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Last Update
Gold Migration Lawyers ceased operations permanently from 1 June 2026. The firm has since entered liquidation, for which an official liquidator has already been appointed.
Despite the unexpected closure, any visa application already lodged with the Department of Home Affairs remains active and continues to be processed. Deadlines, response windows, and hearing dates all continue to run regardless of a client’s representation status
The Department of Home Affairs does not pause or cancel applications when a law firm closes. As such, the best thing that you can do right now is to act, not wait.
At Parish Patience Immigration, we can help you do great things. Need legal advice? We’re thrilled to offer you a free consultation with our experts.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.
Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers is currently offering a free initial consultation to all former Gold Migration clients, with no upfront cost and no obligation. Whether your matter involves a partner visa, protection visa, ART review, or any other immigration issue, our MARA-registered lawyers are ready to review your file and take over your matter immediately
Our dedicated professional team will help you process your visa requirements and increase your chances of permanent residence in the Land Down Under. We are one of the longest-running Australian law firms with a proven track record and a commitment to personalised client care.
To all former Gold Migration clients, our experts are only a click away for all your visa needs. Give us a ring or book your free no obligation consultation online right now.
If you are a client of Gold Migration Lawyers, here’s what you need to know. This way, you can make informed decisions on the most suitable alternative arrangement for your situation.
All the visa applications sent to the Department of Home Affairs remain valid, and the file remains active. It does not pause or experience because a law firm closes. Your application
The Department will continue processing the application, issuing requests, and making decisions on the same timeline as before. What has changed is who receives communications on your behalf.
If Gold Migration’s contact details are still registered, correspondence goes to an inbox no one is monitoring. It creates a quiet risk, where your applications seem fine, but the urgent notices go unread.
Here’s the thing: The Department of Home Affairs routinely issues requests for further information during visa processing. They have strict response deadlines, offering a 28-day window to respond.
If you miss this deadline, the Department may decide on the evidence currently on file, which may be insufficient. The same timeframe is also given to make an appeal for “natural justice letters” before a refusal decision is made. A missed decision letter means a missed window to lodge an ART appeal
None of these consequences is hypothetical, they are the direct, documented risk of unmonitored correspondence
ART reviews have some of the strictest procedural deadlines in the immigration system. As such, it does not automatically stop or pause a review because a party’s lawyer has ceased practice.
From 18 May 2026, the ART has expanded its power to determine certain migration review matters on the papers, without an oral hearing, based solely on written submissions. For student visa refusal reviews, this papers-only approach is now mandatory. For other migration matters, the ART has broader discretion to decide on the papers from 18 May 2026.
If your matter is affected, the quality of written submissions alone may determine the outcome. And if a hearing date has been set, your new lawyer must promptly notify the ART of the representation change. This makes an experienced legal representation more critical than ever.
Partner visas take so much time to be processed, with a typical 12–24 months gap between the stage 1 grant and the stage 2 evaluation.
During this period, the Department may request updated relationship evidence, statutory declarations, or additional documentation.
The applicant’s obligation to respond to Department requests and keep their address current does not change with a firm’s closure.
So, if these requests go unanswered due to Gold Migration’s unmanned inbox, Stage 2 assessment may proceed without all essential information.
For protection visa holders, the stakes are even higher. Applicants are often in vulnerable situations where any administrative oversight creates serious personal risk.
A bridging visa held by an onshore applicant remains valid while the main application is being processed.
As a former Gold Migration client, here’s your step-by-step action plan.
1
Log in and check the status of your application on the Department of Home Affairs website. Verify whether there are any requests for further information that have not been responded to, or anything marked as awaiting response
If you have forgotten your ImmiAccount login, visit to recover access using your passport details and email address. Ensure that you’ve noted your application ID number, as your new lawyer will need this right away.
2
Search your personal inbox for all emails from addresses ending in @homeaffairs.gov.au. This may include your original application acknowledgement, any requests for further information sent directly to you, and any decision letters
In addition, check your spam folder because Department emails sometimes trigger spam filters. While you’re at it, list all correspondence dates and subject lines to give your new lawyer an immediate timeline of your matter.
If you received any letters by post from the Department, locate those as well and bring them to your consultation.
