Chris Johnston: Principal Lawyer

Email Chris: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

With nearly 20 years of experience in immigration, Chris Johnston has assisted many Australian businesses and thousands of applicants with Australian visas. In 2011, Chris founded Work Visa Lawyers, where he and a team of lawyers and migration agents provide expert guidance and support to their clients.

Chris's practice areas include:

• Employer-Sponsored 482, 186, and 494 visas
• New Skills in Demand Visa: Specialist Skills, Core Skills, and Essential Skills pathways
• Skilled Migration Visas: 189, 190, and 491
• Global Talent 858 Visa
• New National Innovation Visa
• Partner Visas
• Student and Graduate Visas
• Business and Investor Visas
• Workplace Justice Visa
• Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)
• Visa appeals, visa refusals and migration reviews: AAT, ART reviews, and Federal Circuit Court (FCC) appeals for migration decisions

Chris Johnston completed a Bachelor of Laws with Honours at the University of New England (NSW) in 2005. He worked in civil litigation from 2005 to 2006 and was part of a legal team in an important, successful precedent-setting case in the Supreme Court: Trevorrow v State of South Australia (No. 5) [2007] SASC 285. Chris also worked for two of the largest migration advice businesses in South Australia between 2006 and 2011.

Chris Johnston is a member of the Law Society of South Australia and the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA). He has served as the SA State President for the MIA and as a Director on the National Board of the MIA.

Chris is one of the original Australian immigration content creators, with over 100,000 followers on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

Chris is frequently interviewed regarding migration policies and has engaged with various media outlets, including ABC, InDaily, SBS, The Canberra Times, and Insider Guides.

Chris looks forward to assisting you. If you need any help, feel free to book an appointment with Chris.

Learn more about Chris

Luke Edwards: Associate Lawyer

Email Luke: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Luke has experience in dealing with employer-sponsored visas, including the 482 and 186 visas, as well as 400 and 408 visas, across a range of industries and is also experienced in handling other matters including business visas, partner visas and reviews at the tribunal and courts.

Luke is experienced in advising businesses on Australian migration requirements and the best visa options for their employees.

Areas of Practice:

National Innovation Visa Subclass 858, Skills in Demand 482 Visa (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement), Business Skills, Business short stay, Citizenship, Employer Nomination Scheme, General Skilled Migration, Judicial Review, Labour Agreement, Media & Film Staff (undefined), Medical Practitioner, Medical Treatment, Migration Review at the AAT, Occupational Trainee, Regional Skilled Migration, Religious Worker, Resident Return, Sport, Spouse, Student, Temporary Skilled Shortage (482) (undefined), Tourist / Visitor (undefined) and Work and Holiday Visa. 

He has been a part of the Work Visa Lawyers team since October 2017.

Luke has completed a Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a Master of Laws. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia in February 2018.

Luke is a member of the Law Society of South Australia and a member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA).

In 2024, Luke Edwards became an Accredited Immigration Law Specialist.

Wendy Guan: Registered Migration Agent

Email Wendy: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Wendy Guan is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1685761) and has experience with the following visa types:

• General Skilled Migration visas (189, 190 and 491 visas)
• Partner and Parent Visas
• Student and Graduate visas
• Visitor visas
• National Innovation Visa
• Skills in Demand Visa (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills)

Wendy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of International Trade. Wendy completed a Graduate Certificate of Migration Law and Practice and obtained the status of Registered Migration Agent in 2016. Wendy has been a part of the Work Visa Lawyers team since July 2018 and is and the Leader of the Skilled and Family Team.

Prior to joining Work Visa Lawyers, Wendy spent 2 years working as a consultant, providing migration advice and services for a number of skilled migrants.

She also worked as assistant manager in an international student hostel for 8 years. In this role she assisted thousands of international students to settle into student life in Australia.

Having also studied and migrated to Australia, Wendy understands the migration process from personal experience. She looks forward to assisting you with your Australian Visa and citizenship needs.

Wendy is fluent in Chinese and English. 

Chinese Profile / Learn More

Rosa Torrefranca: Lawyer

Email Rosa: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Rosa’s areas of practice include:

• National Innovation Visa (NIV) Subclass 858
• General Skilled Migration visas (189 Visa, State Nomination Visas: 190, 491,489)
• Skills in Demand Visa 482 (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement)
• Australian Citizenship
• Family Migration including Partner/Parent/Child applications
• Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews
• Student Visa 500 and Graduate visas 485
• Migration Skills Assessments

Rosa completed her law degree in the Philippines in 2001. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2002 and her work focused upon development legal work with underprivileged and disadvantaged clients and communities in the Philippines.

In Australia, Rosa is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia and registered in the High Court of Australia, enabling her to practice in any federal court. Since being admitted to practice Rosa has practiced primarily in immigration and commercial law. Prior to her admission to practice in Australia, she gained experience in immigration law by working as a legal secretary and paralegal for boutique law firms and registered migration agents in Adelaide, South Australia.

In addition to her law degree, Rosa has a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the Philippines and completed a Certificate IV in Legal Services from TAFE SA.

