Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law

By Chang Min Park
Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law
Legal Practitioner Director of Park & Co Lawyers

When you choose someone to advise on your Australian immigration matter, you are trusting them with decisions that may affect your work, your family and where you can live. It helps to know what sits behind the qualifications on their website.

An Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law is a solicitor whose specialist competence has been assessed through a law society accreditation scheme. The credential recognises demonstrated knowledge and practical ability in a defined area of law. For a client, its value is that the standard can be checked.

The Law Society of NSW explains that assessment covers communication, problem-solving, client relations and specialist legal knowledge. Accreditation belongs to the individual solicitor. When a firm advertises an Accredited Specialist, ask which named practitioner will advise on your matter and what their role will be.

Experience comes before the assessment

Applicants are already practising lawyers. The NSW 2026 eligibility requirements include:

A current solicitor’s practising certificate and the required professional membership.
At least five years of full-time legal practice.
Practice in the nominated specialty in each of the three years immediately before applying.
At least 25% of full-time practice devoted to that area over the relevant three-year period.

The application guide excludes pre-admission experience from legal practice for this purpose. It also requires three Australian legal practitioner referees and provides for professional standards checks. The Board can consider exemptions from specified experience criteria; acceptance into the program still leaves the assessments to be completed.

These are entry requirements. They establish a foundation of experience on which the candidate must then demonstrate specialist competence.

What does the assessment actually involve?

A concrete example is the Law Society of NSW’s published 2026 Immigration Law Assessment Requirements, pages 27–29. Its three components are outlined below. Formats and conditions can vary between providers and assessment years.

Component	What the 2026 NSW program requires
Mock file	A take-home matter requiring legal advice and court documents. The published window runs from 13 May to 3 June, allowing about three weeks. Candidates may use office resources but cannot consult another person to complete it.
Written examination	Three hours and 30 minutes, including 30 minutes for reading and planning. It is open-book, with reference material prepared in advance. Internet access is prohibited and monitored.
Peer interview	A recorded 45-minute interview with up to two assessors. Candidates receive up to two scenarios approximately 15–20 minutes beforehand and explain how they would handle the professional situations presented.

The Society’s assessment information describes exercises built around the work of legal practice: advising, drafting, applying knowledge and discussing professional situations with experienced assessors.

Consider the demands of a file exercise. A candidate must turn a collection of facts and documents into useful advice. During an oral assessment, they must make their reasoning understandable. Under timed examination conditions, they must decide which issues deserve attention and organise an answer. Those are abilities a client needs when the documents are incomplete or the next step is uncertain.

Every component must be passed

The NSW 2026 guide requires a pass in every assessment. A strong result in one component does not compensate for a failed component. It defines the expected standard as a “specially competent practitioner” in the relevant core skills and practical capabilities.

Independent work is also part of the standard. The guide prohibits collaboration on assessment items, engaging a third party to complete them and using AI to generate substantive assessment content without written consent from assessment supervisors.

The structure gives the credential substance: experience must be supported by assessed performance, across different ways of working.

How does this apply to Queensland practitioners?

Queensland Law Society recognises Immigration Law specialist accreditation. It explains that it does not currently run its own Immigration Law assessment program. Queensland practitioners can complete the relevant program through the Law Society of NSW or the Law Institute of Victoria and, if successful, seek mutual recognition from the QLS Specialist Accreditation Board.

This is why a Queensland-recognised specialist’s assessment may have been conducted through another state’s professional body. The 2026 NSW process above illustrates the assessment pathway; it is not a claim that every existing specialist sat that particular year’s examinations.

The commitment continues after accreditation

QLS requires annual re-accreditation. Its ordinary ongoing requirements include maintaining the relevant membership and practising status, substantial involvement in the specialty, and continuing professional development.

The annual CPD requirement is 15 points, with at least 10 in the accredited area. Substantial involvement means at least 25% of full-time legal practice, or the applicable equivalent. QLS specifies a different additional CPD requirement in the year accreditation is first granted.

That continuing obligation matters in a field where a useful answer depends on the rules and procedures applicable to the matter being considered.

What should this mean for your immigration matter?

For a client, the practical value should be visible in the advice. You should be able to understand:

The real issue: which facts and legal requirements could determine the outcome.
The evidence: what supports your position, what is missing and what needs explanation.
The choices: the available options, their risks, costs and timing.
The next step: what must be done, by whom, and when.

This becomes particularly useful when circumstances change. A relationship may end during an application. An employer may restructure. A refusal may raise a review deadline. Before choosing a response, the adviser needs to understand both the immediate problem and how a proposed step affects the rest of the matter.

Specialist accreditation is a meaningful credential to consider alongside experience with your type of case, communication and the agreed scope of work. It does not guarantee a visa grant, a successful review or a particular processing time.

Check the credential, then discuss the work

You can search the QLS Register of Solicitors or the relevant law society’s directory. Check the individual’s name and accredited area. Then ask who will handle the matter, how the specialist will be involved and what the quoted work includes.

I am Chang Min Park, Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law and Legal Practitioner Director of Park & Co Lawyers. My professional profile provides further information about my qualifications and practice.

Australian immigration with an Accredited Specialist

If you would like Park & Co Lawyers to assess your immigration matter, provide a brief account of your circumstances, your current visa and any decision or deadline you have received. That gives us a useful starting point for discussing consultation arrangements and the work you need.

Enquire about specialist immigration advice

Prefer email? enquiry@parkcolawyers.com

Submitting an enquiry does not create a solicitor–client relationship. Consultation arrangements, fees and any representation are agreed separately.

Sources checked on 11 October 2026. Assessment examples relate to the published NSW 2026 program; requirements may change. This article provides general information about specialist accreditation and choosing legal assistance.

What Does an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law Actually Mean?