Rebecca Macmillan

Special Counsel
Areas of Expertise

Immigration and Citizenship, Employer Sponsorship, Employer compliance, General skilled migration, Family migration

Rebecca advises on all aspects of Australian migration and citizenship law and is recognised for her depth of expertise in complex and strategic migration matters.

Over two decades, Rebecca has developed a strong specialisation in corporate migration. She works closely with Australian and international businesses to design and implement effective strategies for filling skilled workforce shortages, sponsoring overseas workers, managing visa application processes and ensuring compliance with sponsorship and regulatory obligations.

Based in the firm’s Cairns office, Rebecca operates nationally and internationally, advising clients across Australia and overseas.

Rebecca regularly assists clients with permanent residency pathways, addressing workforce and skills shortages, employer-sponsored visas, intra-company transfers, Global Talent visas and labour agreements. She also advises private clients on a broad range of family and skilled migration matters.

Her experience spans a diverse range of industry sectors, including advertising and media, agriculture, government, information technology and mining & energy.

What others say

Leading Immigration Lawyer, Queensland
Doyle's Guide 2025

Experience

Sponsorship monitoring

Acting for a regional winery with a response to a natural justice letter from Australian Border Force in respect of an alleged breach of the sponsorship obligations. This includes identifying where breaches occurred and assisting the client to develop strategies to ensure ongoing compliance, education and training.

Employer compliance

Assisting employers understand obligations under the Migration Act in respect of employing overseas workers, understanding visa conditions, unpaid leave for sponsored visa holders, record keeping, payment for visas costs.

Labour agreements

Working with and preparing submissions for all types of labour agreements including Industry agreements, Designated Area Migration Agreements, and Company Specific agreements.

Establishing business in Australia

Assisting overseas businesses with short and long-term visa applications for employees tasked with establishing a branch of the business in Australia.

Skills shortages

Advising employers about strategies for sponsoring and retaining overseas workers for both skilled and semi-skilled occupations and assisting with the applications.

Reviews and appeals

Acting for clients in the Administrative Review Tribunal in respect of refused sponsorship, nomination, or visa applications.