Partner
Chris Spentzaris
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Languages
- English
- Greek
Contact information
With more than 30 years of dedicated immigration law experience, Chris co-leads Fragomen’s Asia Pacific Compliance and Advisory, Compliance and Government Relations practice. In tandem, he also leads Australia’s Private Client practice and is actively involved in spearheading the firm’s WorkRight technology, Fragomen’s global solution to simplify the process of verifying an employee’s right to work.
Serving clients in major industries at the backbone of the Australian economy, including education, technology, finance and healthcare, Chris intimately understands the needs of Australian businesses and how the country’s immigration system can support these needs. Chris is particularly adept at solving complex issues, so clients rely on him to handle their most challenging cases requiring creative immigration pathways and solutions.
Chris frequently advises boards of companies on governance and compliance matters, assisting them in navigating their obligations, identifying risks within their immigration programs and evaluating existing processes and systems for any gaps to ensure compliance. He also advises on labor shortages, workforce planning, business recruitment practices, the extent of global competition in attracting and retaining skills and global talent, and the use of ANZSCO occupation classifications in dictating Skilled Occupation Lists.
Education
- La Trobe University, LL.B. (Hons.), 1999
- La Trobe University, Bachelor of Legal Studies, 1993
More from Chris
Admissions
Immigration Credentials: Accredited Specialist – Immigration Law, Law Institute of Victoria
Court Admissions: Barrister and Solicitor, Supreme Court of Victoria, Barrister and Solicitor, High Court of Australia
Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers in Australia, Immigration Law, 2018 to 2025
Professional accomplishments
Deputy Chair, Migration Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia
Chair, Skilled Working Group, Migration Law Committee, Law Institute of Victoria
Committee Member, Executive Committee of the Administrative Law and Human Rights sections of the Law Institute of Victoria
Fellow Member, Migration Institute of Australia
Member, Law Institute of Victoria
Member, Law Council of Australia
Experience
Assisted corporations to manage compliance with business sponsorship obligations and Labor Agreements.
Briefed human resources managers and senior managers on immigration related issues, including compliance obligations.
Advised corporations and individuals on complex technical issues regarding immigration visa eligibility, policies and related planning.
Assisted individuals in relation to the full range of Australian visas, including skills migration, family migration, distinguished talent, and business skills visas as well as citizenship matters.
Represented clients before the Migration Review Tribunal, the Administrative Appeal Tribunal, and the Federal and High Courts of Australia.
Acted in a number of Federal Court cases, including two important cases involving appeals regarding decisions relating to applicants with a disability or who are permanently incapacitated.
Publications and lectures
Chair, “Compliance, Self-Incrimination and the Migrant Worker.” 2025 Law Council of Australia Immigration Law Conference, Canberra, Australia, 21 March 2025.
Co-chair, “Employer Sponsored / Labour Agreement.” 2025 Law Council of Australia Immigration Law Conference, Canberra, Australia, 20 March 2025.
Co-author, "Citizenship, Former Residents and Resident Return Visas." Lexis Nexis Practical Guidance Immigration Law Module, 2014. Web
Chris’s insights
May 7, 2025 | Conference
April 17, 2025 | Awards
November 21, 2024 | Conference
