Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers

Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers (CFIL) is one of Australia’s largest and most reputable law firms specialising in migration to Australia.

Carina Ford, Rick Gunn, Dushan Nikolic, Nina Merlino, Madeline Keating and Thuy Vu are all Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law with the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV), which recognises their specific legal expertise in this field. Carina Ford is also an Accredited Specialist in Administrative Law.

CFIL is committed to social justice and our lawyers sit on a range of committees dedicated to assisting refugees and migrants. CFIL has also contributed to a range of submissions to various Senate Committees on migration issues and upcoming legislative changes. We also have a long history of assisting referred clients from various organisations and offer reduced fee or Pro Bono legal services where appropriate to do so.

Carina’s profile

Carina is the Managing Partner of a large immigration law practice in Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria. She is an Accredited Immigration and Administrative Law Specialist, New Zealand Licenced Immigration Adviser and was the winner of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) Paul Baker Award in 2017. She is listed on the Best Lawyers in immigration law, from 2022 – 2027., Melbourne and Lawyers Weekly, “Partner of the Year - Immigration” for 2022.

She is a regular presenter of CPD topics in immigration law for a range of bodies and writes for the Immigration Law service for Lexis Nexis. Carina has an extensive review practice at the ART and Judicial Review. The firm has a vast area of practice ranging from refugee cases, sports related visa issues, overseas students, character and identity cancellation cases, employer sponsored and labour agreements, global talent and business visas as well as an extensive pro bono practice with a particular focus on vulnerable persons. She also runs some high profile cases including the Biloea Sri Lankan Family in Australia.

She is a member of numerous legal boards and committees including:

• Current Co- Chair of the Migration Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia

• Executive member of the Federal Dispute Resolution Section of the Law Council of Australia.
  • Member and previous Co-Chair of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) Refugee Committee 2019 - 2022
  • Past Member of the LIV Administrative Law Specialisation Law Committee/ past member of the Immigration Law Specialisation Committee
  • Member of the LIV Migration Law Committee (chair in 2009 and 2010)
  • Chair of the Law Council of Australia Refugee working group
  • Chair of the LIV AAT reform working group
  • Past Co-chair of the LIV Sports Law Committee and member of the LIV Sports Law Committee
  • Previous Member of the Hockey Victoria Disciplinary Tribunal
  • Hockey Victoria Board Member 2019 - 2026

  She balances her working life with playing hockey and running marathons.