Rosa is a member of the Law Society of South Australia and is a member of Law Society’s International Legal Practice Committee, and the Wellbeing and Resilience Committee. She is also a member of the Migration Institute of Australia.

She speaks English, Tagalog (Filipino) and Visaya.

Jonathan Liu: Lawyer

Email Jonathan: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Jonathan Liu has completed a Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice & Bachelor of Marketing at Flinders University. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia in September 2019. In addition to managing visa applications, Jonathan is also involved in the marketing and business development activities for Work Visa Lawyers.

Jonathan has experience in dealing with:

• Family Migration Including Partner/Parent/Child applications
• Other Family Visas (Carer visa/New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa/Remaining Relative visa)
• General Skilled Migration 
• Employer Sponsored Visas (482, 186 and 494 visas)
• New Skills in Demand Visa (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills)
• New National Innovation Visa
• Business and Investor Visas
• Workplace Justice Visa
• Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)
• Medical Treatment Visa
• Student Visa
• Administrative Review Tribunal Appeal
• Australian Citizenship 
• Character Considerations Including Convictions
• Migration Skills Assessments
• Schedule 3 considerations including compelling and compassionate reasons 
• Ministerial intervention 

Jonathan has been part of the Work Visa Lawyers team since May 2019. Before joining Work Visa Lawyers, he spent one year at a conveyancing firm, working in property law and dealing with property transactions and settlements.  

Jonathan Liu is fluent in Chinese and English. 

Chinese Profile / Learn More

Suman Grewal: Registered Migration Agent and Education Agent

Email Suman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Suman Grewal is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2117667) and a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC No. S195).

Suman has been working in the migration industry since 2006. She has worked for 5 years in India and started working with Work Visa Lawyers in 2011, and has now been in the migration industry for over 16 years. Suman has performed a range of tasks including administrative and research tasks in support of the Migration Agents and Lawyers in the past. Suman’s excellence in customer relations and attention to detail are valuable skills contributing to our practice of Migration Law.

Suman has a Masters degree in Arts from Panjab University, India and also an Advanced Diploma in Computer Applications from DOEACC, India. She has completed a Graduate Diploma in Migration Law from Victoria University and has been registered as an Australian Migration Agent in 2021.

Spoken Languages: English, Hindi and Punjabi.

Trang Vu: Lawyer

Email Trang: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Trang joined Work Visa Lawyers in April 2022. Trang previously worked as a lawyer in Sydney at a firm specialising in immigration and commercial law. In the following years, Trang gained extensive experience in legal research and submissions at one of the largest migration agencies in South Australia.

Trang has experience in these areas of practice:

• Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews
• Character issues and Public Interest Criteria (health, PIC 4020)
• Family visas 
• Employer-sponsored visas, including the 400, 482, 494, 186 visas
• Labour Agreements
• Sponsorship obligations and monitoring
• National Innovation Visa 858
• Skills in Demand 482 Visa (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement)

Trang has completed a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Legal Practice. She is admitted as a lawyer and barrister to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and South Australia.

Trang is passionate about her work and draws inspiration from a quote by Albert Einstein: "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

As a second-generation migrant, Trang is fluent in Vietnamese and English.

Joan Prado: Lawyer

Email Joan: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Joan originally hails from the Philippines. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Business Management from one of the prestigious universities in Manila, De La Salle University.

She migrated to New Zealand with her family in 2008. Driven by a desire to gain NZ qualification, she entered law school as an adult student while raising her four children.

As a testament to her hard work and perseverance, she completed her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Waikato and went on to be admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.

She worked in the areas of immigration and property law for six years before relocating to South Australia. Armed with her knowledge, skills, and zeal for delivering excellent client service, she looks forward to honing her expertise while at the same time growing a broader perspective in life.

Joan was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia in February 2025. Shortly after, she joined Work Visa Lawyers as an Immigration Lawyer.

She understands that clients have unique needs and circumstances; therefore, having an empathetic approach that fosters trust and transparency with clients is vital to achieving positive outcomes.

Joan speaks English and Filipino.

Samantha (Sam) Saberi: Registered Migration Agent

Email Sam: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2418586

Sam completed a Master's degree in Persian Language and Literature from Iran, as well as a Master's in Nursing from the University of Adelaide. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Migration Law from Griffith University and has been registered as an Australian Migration Agent since 2024.

Having arrived in Australia as a refugee, Sam has a profound understanding of the refugee visa process from personal experience. She successfully transitioned from a protection visa to a skilled visa and has since assisted numerous refugees in settling in Australia and obtaining visas and citizenship.

Earlier in her career, Sam worked in clinical roles within both public and private hospitals for years. This experience in the healthcare sector has equipped her with the expertise to effectively manage visa applications and provide tailored immigration advice, particularly helping nurses secure permanent visas in Australia.

Sam is fluent in Farsi and English.

Shamsiya Mohammadi: Lawyer

Email Shamsiya: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Shamsiya is a Migration Lawyer with experience in the following areas:

• Partner and Child Visas
• Visitor Visa
• Australian Citizenship
• Protection Visa
• Appeals and Ministerial Intervention Requests
• National Innovation Visa 858
• Skills in Demand Visa (Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement) 

Shamsiya holds a double degree in Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Journalism and Professional Writing and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia in July 2021.

