About us

Making Australian visas simple, affordable and with expert oversight

Tern was built by people who've been through the visa process and got tired of paying before they knew the price. One published price, fixed from the start. Every rule behind your application is written and signed off by a named immigration lawyer.

Why Tern exists

Applying for a visa isn't just paperwork. It's your future, your family, and one of the highest-stakes decisions you'll ever navigate. Most Australian migration practices publish no price at all, so you book a consultation, sometimes a paid one, just to find out what you'll be charged. From there, the process usually runs on email, with no single place to see what's done, what's outstanding, or what happens next, and you find out exactly what you're getting only after you've paid for it.Tern was built to close that gap. The price is published before you start, with no hourly billing, and your eligibility check is free, so you know what you're paying before you pay anything. As you upload evidence, you get real-time feedback and guidance, so nothing goes to the Department unchecked. And it's tracked in one place, not an email thread: what's done, what's outstanding, what happens next.

The people behind Tern

Jonas

Founder & CTO

Jonas knows exactly how stressful visa applications can be. He's been through the process more times than he can count. Originally from Germany, he's lived in Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and now Australia, where he's finally a citizen. All those hours lost on government websites and forums, second-guessing every answer, wondering if one mistake would ruin everything? That's why he built Tern. With a background in software engineering and finance, Jonas designed the platform to give you clear guidance, expert support, and complete transparency. When he's not working on Tern, you'll find him at the beach with his wife and daughters.

Tony

Head of Legal & Compliance

Tony (Immigration Legal Practitioner Number 5513641) is an immigration lawyer. He also lectures at two leading Sydney universities. With hands-on experience in visa applications, corporate immigration, and regulatory compliance, Tony brings both deep legal knowledge and practical insight. When you see advice through Tern, it's backed by his expertise. Admitted to practice law in New South Wales in 2016, he writes and approves the rules behind every Tern application, and advises on how the platform stays compliant with immigration law. Outside work, Tony mentors young lawyers and explores Sydney's coastal walks with his family.

How it started

After years of applying for visas across different countries, Jonas kept hitting the same impossible choice:Option 1: Do it yourself. Spend countless hours on government websites and forums, second-guess every answer, and lie awake wondering if one small mistake will get your application refused.Option 2: Pay a migration agent instead. You won't know what it costs until you've booked a consultation, sometimes a paid one. From there it's an email trail, with no single place to check what's outstanding, and you find out what you bought only after you've paid.There had to be a better way. Jonas partnered with Tony, an immigration lawyer who lectures at two leading Sydney universities. The vision was clear: use technology to handle the complexity, backed by consistent, expert legal oversight on every application. That's Tern. Affordable, reliable, and backed by the same legal expertise that costs thousands elsewhere.