Australian Visa Refusal Reasons and Appeal Process
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    Australian Visa Refusal Reasons and Appeal Process

    Immigration Expert
    Jan 23, 202512 min read

    Australian Visa Refusal Reasons and Appeal Process

    Australian visa applications are generally rejected for reasons such as the person filling out the application form incorrectly or incompletely, the passport not being up to date, not being able to prove that they will return to their country after the visa expires, not having the appropriate documents for the type of visa requested, not having sufficient financial resources for the duration of travel, missing permission documents for applications under the specified age limit, or not paying the visa fee or paying it incorrectly.

    What Are the Australian Visa Rejection Rates in 2023?

    The Australian visa refusal rates worldwide in 2023 are in the table below.

    Visa TypeTotal Number of ApplicationsNumber of Visa RejectionsVisa Rejection Rate
    Visitor visa305,18325,8578.47%
    Work visa15,7601,3708.69%
    Student visa247,96643,55817.56%

    What are the Reasons for Australian Visa Rejection?

    Reasons for Australian visa refusal are listed below.

    • The validity period of the passport is shorter than the requested period.
    • Incomplete filling of the application form
    • The visa applicant's criminal record poses a threat to Australian public safety
    • Incomplete submission of documents requested for Australian visa application
    • Detection of incorrect or incomplete answers to the information requested during the visa application process
    • If additional documents are requested from the person after the visa application, these documents are not forwarded to the relevant institution.
    • Failure to provide sufficient evidence that the person has the financial means to meet their needs during their trip to Australia
    • If the person does not have health insurance that meets certain conditions during his/her travel or has a health insurance that does not meet the specified criteria.

    What is an Australian Visa Refusal Based on Character Requirement?

    Australian visa refusal based on character requirements is when a visa application is rejected or cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs if a person does not meet the character criteria. A visa refusal may be made if the applicant has a criminal conviction in their home country or in another country for any reason.

    If the applicant has a criminal record, this must be stated at the time of application. Persons whose visa application is rejected due to the character requirement may not be able to obtain other types of visas because they do not meet the Australian visa requirements.

    Situations in which a person's visa application is rejected are listed below.

    • The person has a significant criminal record.
    • The person was convicted of escaping immigration detention or was convicted of committing a crime while in immigration detention.
    • The person is a member of a criminal organization or has a relationship with a person or organization that is considered to be a criminal.
    • The person is involved in, or suspected to be involved in, an organized crime.

    How to Find Out if Your Australian Visa Is Rejected?

    The Australian visa refusal is notified to the person in writing by the Australian foreign mission. The person is informed whether they have the right to request the reason for the visa refusal or to request a reconsideration of the decision.

    What to Do After Australian Visa Rejection?

    After an Australian visa refusal, a person can re-apply depending on the type of visa applied for or the reason for the visa refusal, or they can appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for the re-evaluation of their application.

    How to Appeal Australian Visa Refusal?

    An appeal against an Australian visa refusal can be made by submitting an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. An appeal can be made online or by writing a petition. The appeal must be made within 28 days of the visa result being notified. If the person is in immigration detention, the appeal must be made within 7 days of the application being notified.

    An appeal fee of approximately AUD 1,826 is required to lodge an appeal. The fee is paid within the application period; if the appeal is approved, 50% of the fee paid is refunded, if the appeal is rejected, the entire fee is refunded.

    After the application is made, the Administrative Court of Appeals sends the person a letter containing information about the receipt of the application and how the next process will work. No additional documents are sent unless requested in the objection application.

    How Long Does It Take to Complete an Australian Visa Objection Process?

    The Australian visa appeal process takes an average of 530 days for student visa rejections, 450 days for student visa cancellations, 885 days for temporary work visas and 578 days for skilled work visas.

    How to Re-Apply After Australian Visa Rejection?

    Instead of re-applying after an Australian visa refusal, it is recommended to first use the right to object. It is possible to eliminate the reasons for the refusal in the objection application; if the objection is also rejected and the visa is not granted, it is preferable to apply for a new visa.

    When applying for a new visa after a rejected visa application, the reasons for the rejection in the previous application must be examined. The application must be supported with various supporting documents against the previous rejection reason.

    When Can Australian Visa Rejectees Not Re-Apply?

    If a person is refused an Australian visa because they fail a character test, they may be prohibited from re-applying for another visa.

    Will Australian Visa Rejection Be Recorded in Passport?

    No, Australian visa refusals are not recorded in the passport. In the event of a visa refusal decision, although no action is taken on the passport, this decision is stored in the Australian Immigration and Citizenship Department database.

    Where to Check Australian Visa Result?

    Australian visa result inquiries can be made online via the ImmiAccount account or through the intermediary institution application channel.

    It is not possible to obtain information about whether an Australian visa has been approved or not through the Australian visa inquiry process. Only the visa approval or rejection decision can be learned through the notification sent to the applicant by the foreign mission.


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