Prior to joining Work Visa Lawyers, Shamsiya worked as a Migration Lawyer in Melbourne. She has also worked as a Journalist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reporting on various local and national stories.

Shamsiya has worked extensively with migrant communities through volunteering at the Australian Refugee Association and Welcoming Australia. Shamsiya understands the barriers faced by migrants and hopes to make the migration process easier and more accessible for her clients.

Shamsiya is fluent in English, Hazaragi and Dari. 

Avelyn Chen: Consultant

Email Avelyn: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Avelyn is a registered migration agent (MARN 1800051).

Avelyn has experience in these areas of practice:

• Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews
• Character and Public Interest Criteria (health, PIC 4020, PIC 4013/4014) waivers
• 8503 No Further Stay waivers
• Schedule 3 considerations including compelling and compassionate reasons
• Family visas including partner/parent/child/orphan relative visas
• Other family visas including carer visas/New Zealand Citizen family relationship visas/remaining relative visas
• Employer-sponsored visas, including the 407, 482, 494, 186 visas
• General Skilled Migration visas, including the 189, 190, 491 and 191 visas
• Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)
• Business and investor visas
• Student visas
• National Innovation Visa
• Sponsorship obligations and monitoring
• Migration skills assessments
• Australian citizenship applications

Avelyn completed a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2016. In the same year, she was admitted as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA).

Having lived in Singapore for over a decade as a first-generation immigrant before calling Australia home in 2012, she truly understands what it’s like to settle into a completely new country - twice!

She combines personal insight with legal expertise to create customised strategies that address each client's unique circumstances, proactively identifying and resolving potential obstacles early to ensure clients feel supported and confident throughout Australia's complex migration process.

Avelyn is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and English.

Anna Dobos: Consultant

Email Anna: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Australia & New Zealand Migration

• Senior Immigration Lawyer (LPN5511250)
• New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser

Areas of practice:

• Employer Sponsored Migration (482, ENS, RSMS, 407 and 494 visas)
• Labour Agreements and DAMAs
• Skilled Migration Visas (189, 190 and 491)
• Skills assessments for skilled migration and employer sponsored visas
• Family Migration, including Partner, Parent and Child visas, complex cases
• Australian Citizenship applications
• Character and health waivers
• Visa refusals and cancellations, ART reviews
• New Zealand visa advice

Anna is fluent in English, Russian and Hungarian

Christine Tsitsinaris: Administrative Officer

Email Christine: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Christine joined Work Visa Lawyers in January 2018 and has since become a highly valued and reliable member of the team, providing administrative support to the Migration Agents and Lawyers.

Christine prides herself on her enthusiasm, friendliness and approachability. Having had 20 years experience as a legal assistance/receptionist, she understands the importance of providing valuable and excellent customer service.

Christine brings a welcoming and understanding nature to Work Visa Lawyers. Outside of Work Visa Lawyers Christine is a proud mother to two young daughters and often volunteers her time to schooling events.

Christine has studied at the Adelaide Legal & Commercial College receiving a Certificate in Legal Secretary & Office Procedures, Level II, and studied a Para-Legal Certificate IV at the Adelaide Institute of TAFE.

Languages: English and Greek (spoken)

Radharani Kuhn: Marketing and Communication Officer

Email Radharani: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Radharani earned a Bachelor's degree in Media and Communication Studies from the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and completed a Diploma in Social Media Marketing at the Australian Pacific College. She has been employed at Work Visa Lawyers since August 2023, applying her marketing strategy and client engagement skills.

Before joining Work Visa Lawyers, Radharani gained significant expertise in Brazil's dynamic marketing industry. Her experience includes innovative content creation, strategic digital marketing campaigns, social media management and brand development. 

Radharani is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Anna Mishanina: Administrative Officer and Personal Assistant

Email Anna: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Anna joined Work Visa Lawyers in March 2023. After spending 10 years as a teacher in her home country, she transitioned her career to work for 8 years in Accounts Payable and Payroll at an Australian company with over 120 staff members. Anna holds a Master's degree from Moscow State University of Education.

Currently, she is a valuable administrative member and personal assistant to Chris Johnston. As a migrant herself, Anna has a deep understanding of the challenges individuals face when applying for various visas and navigating the extensive paperwork involved. Her personal experiences drive her commitment to helping others through their journeys.

Anna is fluent in English, French and Russian.

Jenny Phan: Accounts Officer

Email Jenny: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +61 8 8351 9956

Jenny joined Work Visa Lawyers in January 2022. She has a Master's degree from the University of South Australia.

Diversity of previous employment on two continents equips her with a unique ability to assess and manage complex tasks calmly and effectively.

She is currently an Accounts Officer and also provides high-level support to other staff as an Office administrator. Jenny prides herself on her efficiency, collaboration, attention to detail, and customer-centricity. Her hard work and high performance are valuable contributions to Work Visa Lawyers' premium services.

Jenny is fluent in English and Vietnamese.