Former Gold Migration Lawyers Client? How to Protect Your Visa Now

If you were a client of Gold Migration Lawyers, here is what matters most: the firm has closed and is now under external administration, but your visa application, your bridging visa and your appeal deadlines have not stopped. Reports indicate Gold Migration Lawyers (GML) ceased operations on Monday, 1 June 2026, after a final email to clients at 5:00 pm the preceding Friday, and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) records now confirm the company is under external administration.

We understand the anxiety this causes. As immigration lawyers in Melbourne, not migration agents, we are taking on affected former GML clients now, and the single most important thing to understand is this: while your representative has departed, the Department of Home Affairs and the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) keep running their clocks regardless.

The immediate danger is unmonitored correspondence

The primary risk to your migration status is not the closure itself. It is the gap in communication. Until the Department of Home Affairs is formally notified of a change in representation, every vital notice keeps going to GML's now-unmonitored addresses, including:

• Requests for Further Information (RFI), which carry strict response windows.
• Section 57 natural justice letters, your chance to respond to adverse information before a decision.
• Decision notifications, which start the clock on any review deadline.

If a deadline is missed because a letter sat unread in a defunct inbox, the Department is entitled to decide your matter on the information already on file. A visa refusal issued because of a missed deadline is still a valid refusal.

What are the critical risks by matter type?

Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) appeals

For anyone with an active appeal, the risk is acute. From 18 May 2026, the ART has expanded powers to decide certain migration reviews on the papers, meaning it can make a final decision on the written submissions alone, without an oral hearing. If your file is left unattended, the Tribunal can proceed to a decision without ever hearing your side of the story. This is exactly the territory our visa refusal and ART appeal team handles every week.

Partner visas (subclasses 820/801 and 309/100)

A partner visa turns on continuous evidence of a genuine and ongoing relationship. If the Department requests updated evidence and no one responds, the application can be refused, which can immediately jeopardise your Bridging Visa status and your right to remain in Australia.

Protection visas (subclass 866)

Protection matters are among the most sensitive in the migration system. Missing a Department interview invitation or an evidence deadline can have life-altering consequences for a person seeking safety. These files cannot be allowed to drift.

What should former Gold Migration Lawyers clients do now?

Two steps protect you immediately.

• Secure your ImmiAccount. Regain control of your digital file. If you do not have your credentials, you can import your application into a new ImmiAccount using your Transaction Reference Number (TRN) or passport details.
• Lodge a new Form 956. To stop the Department sending letters to GML, a new legal practitioner must be appointed. Critically, your new lawyer completes Part B of Form 956 to formally withdraw GML as your authorised recipient, and Parts A and C to register themselves. Until that is lodged, the Department's records may still show GML.

How can Katsaros & Associates help?

Immigration law is unforgiving with deadlines. A visa file left unattended is like a ship without a helmsman: the sea does not pause because the captain has departed. With more than 2,000 cases won and a 98% success rate on partner and family visas, we step in and take the helm.

To assist those affected by the closure, we are currently offering:

• Complimentary 10-minute emergency consultations for former GML clients to identify urgent risks.
• Comprehensive file reviews to build a transition strategy and ensure the Department has your correct contact details.
• Direct liaison with the liquidators to help recover your legal documents and records.

If Gold Migration Lawyers was acting for you, do not wait and see. Book your free 10-minute consultation today and tell us you were affected by the closure, or read our dedicated help for former Gold Migration Lawyers clients.

Frequently asked questions

Has Gold Migration Lawyers actually closed?

Yes. Reports indicate the firm ceased operating on 1 June 2026, and ASIC records show the company is under external administration. In practical terms, GML is no longer acting on client files.

Is my visa application still valid now that Gold Migration Lawyers has closed?

Yes. Your application remains on foot with the Department of Home Affairs. The closure does not withdraw or cancel it. What changes is that no one is managing it or receiving correspondence for you, which is why appointing a new representative quickly is critical.

What is Form 956 Part B, and why does it matter?

Form 956 appoints a registered legal practitioner to act for you. Part B formally ends a previous appointment. Without Part B completed, the Department's records can still list Gold Migration Lawyers, so notices keep going to an inbox no one reads. Your new lawyer lodges it as the first step.

Will the ART decide my appeal without a hearing?

It can. From 18 May 2026 the Tribunal must decide certain temporary visa refusal reviews on the papers, without an oral hearing. That makes the quality of your written submissions decisive, and makes leaving your file unattended especially dangerous.

Can I get my file back from Gold Migration Lawyers?

Usually, yes. Your new lawyer can request your file and liaise directly with the liquidators to recover your documents and records. You do not need to retrieve the file yourself before engaging a new lawyer.

Is there an alternative to Gold Migration Lawyers?

Yes. If you are looking for an alternative to Gold Migration Lawyers, Katsaros & Associates is taking on affected clients now. We are immigration lawyers, not migration agents, and we can step into your matter mid-stream, protect your deadlines and carry it through to a decision.