Gold Coast Immigration Lawyers | Regional Visas, State Nomination & Reviews

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Australian immigration legal services for clients in Gold Coast, by video consultation — no need to travel to Melbourne.

Chua Tan Associates has handled Australian immigration law matters since 1990, and two of our lawyers are Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law with the Law Institute of Victoria. Immigration law is federal law: from our Melbourne office we act for Gold Coast clients by video conference on every kind of visa application, refusal review and judicial review, with documents lodged electronically. We work in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Malay and English.

Gold Coast immigration at a glance (as at October 2026)

• The Gold Coast is a regional area: The Gold Coast is a Home Affairs Category 2 "city and major regional centre", so living and working there can support 491 skilled regional and 494 regional employer-sponsored visas, leading to the 191 permanent visa. This differs from inner Brisbane.
• Queensland nomination: The 2025–26 places have been filled and the 2026–27 program has not yet opened; Migration Queensland is waiting on Commonwealth settings.
• Employer sponsorship: Gold Coast employers can sponsor skilled workers on the 494 visa, which has different occupation lists and salary settings from the standard 482. The Gold Coast is not covered by Queensland's current DAMAs.
• Visa refusals: Refusal and cancellation decisions can be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). Review deadlines are very short, so contact us as soon as you receive a refusal letter.

Visas we handle for Gold Coast clients

• Skilled migration: Subclass 189 skilled independent, 190 state-nominated and 491 regional visas, and the subsequent 191 permanent visa.
• Employer sponsorship: Subclass 482 Skills in Demand, 186 Employer Nomination Scheme and 494 regional employer-sponsored visas, and DAMA labour agreements where available.
• Family visas: Partner visas (820/801 and 309/100), parent visas, child visas and other family visas.
• Business and investment: Follow-on applications and compliance for existing 188/888 visa holders.
• Refusals and cancellations: Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) reviews, judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court, and requests for ministerial intervention.

Why choose us

• Complex matters are handled personally by Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law, not general migration agents.
• Fees are charged in stages, with transparent pricing.
• We work with the firm's family law, criminal, estates and notary teams on matters that cross practice areas.

State nomination settings change often. This page is general information only and is not legal advice; please check the latest announcements on the state government and Department of Home Affairs websites.