Carina Ford

Carina is the Managing Partner of a large immigration law practice in Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria. She is an Accredited Immigration Law Specialist, New Zealand Licenced Immigration Adviser and was the winner of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) Paul Baker Award in 2017. She was awarded Best Lawyers in Immigration 2022 and 2024, Melbourne and Lawyers Weekly, “Partner of the Year’ -Immigration for 2022.

She is a regular presenter of CPD topics in immigration law for a range of bodies and writes for the Immigration Law service for Lexis Nexis. Carina has an extensive review practice at the AAT, IAA and Judicial Review. The firm has a vast area of practice ranging from refugee cases, sports related visa issues, overseas students, character and identity cancellation cases, employer sponsored and labour agremeents, global talent and business visas as well as an extensive pro bono practice with a particular focus on vulnerable persons. She also runs some high profile cases including the Biloea Sri Lankan Family in Australia.

She is a member of numerous legal boards and committees including:

• Member and previous Vice Chair of the Migration Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia (2018 and 2019)
• Co-Chair of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) Refugee Committee 2019 - 2022
• Past Member of the LIV Administrative Law Specialisation Law Committee/ past member of the Immigration Law Specialisation Committee
• Member of the LIV Migration Law Committee (chair in 2009 and 2010)
• Chair of the Law Council of Australia Refugee working group
• Chair of the LIV AAT reform working group
• Member of the Cancellations Working Group
• Immediate Past Co-chair of the LIV Sports Law Committee and member of the LIV Sports Law Committee
• Previous Member of the Hockey Victoria Disciplinary Tribunal
• Current Hockey Victoria Board Member

She balances her working life with playing hockey and running marathons.