Travel

Yes, you can be penalised for failing to pay customs duty, even if you weren’t told about it — ignorance of the law is not a defence under Australian customs law.

Yes, you must declare all prescription medications when entering Australia — even if they are legal in Australia and prescribed to you.

Yes, there is a duty-free concession limit for adults entering Australia: $900 worth of goods. If the total value exceeds this, duty and GST apply to the full amount — not just the excess.

No, the airline is not automatically liable for injuries on domestic flights in Australia — liability depends on proving negligence or breach of duty under the Civil Aviation Act and common law.

Under Australian law, you generally have no automatic right to cash compensation for a cancelled flight — but the airline must offer a full refund or rebooking, and may owe compensation if the cancellation was due to avoidable operational failures.

For domestic flights in Australia, the maximum compensation for lost luggage is $1,600 per passenger, as set by the Civil Aviation Act and Air Navigation Regulations.

If denied boarding due to overbooking on a flight within or departing Australia, you are entitled to care (meals, accommodation, communications) and compensation of up to $1,300 depending on flight distance — unless the airline can prove extraordinary circumstances.

No, an airline cannot refuse to fly you solely because you have a disability — this is unlawful discrimination under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

Visa cancellation for a criminal conviction can be lawful in Australia even for minor offences, if the person fails the 'character test' under section 501 of the Migration Act.

No, you cannot be detained and deported immediately just for a two-week overstay — but you become an unlawful non-citizen and may be detained or removed after due process under the Migration Act.

Yes, you can challenge an unreasonable visa refusal in Australia — usually by applying for merits review to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) within 21 days.

No, there is no statutory time limit for processing partner visas in Australia — the Department of Home Affairs aims to process most applications within 12–24 months, but delays can occur without breaching legal requirements.

Yes, the Australian government can cancel your visa while you're in Australia and detain you if you no longer meet visa conditions or are considered an 'unlawful non-citizen'.

No, you are not automatically unlawful just because your bridging visa expired before your review was decided — if you held a valid bridging visa immediately before the expiry and your review application was made in time, you may still hold a 'statutory bridging visa' under the Migration Act.

No — Australian law prohibits deporting a person to a country where they face persecution, even if their refugee application was rejected.

Yes, you may be protected if your travel agent was licensed and held your money in a trust account under the Travel Agents Act 1986 (Vic) or similar state schemes — but protection depends on where you booked and whether the agent was registered.

You may be entitled to a refund or compensation under the Australian Consumer Law if the cruise company changed your itinerary without consent and the change was significant.

A pilot in Australia who tests positive for alcohol faces immediate suspension of their licence, mandatory reporting to CASA, and potential civil penalties or licence cancellation under aviation safety laws.

The ATSB report is inadmissible in court because Australian law explicitly prohibits its use as evidence to assign blame or liability in legal proceedings.

Yes, you are protected under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations and the Fair Work Act if you made a 'protected disclosure' about aviation safety breaches.

You must report an urgent safety defect in an aircraft to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) immediately — within 24 hours for critical defects — under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

In most Australian states, you cannot directly request a formal transport accident investigation — only authorised agencies (like police or transport safety bodies) can initiate one, and only if specific legal thresholds are met.

Yes, regional bus carriers in Australia are generally liable for passenger injuries under the national Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), which applies to all transport services engaged in trade or commerce.

Yes, you can appeal an infringement notice for failing to declare food at the Australian border, but strict time limits and procedures apply.

Yes, you can still be held liable even if you didn’t know the goods were prohibited — ignorance of the law is not a defence under Australian law.