Joanne Kinslor is a specialist immigration lawyer who has extensive experience and exceptional knowledge of immigration law. Her clients appreciate her dedication to solving complex immigration problems and winning difficult cases.

Joanne has been accredited as an immigration specialist by the Law Society of New South Wales since 2006. There are fewer than 40 accredited immigration solicitors in New South Wales.

Joanne is Course Convenor and Principal Lecturer of “Australian Immigration Law and Practice” at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as part of the university’s law degree programme. She is also an affiliate member of the Andrew and Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.

Joanne is an active member of the Law Council of Australia’s Migration Law Committee. Through the Law Council, she participates in national debate on immigration law and policy and contributes to Parliamentary submissions.

Joanne has also lectured for the Australian National University Graduate Certificate of Migration Law and Practice course and she presents lectures on immigration law subjects for the legal profession.

Joanne is past President of the Management Committee of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS), a legal centre which provides pro bono advice and assistance to asylum seekers in Australia. For several years Joanne was a Member of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of New South Wales.

Joanne has been recognised in the Australian Financial Review in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 as one Australia’s finest immigration lawyers through inclusion in Best Lawyers – Australia, Immigration Law. In 2017 Joanne Kinslor was voted Lawyer of the Year, Immigration – Sydney.

Joanne graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Hons).

Joanne is admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Publications / Lectures

'Decision Making in the National Interest?' written with James English - published in the Australian Institute of Administrative Law Forum number 79, January 2015 Download file [2.04MB]

'Reconsidering what constitutes objective decision making about children crossing international borders' - Presented at Law Asia Family Law and Children's Rights Conference, July 2014 Download file [170.98kB]
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the ANU conferece ‘Unintended Consequences: The impact of migration law and policy’ conference, October 2013

'New employer sanctions under the Migration Act'- Article published in The Law Society Journal May 2013 Download file [670.66kB]

'Not only punishment to fear' - Article published in The Law Society Journal December 2012 Download file [348.96kB]

‘Australia’s National Interest and the Immigration Health Test’, Lecture Presented Law Council of Australia Immigration Law Conference, March 2010 Download file [0.00B]

‘Out of the Twlight Zone: From Deemed Notification to Actual Time’ Immigration Review Bulletin No 21 2004.

‘Killing off international human rights law: An exploration of the Australian Government’s relationship with United Nations human rights committees’ Australian Journal of Human Rights Vol 8(2) 2002. View article.

‘Non-refoulement and torture: the adequacy of Australia’s laws and practices in safeguarding asylum-seekers from torture’, Australian Journal of Human Rights Vol 6(2) 2000. View article.