The Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 expands the Administrative Review Tribunal’s power to decide cases without an oral hearing and requires certain migration review applications—most notably refusals of student and other temporary visas—to be determined on the papers.

It builds on the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (which replaced the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal in October 2024) and amends the Migration Act 1958 to introduce a bespoke written‐submission process with clear safeguards.

This Bill makes two principal sets of amendments:

• Amendments to the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024: It inserts a new circumstance into section 106 so that the Tribunal may decide any matter without holding an oral hearing if:
1. the issues can be adequately determined without the parties present;
2. it is reasonable to decide the matter on the papers; and
3. the Tribunal has given each participating party a reasonable opportunity to make submissions and has considered them.
• Amendments to the Migration Act 1958: It creates a new Division 4A of Part 5 requiring the Tribunal to review certain reviewable migration decisions (including refusals of student visas and other prescribed temporary visas) entirely on the basis of written materials. Division 4A:
1. disapplies hearing and evidence provisions of the ART Act that are incompatible with paper‐based review;
2. requires the Tribunal to invite written submissions on the relevant visa criterion or legal provision and to provide clear particulars of any adverse information;
3. allows applicants to request access to materials given to the Tribunal;
4. permits combination of related reviews, Tribunal reconstitution if a member becomes unavailable, and dismissal where applicants fail to respond;
5. sets out transitional rules for pending applications and empowers regulations to prescribe additional visa subclasses or exemptions.

Financial impact: nil. Human‐rights statement: the Bill is compatible with Articles 2(3) and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.