Key Takeaways
- My Migration Lawyers acts for Sri Lankan citizens in Subclass 866 protection visa matters across Australia, led by Principal Lawyer Weiwei Zhang, from the first consultation to the Department's decision and review at the Administrative Review Tribunal.
- Sri Lankan claims are usually decided on the applicant's personal profile. Country information assessed by the Department treats ordinary Tamils as being at low risk, so the evidence must show why the authorities would be interested in the applicant personally.
- Many Sri Lankan applicants have been detained, questioned or ill-treated. Their account needs to be taken carefully, and medical or psychological evidence can explain difficulties in giving evidence.
- A person who arrived in Australia by boat without a visa is in a different legal position and needs specific advice before anything is lodged.
- Professional fees are fixed and set out in a written costs agreement before work starts. Consultations are held by video, and the firm communicates by email.
Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia help people from Sri Lanka who fear returning home to prepare, lodge and pursue a Subclass 866 protection visa. My Migration Lawyers acts as protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia in every state and territory, led by Principal Lawyer Weiwei Zhang, from the first consultation to the Department's decision and, where a visa is refused, review at the Administrative Review Tribunal.
This page sets out what the firm does on a Sri Lankan protection matter and how it works with clients. It does not repeat the law. The definitive guide to the Subclass 866 protection visa explains the legal tests, and the firm's protection visa lawyers page describes its protection practice.
Does My Migration Lawyers act as protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia?
Yes. My Migration Lawyers acts for Sri Lankan citizens in Subclass 866 protection visa matters, including new applications, applications already lodged and applications for review after a refusal. The firm's practice is focused on protection visas and partner visas, and it is led by Principal Lawyer Weiwei Zhang.
Sri Lankan clients come to the firm from many backgrounds. Some are Tamils from the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Some are Sinhalese or Muslim. Some are journalists, activists or people in dispute with a local politician. Some came to Australia as students, visitors or workers years ago and have only recently decided that they cannot go back. The work of protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia differs for each of these clients, but the method is the same: identify what the client fears, from whom, and why, and then find the evidence that proves it.
The firm's office is at Level 1, 60 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000. Consultations are held by video, so a Sri Lankan client in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane or a regional area is served in the same way as a client in Sydney. The about page explains more about the firm.
What makes Sri Lankan protection claims hard to win without a lawyer?
Sri Lankan protection claims are hard to win without a lawyer because the Department rarely disputes that conditions in Sri Lanka can be dangerous. It disputes whether the applicant personally would be at risk. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia spend most of their time on that question.
Tamil ethnicity alone is not usually enough
DFAT's country information on Sri Lanka assesses Tamils generally as facing a low risk of official discrimination on ethnic grounds. A claim that says only "I am Tamil and Tamils are persecuted" will usually be refused. The risk rises for people who were, or are believed to have been, linked to the LTTE, for close relatives of known LTTE members, for people previously detained or questioned by the security forces, and for people on a government watch list. My Migration Lawyers identifies which of these profiles, if any, applies to the client, and what evidence shows it.
Changes of government
Sri Lanka elected a new government in 2024. In political claims, the decision maker will ask whether the people who threatened the applicant still hold power. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia answer that question with current evidence about who controls the relevant police, officials or groups in the client's area.
Illegal departure and airport screening
Many Sri Lankans left without passing through an approved port. That is an offence under Sri Lankan law, but prosecution under a law that applies to everyone is not usually persecution. The real question is what happens to a person with the client's profile when they are screened at the airport on return. The firm addresses that question directly, rather than relying on illegal departure alone.
Claims against local power holders
Some Sri Lankan clients fear a local politician, a paramilitary group or an extortion gang rather than the state. In those claims, the Department asks whether the police would protect the client and whether the client could live safely in Colombo or another part of the country. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia answer both questions with evidence of who the persecutor is, what connections they have, and how far their reach extends.
DFAT country information
The Department relies heavily on DFAT Country Information Reports, and DFAT's report on Sri Lanka uses low, moderate and high risk ratings that decision makers often quote. My Migration Lawyers reads the rating that applies to the client's profile and answers it with evidence that is more specific or more recent, such as later United Nations reporting on surveillance in the North and East.
