Graduate Diploma in Migration Law

Program Overview

This 96-credit program provides comprehensive training in Australian migration law, covering visa systems, compliance, review mechanisms, and business management. Expert faculty with extensive experience guide students through in-person and online classes, including mock client interviews and an optional placement program. Graduates are well-prepared for careers as registered migration agents, specialized migration lawyers, and other roles in the field.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Course Structure:
• 96 credit points of Core studies, consisting of:
• Practitioner Legal Skills for Australian Migration Law (12 credits)
• Australian Migration Law (12 credits)
• Australia's Visa System 1 (12 credits)
• Australia's Visa System 2 (12 credits)
• Visa Compliance and Cancellation (12 credits)
• Migration Review Mechanisms (12 credits)
• Applied Migration Law (12 credits)
• Managing a Migration Agent business (12 credits)
• Course Schedule:
• Semester 2 2024 timetable provided (PDF)
• Individual Modules with Description:
• Practitioner Legal Skills for Australian Migration Law:
• Develops practical legal skills necessary for migration practice, including interviewing, client management, and legal drafting.
• Australian Migration Law:
• Provides a comprehensive overview of the Australian migration law framework, including visa categories, eligibility criteria, and application processes.
• Australia's Visa System 1:
• Examines the Temporary Skilled Migration (Subclass 457, 482, 494, 189) visa programs in detail.
• Australia's Visa System 2:
• Explores the Permanent Resident (Subclass 189, 190, 885) visa programs in depth.
• Visa Compliance and Cancellation:
• Covers the legal and practical aspects of visa compliance, including visa conditions, breach of conditions, and visa cancellation.
• Migration Review Mechanisms:
• Examines the various avenues for migration review, including the Migration Review Tribunal, the Federal Court, and the High Court.
• Applied Migration Law:
• Provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge of migration law in real-world scenarios through case studies and simulations.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods:
• In-person lectures, tutorials, and workshops
• Online (Online Real Time; ORT) classes
• Faculty:
• Expert teaching staff with over 35 years of experience teaching migration law at Victoria University
• Law Institute of Victoria and Law Society of New South Wales Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law
• Best Lawyers as published in the Australian Financial Review
• Authors of the Australian Migration Legislation Collection and the Australian Immigration Companion
• Former Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Specialisation Board of the Law Institute of Victoria in immigration law for many years
• Current member of the Specialisation Board of the Law Institute of Victoria
• Unique Approaches:
• Mock client interviews to prepare students for real-world practice
• Optional two-week placement program with migration agencies

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths and Opportunities:
• Registered migration agent with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA)
• Specialised migration lawyer
• Community law advisor
• Human resource assessors and advisers
• Policy work in government and industry