Angus Francis

Dr Angus Francis, Principal of Angus Francis Lawyers, brings over 30 years of experience in representing refugees and immigrants, specialising in visa, citizenship applications, and appeals to tribunals and courts. His distinguished career includes serving as Executive Director and Principal Solicitor of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service in Brisbane. Dr Francis has been instrumental in several significant cases, including successful appeals to the Federal Court on behalf of Sri Lankan asylum seekers and representation of persecuted religious communities from China before the AAT. His efforts have also been pivotal in preventing the rapid removal of individuals, such as a Sri Lankan woman at risk of domestic violence, and in overturning visa cancellations for an Iranian family facing potential harm. In collaboration with international organisations, Dr Francis has secured offshore humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals endangered by the Taliban due to their involvement in Australia's aid programs. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in international refugee law from the Australian National University and is a prolific author, contributing to the field with two books and numerous scholarly articles and reports. His academic contributions extend to developing law courses and clinics focused on immigration and refugee law at several Australian universities. Before establishing his private practice, Dr Francis held key roles including Principal Solicitor at the Refugee Immigration and Legal Service, senior associate, and special counsel in national firms, where he engaged in commercial arbitration and consumer class actions. He also led the Human Rights Programme at QUT Faculty of Law. Dr Francis completed his undergraduate degrees in arts and law at the University of Queensland and his Master of Laws at QUT. As an active contributor to the legal community, he holds memberships including Chair of the Queensland Law Society Migration Law Advisory Committee and a member of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service Management Committee. For more information on his recent presentations and seminars, please refer to the News section.