These issues are why Sri Lankan applicants look for protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia before they lodge. The firm's country guide to protection claims by Sri Lankan nationals explains the law behind each of them.
Clients who have been detained or tortured
Clients who have been detained, questioned or tortured by the security forces need their account taken with particular care. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia at My Migration Lawyers allow time for this work and do not rush it.
A person who has been tortured may find it very hard to describe what happened. They may remember events out of order, avoid certain details, or become distressed. Decision makers sometimes treat those difficulties as inconsistency. For that reason, the firm takes the account over more than one session where needed, with a professional interpreter, and records it in the client's own words. The client reads it back, corrects it and decides what is included. This is careful, slow work, and it is one of the most important things protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia do.
Where the client has scars, injuries or continuing psychological effects, the firm can advise on obtaining medical or psychological evidence. A report of that kind can support the account of past harm and can explain why the client may struggle to give evidence at interview. For these clients, the choice of protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia matters, because the way the account is taken affects every later stage.
How does the first consultation work for Sri Lankan clients?
The first consultation is a video meeting in which the firm hears the client's circumstances, identifies the claims that may arise and explains how it would act. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia at My Migration Lawyers follow the same simple process for every new client.
- The request. The client completes the online consultation request form.
- The reply. The firm replies by email to arrange a time.
- The consultation. The consultation is held by video, with a Tamil or Sinhala interpreter arranged where the client needs one.
- The costs agreement. If the firm is to act, the scope of work and the fixed fee are set out in a written costs agreement before work starts.
What should a Sri Lankan client prepare?
A Sri Lankan client should prepare their passport and a short timeline of the main events. The timeline should list what happened, when and where, and who was involved, including any arrest, questioning, detention or visits by officers to the family home.
If the client already has them, the following are also useful:
- Australian visa grant notices and any letters from the Department of Home Affairs;
- the client's Sri Lankan National Identity Card and birth certificate;
- documents from Sri Lanka that relate to the claim, such as detention or release papers, court documents, police records, medical records or letters from community or religious leaders; and
- any photographs, messages or social media material connected with the claim.
The firm does not ask clients for documents that people do not usually keep. Visa history can be checked by the firm using the client's passport details. The absence of a document is never a reason to delay seeking advice from protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia.
Contact with the Sri Lankan High Commission
Some Sri Lankan clients need a passport renewed or a document from Sri Lanka. A client who fears the Sri Lankan state should get advice before contacting the High Commission, because in some cases that contact can be raised against a claim that the person fears the authorities. The firm advises on this at the consultation.
Confidentiality
What a client tells protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia at My Migration Lawyers is confidential, and communications for the purpose of legal advice are generally protected by legal professional privilege. The Department also treats protection claims as confidential and does not disclose them to the government of the country the person fears.
What do protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia do on the application?
Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia assess the claim, take the client's own account, gather the evidence that proves the client's profile, prepare and lodge the application, and represent the client until a decision is made. At My Migration Lawyers the work is organised as follows.
Assessing the claim
The firm assesses whether the claims fit the refugee test, complementary protection or both. A Tamil man suspected of LTTE links may have a refugee claim on race and imputed political opinion. A business owner threatened by a politically connected extortion group may fit complementary protection better. The complementary protection page explains that test.
The client's own account
The account is the client's own evidence. It is taken with an interpreter, in the client's words, and the client reviews and corrects it before it is lodged. The client decides which claims are advanced. The firm presents the client's account and evidence in the form the law requires. The guide to the protection visa statement of claims explains what a complete account covers.
Profile evidence
For Sri Lankan clients, the evidence that matters most is evidence of profile. That can include records of past detention, evidence of a relative's LTTE role, evidence that officers have visited or questioned the family since the client left, and evidence of any court case. The firm works with the client to identify what exists and how it can be obtained safely. The guide to protection visa evidence explains how supporting documents are used.
Activity in Australia
Some Tamil clients attend commemorations, protests or community events in Australia. For the refugee test, conduct in Australia is disregarded unless the applicant shows it was not engaged in to strengthen the claim. The firm documents genuine, long-standing involvement from its start, and addresses how the Sri Lankan authorities could know about it.
Form 866 and lodgement
The firm prepares the Form 866 application and lodges it online through ImmiAccount, with identity documents and translations for the client and each family member. The firm is appointed through Form 956 so that the Department corresponds with it.
