Mario has specialised in immigration law for over eight years, helping over 100 clients with complex immigration matters.
Since being admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales in 2018, Mario has successfully represented more than thirty clients before the Administrative Review Tribunal (and formerly the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) in both its general and migration divisions for visa cancellation and refusal matters. Mario has also assisted clients with Labour Agreement applications (DAMA and Company Specific) and advised on complex employer-sponsored and family applications.
Mario’s own family migrated to Australia when he was a child. His combined personal and professional experience with immigration provides him with a unique perspective to draw upon when helping his clients.
Among Mario’s Administrative Review Tribunal outcomes are:
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- Successful ART appeal resulting in a release from immigration detention: Appearing as a solicitor advocate in the General Division for an expedited review of an s 501 character matter where the decision to cancel the applicant’s visa was successfully set aside and the applicant was released from immigration detention.
- Student parent visa refusal reversed on merit of papers: A decision to refuse a Student Guardian (Subclass 590) visa application for a parent to remain in Australia to accompany an adult child Student visa holder over the age of 25 was determined on papers and set aside.
- Partner visa refusal set aside in family violence appeal: An order was secured at hearing to set aside the decision to refuse a Partner (Subclass 801) visa application where the male applicant had suffered family violence perpetrated by the female Australian citizen sponsor. Evidence of the independent expert at first instance was successfully challenged.
- Remittance of a PIC 4020 refusal for a Regional Employer Nomination visa: A decision to refuse a Regional Employer Nomination (Subclass 187) visa application on the basis of the applicant providing false or misleading information (PIC 4020(1)) was determined on the papers and set aside (and the matter was remitted from the FCFCOA for jurisdictional error at first instance).
Mario is fluent in Filipino (Tagalog) and maintains a deep network in the Philippines with the ability to assist Australian companies with recruiting and sponsoring skilled workers, particularly in, but not limited to, the construction and health industries.
Mario holds a Bachelor of Laws and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and is a Solicitor Member of the Law Society of New South Wales and Member of the Migration Institute of Australia. In 2026, he was appointed to the Migration Institute’s Family Visa Program Advisory Panel.
