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CMI Legal Reviews, MARN & Pricing

Chatswood immigration practice offering short and long-form consultations

5.070 reviews across 1 sources
Visit CMI Legal website ↗

Founded

2014

Years active

12+

HQ

Sydney

Offices

2

At a glance

Best for
Partner & family · Skilled migration · Business & investor · Investment migration · Student visas · Refusal appeals & AAT · Employer sponsorship
Practice type
Immigration law firm (RMAs + Australian legal practitioners)
Initial consultation
On enquiry
Skilled visa from
—
Employer-sponsored from
—
Partner visa from
—
Payment plans
Not advertised
No Visa No Fee
No

Visa subclasses CMI Legal handles

Subclass 820Subclass 801Subclass 309Subclass 100Subclass 300Subclass 189Subclass 190Subclass 186Subclass 187Subclass 482Subclass 491Subclass 191Subclass 132Subclass 188Subclass 858Subclass 888Subclass 890Subclass 891Subclass 892Subclass 893

Independent assessment

CMI Legal occupies the north-shore end of the Sydney market, based in Chatswood rather than the CBD, which matters for the large Chinese-speaking applicant base in that corridor and is reflected in a team led by John Zhang and Matthew Wu. Its business and investor visa coverage is unusually deep for a mid-sized firm, spanning the 188 and 888 provisional-to-permanent pathway plus the older 890-series streams, which suggests genuine experience with the significant-investor and business-innovation categories rather than a token service listing. The productised consultation structure — a short preliminary call and a longer comprehensive session — is a sensible way to triage, and the site's budget bands (under AU$1,000, AU$1,000–3,000, above AU$3,000) at least set expectations even though no exact figures are published. Caveats: neither consultation is priced in dollars anywhere on the site, no MARN is displayed, and a US address appearing in the site footer alongside the Australian one is an inconsistency worth asking about. It also operates as part of a broader legal group covering business, IP and property law, so applicants should confirm how much of the team's capacity is genuinely immigration-dedicated.

Recommended for

  • •Business and investor visa applicants (188/888 and related streams)
  • •Applicants in Sydney's north shore who prefer a Chatswood office
  • •Chinese-speaking clients
  • •Visa appeals, cancellations and bridging visa problems

Things to consider

  • •The site contradicts itself on the 15-minute consultation: the fees page says 'Free consultation is limited to 15 minute phone call' while the immigration page calls it paid — confirm the cost before booking
  • •No dollar amount is published for the 45-minute comprehensive consultation; only vague budget bands are used to qualify enquiries
  • •No MARN or agent registration numbers displayed on the pages reviewed
  • •A US (New York) address appears in the site footer alongside the Australian one — an unexplained inconsistency
  • •Immigration sits alongside business, IP and property practice areas rather than being the sole focus
  • •A 5.0 rating from 70 Google reviews is displayed on the firm's own site but was not independently verified on Google

Reviews across the web

We aggregate review counts and averages from the platforms where CMI Legal maintains a public profile. Full review text remains on the source platform.

google

5.0· 70 reviews

Why CMI Legal stands out

  • Established 2014; Chatswood NSW office
  • Deep business and investor visa coverage including 188, 888 and the 890-series
  • Two-tier consultation product (15-minute preliminary and 45-minute comprehensive)
  • Team members are Law Society of NSW members

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Frequently asked questions

Is CMI Legal MARA-registered?
CMI Legal operates as an Australian immigration law firm; immigration assistance is provided by registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners on staff. Verify the specific agent's MARN on the OMARA register before engaging.
How much does CMI Legal charge?
CMI Legal publishes initial consultation fees on enquiry. Visa application packages start from a quoted fee depending on stream and complexity.
What visas does CMI Legal handle?
CMI Legal specialises in Partner & family, Skilled migration, Business & investor, Investment migration, Student visas, Refusal appeals & AAT, Employer sponsorship. The firm regularly handles visa subclasses including 820, 801, 309, 100, 300, 189, 190, 186.
Where is CMI Legal located?
CMI Legal is headquartered in Sydney and operates across Sydney, Online consultations.
How long has CMI Legal been operating?
CMI Legal was founded in 2014, giving the firm a 12-year operating record.
What do CMI Legal clients say in reviews?
5.0 stars from 70 reviews on google

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australianvisaonline.com is an independent information service. We are not affiliated with CMI Legal and do not provide immigration assistance. Information shown is compiled from public sources including the OMARA register and public review platforms; verify current MARN status and pricing directly with the firm. Reviews remain the property of their original platforms and authors.