and how it reached you, by email, by post or by hand. Keep the letter safe, because you will need to send a copy to the ART.

2. 2

   Work out your real deadline

   The time starts when the law says you were notified. An email or ImmiAccount letter counts as received at the end of the day it was sent. A letter posted within Australia counts as received 7 working days after the date on it. If you are not sure, count from the earliest possible date.

3. 3

   Get advice quickly

   Ask a free legal service, a lawyer or a registered migration agent to look at the letter. Tell them your deadline in the first call. Do not wait for an appointment to apply if your deadline is close.

4. 4

   Apply to the ART

   The easiest way is online through the ART website. You can also use form M1 (not in detention) or M2 (in detention), or email reviews@art.gov.au. For a refusal made while you were in Australia, you must be in Australia when you apply. If the visa was applied for outside Australia and needed a sponsor in Australia, the sponsor is usually the person who applies.

5. 5

   Pay the fee or ask for a reduction

   For most migration reviews the fee is $3,727 (as at November 2026). If paying it would cause financial hardship, pay at least half by the deadline and send the ART's fee reduction form with evidence of your income and costs. For protection visa refusals, a fee of $1,863.50 (as at November 2026) must be paid when you apply from 1 November 2026, unless you are in immigration detention. That fee cannot be reduced.

6. 6

   Prepare for the review

   The ART looks at the decision again and can consider new information. Send documents that answer the reasons in the refusal letter, and tell the ART if you need an interpreter, which is free. You can represent yourself, or be helped by a lawyer, a registered migration agent or a close family member.

7. 7

   If the ART agrees with the refusal

   You may be able to ask a court to review the ART decision, but only for a legal mistake. The time limit is short and you will need a lawyer. Check your bridging visa in VEVO so you know how long you can stay.

Who can help

Forms and the law