Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, the Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales, says the law is not fair.
"I think it's important to point out that the government already had powers to cancel visas in circumstances where they thought people weren't genuine temporary entrance and intended to stay here. But importantly, that had to be done on an individual case by case basis, with an individual assessment of each case. And what this new law does, it allows the government to declare large cohorts, and it's very, very vague in terms of what those codes could be, was to be as broad as an entire nationality and suspend their visas without any individual assessment of that case. I don't think that is fair."
Professor Ghezelbash says the law and the new ban on Iranian visitor visa holders can sets a precedent in Australia's migration system.
"It brings just a level of arbitrariness in our decision making. And when someone goes through the process of applying for a visa, they pay their fees. They meet all the requirements of that visa. Often, they book in their travel, they pay for accommodation, they pay for their flights. And now this sends a signal that no none of that matters. At any moment the Australian Government can declare that you are unable to travel here, and I think that sets a precedent of arbitrariness and potential unfairness in our system."