3
Find the costs disclosure agreement or retainer you signed with Gold Migration. This document is important for your new lawyer to understand the scope of work Gold Migration was engaged for.
Apart from that, it’s also important when you make a claim for fees for work not completed. Gold Migration has entered liquidation, which means fee recovery is a separate matter handled through the liquidator process. Your new lawyer can advise on these matters further.
4
Communications made without a properly registered representative can sometimes create confusion or be recorded in ways that complicate the file. As such, it is generally not advisable for visa applicants to contact the Department directly without a registered migration lawyer.
You must engage a new layer first and let him/her communicate with the Department on your behalf using Form 956.
If you are in an emergency, such as your bridging visa expiring with a deportation notice, call Parish Patience immediately on (02) 9286 8700.
5
Call (02) 9286 8700 our expert at Parish Patience, or book online using the form on this page. The consultation is free, no obligation, and available now.
Bring your ImmiAccount login details, application reference number, and any correspondence you have gathered.
The consultation will cover the following:
Let us help you take your next best steps going forward.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.
The transfer process is a long-running system that involves forms and understanding which documents you need for a seamless transfer. Among those papers is Form 956, which is an essential requirement for appointing a registered migration agent.
Form 956 gives authorisation to a legal Australian practitioner to represent you regarding all your immigration dealings.
When switching from Gold Migration to Parish Patience, Form 956 serves two purposes simultaneously. First, it ends your Gold Migration Lawyers appointment. Second, it registers Parish Patience as your new authorised representative.
So, until Form 956 is lodged, the Department’s records still show Gold Migration as your representative. But once lodged, the Department directs all future correspondence to Parish Patience. Our skilled lawyers will prepare and submit Form 956 for you.
Under professional conduct obligations, a former firm is generally required to return client documents. They will also provide the file within a reasonable time upon request.
Your new lawyer will then manage this request directly. Since Gold Migration is in liquidation, file retrieval may take longer than in a standard firm closure. But don’t worry, your new lawyer will account for this in managing your matter.
In the meantime, Parish Patience can begin working from your ImmiAccount records and any correspondence you have already gathered.
Once Form 956 is lodged and acknowledged, our Parish Patience lawyer becomes your authorised representative for all Department purposes.
We will review the complete file, identify any outstanding requests or deadlines, and advise you of the current status and next steps. If any deadlines have already passed, we will advise on whether extensions or alternative options are available.
The transfer does not restart your application or reset any timelines. We will continue the application exactly from where it currently sits.
Look, you don’t need to obtain your file from Gold Migration before engaging with our Parish Patience lawyers. Time is the most critical factor during this phase.
Reach out to us promptly and let us make sense of the complexities of the immigration procedures.
Here are the things you should not be doing if you were a Gold Migration client:
Keen to know more about why you should choose a Sydney immigration lawyer from Parish Patience to help you with your visa application needs?
Yes, we have been in the immigration and migration law business for more than a century. Since 1888, we have been the longest and continuously operating law firm in Australia.
No, this is not a marketing figure; it is a verifiable fact reflected in our firm’s history. We have practised through every major reform to Australia’s immigration system. From the introduction of the Migration Act 1958 to the points test system, we were there through every major policy change.
Best believe, our legal experts have done it all and seen it all. When you engage Parish Patience, you partner with a firm whose institutional knowledge of Australian immigration law spans generations.
Every migration agent at Parish Patience is registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). Our legal representatives have the credentials to provide professional immigration assistance in Australia.
All our MARA-registered agents are bound by a strict Code of Conduct. We firmly maintain professional indemnity insurance, complete ongoing professional development, and are subject to disciplinary action for breaches.
Yes, you can verify our agent’s registration yourself on the MARA public register at mara.gov.au.
Parish Patience has a physical office you can visit, based at Level 3, 83 York Street, Sydney.
Many Gold Migration clients were Sydney-based and worked with a local firm. Parish Patience offers the same geographic continuity, handling every visa type that ever exists.
With us, you will not need to switch firms again as your matter progresses through different stages. Our team is available Monday to Friday, 9 am–5 pm on (02) 9286 8700.
Parish Patience has over 497 verified Google reviews from real clients, and a 4.7-star rating across hundreds of them. This reflects the consistent outcomes we deliver across a wide range of visa types and client backgrounds.
We do not ask you to take our word for our track record. You can review them and gain insight into what it’s like working with us through their lived experiences.
After Gold Migration’s closure, working with a verifiably registered, regulated agent is more important than ever.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.
Regardless of which visa type Gold Migration was handling for you, Parish Patience has the experience and the team to take it over immediately. Below is a summary of the matters we handle across all visa categories.
No. A visa application lodged with the Department of Home Affairs remains active regardless of what happens to the law firm that lodged it. Your application continues to be processed. What changes is who receives correspondence on your behalf. This is why appointing a new representative urgently is essential.
Because Gold Migration has entered liquidation, fee recovery is handled through the liquidation process managed by the appointed liquidator.
Parish Patience can advise you on this process during your free consultation. However, we cannot guarantee the recovery of fees paid to a third party.
Log in to your ImmiAccount and check the status of your application. You can also review your personal email inbox for any messages from @homeaffairs.gov.au addresses.
If you are uncertain, book a free consultation with Parish Patience. Our skilled team will check your application status on your behalf once you have authorised us as your representative.
No. Changing your authorised representative does not pause, delay or reset your application. The application continues from exactly where it currently sits. The only delay risk comes from not acting.
The longer your file has no active representative, the greater the chance of a missed notice or deadline.
We can begin the transfer process immediately upon your instruction. Once authorised, we lodge Form 956 with the Department, notify any relevant tribunal or authority, and review your file.
In urgent cases involving imminent deadlines, we prioritise same-day action.
Contact us immediately on (02) 9286 8700. An upcoming ART hearing date is a time-critical matter. We will assess the timeline and notify the ART of the change of representation. Afterwards, we begin preparing for your hearing as a priority matter.
Benefits of Australian Citizenship August 23, 2025
Renouncing Australian Citizenship May 19, 2025
Australian Citizenship by Conferral November 4, 2024Our customers are always happy to share their thoughts with us.
Here is what some of them had said!
The team at parish Patience Immigration Lawyers were incredibly helpful throughout the application process. Their assistance made our lives so much less stressful and their expertise cleared up any confusion we had. They remained engaged with us the whole time and quickly responded to any questions with thoughtful, detailed answers. Special thanks to Usman Ali and Shan . We highly recommend the team at Parish patience immigration lawyer for anyone considering help regarding any kind of visa .
Highly recommended lawyers! Extremely professional and reliable service, with outstanding outcomes. A special thanks to Mr Thong and Marlene, for helping us with our difficult case. Not only did they ensure that everything was ready to go, but their professionalism came in favor when we were granted our visa within just under 6 months!
Thong and Marlene helped my partner gain permanent residency in Australia. We did the application ourselves but it turned out lots of information we needed to provide was missing. Thong and Marlene picked our case up and helped amend it. I really appreciate their help and guidance and look forward to contacting them again in the future. I am pleased by their efforts and professionalism.
Successfully handled my case. He had been prompt, caring and very professional in dealing with my case. I am glad to have received very strong support, guidance and service from them. I would highly recommend Parish patience immigration lawyers. I wish the best for their future prospects.
I’m really thankful for the guidance and assistance I’ve received regarding my Partner visa from Shan and his assistance Asha at Parish Patience. They handled my matter professionally and there were clear instructions from the beginning till end. I got my partner visa 820 granted in less than 7 months, thanks to their knowledge and expertise. I wish them all the best and highly recommend Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers for any sort of immigration matters.
The immigration legal system in Australia is complicated enough without the transfer process issues. It would be difficult to manage the laws and regulations without the expert knowledge of an immigration lawyer.
Parish Patience has the skills, experience and network to ensure you’re properly advocated for. No matter how complex your case may be, our team delivers consistent and efficient support to achieve immigration relief and success.
We are eager to help you navigate your visa matters. Book a free, no obligation call with us via your preferred communication channel.
We at Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers will help you choose the right pathway to help you secure Australian employment. Contact us at +61(02) 9286 8700 or send us an email at ppmail@ppilaw.com.au.