Requests and interview
The firm responds with the client to any request for information under section 56 or invitation to comment under section 57. It prepares the client for the interview, reviews the client's own account with them, and attends. The protection visa interview page explains what to expect.
What happens while a Sri Lankan application is pending?
While a Sri Lankan application is pending, the firm stays on the record as the client's representative and keeps the claim current. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia treat the waiting period as part of the work, not a pause.
Conditions in Sri Lanka continue to move. The Prevention of Terrorism Act remains in force while a replacement law is debated, surveillance in the North and East continues to be reported, and political alliances change. During the waiting period, My Migration Lawyers:
- receives all correspondence from the Department and tells the client promptly about any request or interview date;
- advises on new events, such as officers visiting the family again, a relative being detained, or a new court summons; and
- provides further evidence and submissions to the Department where the client instructs the firm to do so.
The client should tell the firm about any change of address, any new family member, any planned travel and any contact with Sri Lankan authorities in Australia or in Sri Lanka. A client who fears the Sri Lankan state and then travels to Sri Lanka, or renews a passport without advice, may find that conduct raised against the claim. Early disclosure allows protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia to explain it before a decision maker draws the wrong conclusion.
The My Migration Lawyers Difference
Affordable Fees
Complex Matter Capability
Instalment Payment Options
Two-Day Cooling-off Period
Sri Lankan clients who arrived by boat
A Sri Lankan citizen who arrived in Australia by boat without a visa is in a different legal position from a person who arrived on a visa. The Migration Act restricts valid visa applications by unauthorised maritime arrivals. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia must check that position before anything is lodged.
My Migration Lawyers asks every Sri Lankan client how and when they arrived. Where the client arrived by boat, the firm first assesses the client's current visa and procedural history, and then advises on the options that are actually open. Nobody in that position should lodge an application or sign a form without advice.
Can the firm help after a refusal?
Yes. If a Sri Lankan client's protection visa has been refused, My Migration Lawyers can act on an application for review at the Administrative Review Tribunal. The time limit to apply is short and strictly applied, and it runs from the date the client is notified of the decision.
On review, protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia identify each finding that led to refusal. For Sri Lankan clients these are often findings that the client's profile is too low to attract attention, that the risk has passed with a change of government, or that the account was inconsistent. The firm prepares evidence and submissions directed to those findings. The pages on protection visa refusals and preparing for an ART hearing explain the process.
A person whose protection visa application is refused while in Australia generally cannot make a further protection visa application unless the Minister personally intervenes under section 48B. That is why the first application and the review must both be done properly.
Sri Lankan families, students and visitors
My Migration Lawyers acts for Sri Lankan citizens on any visa, including students, visitors, skilled workers, partners and bridging visa holders. The visa held affects the practical steps, not whether protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia can act.
A student has to consider enrolment and study conditions. A visitor may hold a No Further Stay condition, which does not prevent an onshore protection visa application. The guides for people on a tourist visa and for international students explain those points.
A spouse and dependent children in Australia can usually be included in the same application as members of the family unit. Where a spouse has claims of their own, for example because of their own detention or family violence, the firm gives that person the opportunity to give their own account separately. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia should take each adult's evidence in its own right.
Urgent matters for Sri Lankan citizens
A Sri Lankan citizen whose visa is about to expire, who has already become unlawful, or who has been detained needs advice straight away. Protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia deal with the immediate position first, including lawful status and any bridging visa, and then with the claim. The guides to urgent immigration lawyer advice and bridging visas explain the general position.
Fees, communication and location
My Migration Lawyers acts for Sri Lankan clients on a fixed fee, by email and by video, anywhere in Australia.
- Fixed fees. The professional fee for each stage is fixed and set out in a written costs agreement before work starts.
- Email. Advice and instructions are exchanged by email, so the client has a written record.
- Australia-wide. The firm acts for Sri Lankan clients in every state and territory. The pages for protection clients in Melbourne and Sydney explain the service in those cities.
- Interpreters. A professional Tamil or Sinhala interpreter is arranged where needed.
Choosing protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia
When choosing protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia, a client should check that the representative is authorised, experienced in protection work, clear about the fee in writing and honest about the claim.
