Login
Migration lawyers to be critical to economy post-pandemic
From a commercial perspective, the benefits of immigrants and migration to Australia’s economic growth have long been apparent – this will be especially so after COVID-19, says one practitioner.
Jerome Doraisamy
Corina Chen’s mother has operated an immigration consultancy firm in Taiwan for over 40 years. As a result, she tells Lawyers Weekly, she was always destined to become a migration lawyer. It is, however, a vocational path she is clearly enamoured with.
“Being a migration lawyer is very rewarding; no two client circumstances are the same, and each matter consists not only of a client’s background (e.g. education and professional experience) to be considered, but also their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future. It is human nature to want to better our lives, and this very human aspect of migration law and helping [clients achieve] their goals [result] in a very fulfilling career.”
That fulfilment will be coupled with challenges in a post-pandemic landscape, Ms Chen acknowledged.
With 29.7 per cent of Australia’s population being overseas-born (according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics as at 30 June 2019), there is likely to be a focus on family reunion post-pandemic. It is also likely for Australia’s migration program to have a more dedicated approach to skilled migrants who are able to fill the existing skills shortages,” she said.
“Australia is already a destination of choice for travellers, and it still remains a [highly desirable] location for businesspeople and skilled migrants. Given the way Australia has successfully controlled the COVID-19 outbreak, it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw even more people wanting to come to Australia – the question will be more around border restrictions, and I think that will be very interesting,” she said.
From a work perspective, Ms Chen continued, with countries around the globe imposing travel restrictions, it has “become impossible for many people to leave Australia without paying an exorbitant amount of money in airfares”.
“This means working quickly to identify appropriate solutions for those with upcoming visa expiry dates (whether they want to leave Australia in a few months or continue their stay for a longer-term), and actively managing expectations for both onshore and offshore clients with pending visa applications where there are delays in processing times,” she outlined.
“Australia’s existing skills shortages [have] also been exacerbated by the fact that the borders are currently closed. This has seriously impacted affected businesses and their ability to find skilled applicants so that they can keep up with demands.”
However, migration law remains, and will continue to be, a practice area that offers a dynamic day-to-day practice, Ms Chen posited.
“Migration law is an incredibly fascinating area; comprising of over 120 visa subclasses, this is an area of law that is constantly changing and requires knowledge regarding not only the relevant act and regulations, but also numerous legislative instruments, countless pages of policy, a myriad of case law, as well as an understanding in other areas of law such as employment law, commercial law, family law and criminal law to name a few,” she noted.
“For emerging lawyers, migration law presents a platform to expand their experiences, both from a variety of work but also the range of clients from different backgrounds and cultures. This makes the job very enriching and rewarding.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
You can email Jerome at:
