Merhi (Migration)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered an application for a Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa, Sponsored Family stream, made by an applicant who intended to visit Australia temporarily. The applicant, who is self-employed and has a wife and three children in Lebanon, sought to visit his sister in Australia.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the visa applicant genuinely intended to stay temporarily in Australia, as required by the criteria for the visa. This involved assessing the applicant's circumstances and the likelihood of him complying with the conditions of a temporary visa.

The Tribunal found that the applicant's personal circumstances, including his self-employment and family ties in Lebanon, supported an intention to return to his home country at the conclusion of his visit. Consequently, the Tribunal remitted the application for reconsideration, directing that the visa applicant met the criteria under cl 600.211 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.