- Authorisation. An Australian lawyer holds a current practising certificate. Registered migration agents are also authorised to give immigration assistance.
- Experience. Ask whether the representative regularly acts in Subclass 866 matters and understands Sri Lankan profile evidence.
- Written terms. The scope of work and the fee should be in a written agreement before work starts.
- Honest advice. A representative should explain the weaknesses in a claim, not only its strengths.
Be wary of anyone who promises a grant, or who suggests that a protection visa is a way to obtain work rights. No representative can promise an outcome, and an application without genuine claims will be refused. The guides on the protection visa lawyer and when you need one explain more.
How My Migration Lawyers acts as protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia
My Migration Lawyers acts as protection visa lawyers for Sri Lankan citizens in Australia for people who fear returning to Sri Lanka. The firm deals with complex protection matters and acts in many Subclass 866 matters of this exact type, including Tamil claims involving imputed LTTE links, claims by people previously detained or tortured, political claims and claims against people with power. It is capable of handling these matters from the first consultation to decision, and at review if the visa has been refused.
The firm's work for Sri Lankan clients includes:
- Assessing the claim. Deciding whether the claims fit the refugee test, complementary protection or both.
- The client's own account. Taking the account with a Tamil or Sinhala interpreter. It is the client's evidence, reviewed and corrected by the client, and the client decides which claims are advanced.
- Country information. Addressing DFAT country information on Sri Lanka with more specific or more recent evidence.
- State protection and relocation. Addressing who the persecutor is and how far their reach extends.
- Form 866 and documents. Preparing the application and translated supporting documents.
- Interview and requests. Preparing the client for interview and responding to section 56 requests and section 57 invitations.
- Review. Applying to the Administrative Review Tribunal within time if the application is refused.
The firm is led by Principal Lawyer Weiwei Zhang. The Subclass 866 protection visa page explains the visa, and the protection visa lawyers page explains the firm's protection practice.
If you are a Sri Lankan citizen in Australia and fear returning home, book a consultation with My Migration Lawyers online, or call 1300 040 300.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a Sri Lankan Tamil living in Melbourne. Can My Migration Lawyers help me if I am not in Sydney?
Yes. My Migration Lawyers acts for Sri Lankan clients in every state and territory. Consultations are held by video and the firm communicates by email, so you do not need to travel to Sydney. A client in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide or a regional area receives the same service as a client near the firm's office at Level 1, 60 Martin Place, Sydney.
I speak Tamil. Can I bring my own interpreter or will you arrange one?
The firm arranges a professional Tamil or Sinhala interpreter where a client needs one. A relative or friend is not usually suitable to interpret your account, because the account is private, it may involve distressing events, and it must be accurate in every detail. At the Department's interview you should also ask for an interpreter in the language you speak best, and say straight away if you cannot understand the interpreter or their dialect.
What documents should I send before the consultation?
Send your passport and a short timeline of the main events, including any arrest, questioning, detention or visits by officers to your family. If you already have them, also send your Australian visa grant notices, letters from the Department, your National Identity Card and any documents from Sri Lanka connected with your claim. Do not contact the Sri Lankan High Commission to obtain documents before you have had advice. The firm can check your visa history itself using your passport details.
How much does a protection visa lawyer cost?
My Migration Lawyers charges a fixed professional fee for each stage of a protection visa matter. The fee is set out in a written costs agreement after the consultation and before any work starts, so you know the cost in advance. The amount depends on the stage and the work involved, such as a new application, updating an application already lodged, or a review at the Administrative Review Tribunal. The firm does not publish its fees online.
My protection visa was refused. Can you still help me?
Yes, if the time to apply for review has not passed. A refused protection visa can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal, but the time limit is short and strictly applied, and it runs from the date you were notified of the decision. Contact the firm as soon as you receive the refusal and send a copy of the decision letter. The firm will read the reasons and explain what can be done at review.
Weiwei Zhang is the Principal Lawyer and Managing Director of My Migration Lawyers. My Migration Lawyers is one of Australia's leading immigration law firms, dedicated exclusively to Australian immigration law. The firm represents individuals, families and businesses across all areas of migration law, with particular expertise in complex immigration matters, Partner Visas, Protection Visas, corporate migration, visa refusals, Administrative Review Tribunal reviews, judicial reviews and visa cancellations.
