Ministerial intervention requests allow individuals to request the immigration minister to personally intervene in their migration matter. You might be able to make a request for ministerial intervention if you have received a negative decision by a merits review tribunal and you have exhausted other avenues for review. The minister will only intervene in limited circumstances if they genuinely believe that unique or exceptional circumstances exist in your matter and that it is in the interests of the Australian public to do so.

Examples of unique or exceptional circumstances may include:

• Strong compassionate circumstances that if not recognized would result in serious, ongoing and irreversible harm and continuing hardship to an Australian citizen or an Australian family unit, where at least one member of the family is an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.
• Compassionate circumstances regarding your age and/or health and/or psychological state, that if not recognized would result in serious, ongoing and irreversible harm and continuing hardship.
• Exceptional economic, scientific, cultural or other benefit that would result from you being permitted to remain in Australia.
• Circumstances not anticipated by relevant legislation; or clearly unintended consequences of legislation; or the application of relevant legislation leads to unfair or unreasonable results in your case.
• You cannot be returned to your country/countries of citizenship or usual residence due to circumstances outside your control.