Gold Migration Lawyers ceased operations on 1 June 2026. If your visa application, Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) review, or any other immigration matter was being handled by that firm, your case does not stop because your lawyer has. Deadlines continue to run. The Department of Home Affairs continues to issue correspondence. Your responsibility to respond does not pause.
This post explains what that means practically and what you need to do right now to protect your matter.
Free Consultation for Former Gold Migration Lawyers Clients
If your matter was being handled by Gold Migration Lawyers and you have not yet found new representation, our team is ready to assist. We are currently offering a free consultation to former Gold Migration Lawyers clients so you can understand your options and next steps without any upfront cost. Contact Australian Migration Lawyers on 1300 150 745 today.
What the Closure Means for Your Application
A visa application does not lapse because a law firm closes. Your application remains active with the Department of Home Affairs. If it was lodged, it is still lodged. If it was pending a decision, it is still pending.
What changes is who the Department believes is authorised to act and receive communications on your behalf. Until you notify the Department otherwise, correspondence may continue to be directed to Gold Migration Lawyers. This means notices, requests for further information, and decision letters could be going to an address that is no longer being monitored.
This is not a theoretical risk. A missed request for further information can result in a decision being made on incomplete evidence. A missed decision letter starts the clock on any review deadline. Acting now to update your authorisation is not optional, it is urgent.
Your Immediate Priority: Update Your Representative
The first step is to appoint a new migration lawyer and notify the Department of the change. In Australian migration law, this is done through Form 956 — the formal instrument for appointing a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner to provide immigration assistance and communicate with the Department on your behalf.
It is worth being clear that Form 956 serves two purposes depending on which part is completed. Part A and Part C are used to appoint your new representative. Part B is used to formally notify the Department that a previous appointment has ended. When switching from Gold Migration Lawyers to a new lawyer, your new lawyer will need to complete Part B to withdraw the previous appointment and Parts A and C to register their own. This is a critical step, and without completing Part B, the Department's records may still show Gold Migration Lawyers as your authorised representative, which can delay correspondence reaching your new lawyer.
Form 956 is different from Form 956A. Form 956 appoints a registered migration agent or legal practitioner to act and advise on your file. Form 956A only authorises a non-professional (such as a family member or friend) to receive Department correspondence on your behalf. It does not authorise them to provide immigration assistance or take action on your file. In the context of changing to a new lawyer, Form 956 is the relevant instrument. Your new lawyer will prepare and submit it.
Once lodged, the Department will direct all correspondence to your new representative. Until that happens, the Department will continue to direct communications to the previously nominated details.
What Documents You Need to Gather
Your new lawyer cannot work without access to your file. Before your first consultation, gather as much of the following as you can.
Your ImmiAccount login credentials are the most important starting point. If your application was lodged online, your ImmiAccount contains the live status of your application, any outstanding requests, and the application reference number your new lawyer will need.
You should also locate any written correspondence from the Department, including the original acknowledgement of your application, any requests for further information, and any decision letters you received directly. If you received documents by email, search your inbox for addresses ending in @homeaffairs.gov.au.
If you signed a costs disclosure agreement or retainer with Gold Migration Lawyers, locate that as well. It will confirm what matters were being handled and what fees have been paid. Your new lawyer will also need to know the current stage of each matter.
If You Have an Active ART Review
If Gold Migration Lawyers was representing you before the Administrative Review Tribunal, your matter requires particular urgency. The ART has strict deadlines, both for lodgement and for the submission of written materials. Those deadlines continue to run regardless of your representation status.
It is worth being clear that an ART review is not automatically paused when a party's lawyer ceases to represent them. The Tribunal expects parties to maintain continuous representation or to notify it promptly of any change.
From 18 May 2026, the ART has expanded power to decide certain migration review matters without an oral hearing, based solely on written submissions and documentary evidence. For student visa refusal reviews this is now mandatory. The ART also has broader discretion to decide other migration matters on the papers from 18 May 2026. If your matter falls within an affected category, the Tribunal may decide your case based entirely on written submissions without a hearing. This makes the quality and completeness of your written submissions more critical than ever, and another reason why finding experienced representation as quickly as possible is essential.
If a hearing date has already been set, you must advise the ART of your change of representative as soon as a new lawyer is engaged. Your new lawyer will handle this notification.
Our ART Appeals page explains how the review process works and what representation at the Tribunal involves.
If You Have an Active Partner Visa Application
Partner visas are among the most common matters Gold Migration Lawyers handled. If your subclass 820/801 or 309/100 application is pending, the following applies.
Your bridging visa, if you hold one, remains in effect while your application is active. The closure of your law firm does not affect your bridging visa status. What it does affect is who the Department will contact if it needs additional information from you and whether that information reaches anyone who can act on it.
If your application is awaiting a stage two assessment, the transition from temporary to permanent residency, your new lawyer will need to review the evidence on file, confirm that relationship evidence has been kept up to date, and assess whether any additional documentation is required before the Department proceeds.
You can read more about the partner visa process and what each stage involves on our Partner Visa (820/801) page.
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Book a Consultation
If you are interested in getting more information about a visa, get in touch with Australian Migration Lawyers for a consultation.
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How to Transfer Your Matter to a New Lawyer
Once you have engaged a new lawyer, the transfer process follows a clear sequence.
Your new lawyer lodges Form 956 with the Department of Home Affairs, completing Part B to formally end the Gold Migration Lawyers appointment and Parts A and C to register their own appointment as your new authorised representative. Your new lawyer will contact the Department or Tribunal as required to notify them of the change and to request any pending correspondence.
Your new lawyer will also formally request your file from Gold Migration Lawyers. Under professional conduct obligations, a former firm must return your documents and provide your file within a reasonable time. Your new lawyer will handle this request directly. You do not need to obtain your file yourself before engaging a new lawyer. Engaging the lawyer first is the correct sequence.
This means that the practical steps for you are: locate your ImmiAccount credentials, gather any Department correspondence you have received directly, and contact a new lawyer as soon as possible.
What Not to Do
Do not wait for Gold Migration Lawyers to contact you. The firm ceased operations on 1 June 2026 and that contact is not coming. Do not assume your application is on hold. Any communication with the Department should be handled by your authorised representative.
It is also worth being clear that changing lawyers does not restart your application or reset any deadlines. The application continues from wherever it currently sits.
Contact Australian Migration Lawyers
If you were a Gold Migration Lawyers client and your matter needs urgent attention, call us on 1300 150 745. Our team is available seven days a week and is currently offering a free consultation to former Gold Migration Lawyers clients. We are accepting matters across all visa types, including partner visa applications, protection visa applications, and ART reviews.
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