I wrote this book for the person I was when I arrived — the one who needed a guide but could not find one, who had all the qualifications but none of the local knowledge, who was competent at everything except at being new.— Dr Mehdi Soodi, Doncaster, Victoria
The Journey
From a departure lounge to the Supreme Court
Dr Mehdi Soodi arrived in Australia in 2002 with a Bachelor of Engineering, a family of four, no established professional network, no Australian qualifications, and no clear roadmap for building a professional career in a new country. What he did possess was a conviction shared by many migrants: that opportunity remains open to those prepared to pursue it with discipline, resilience, and sustained effort.
He gradually created that pathway for himself. In 2003, he became a NAATI-accredited Persian to English translator. He went on to work for two decades as an engineer while completing a Master’s degree and a PhD in Materials Science.
His professional journey later expanded into Australian immigration and legal practice, culminating in the completion of a Juris Doctor and his admission in 2023 as an Australian lawyer and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
He subsequently obtained an unrestricted practising certificate and established his own legal practices, bringing together his technical, academic, linguistic, migration, and legal experience to serve individuals, families, and businesses across Australia.
Arrives in Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering and a family of four
NAATI-accredited Persian (Farsi) to English translator — founds his translation practice
Master of Engineering (Monash) and PhD in Materials Science (Swinburne) while working two decades as an engineer
Founds Falcon Visas, a specialist migration law practice
Juris Doctor (Monash) — admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Principal of Ahura Lawyers, Falcon Visas and his NAATI translation practice — Doncaster, Victoria
Three Practices, One Purpose
Serving the whole migrant experience
The breadth of Dr Soodi's professional life is deliberate. The family that needs a migration lawyer also needs a conveyancer. The individual navigating a visa condition also needs a will. The person who cannot yet read their tenancy agreement in English needs a translator before they need a lawyer. He built three practices because he understood, from his own experience, that the needs of migrants are integrated and holistic.
Ahura Lawyers
Commercial, corporate, employment, IP & trademark, family law, estate planning and litigation.
Falcon Immigration & Visa Services
Specialist migration law — visa, citizenship, review, cancellation and compliance matters.
NAATI Translations
Accredited Persian to English translation for individuals, legal professionals and institutions.
Qualifications & Registrations
The credentials behind the counsel
- AcademicPhD in Materials Science — Swinburne University of Technology
- AcademicMaster of Engineering, Materials Engineering — Monash University
- AcademicJuris Doctor of Law — Monash University
- AcademicGraduate Diploma, Australian Immigration Law — Victoria University
- LegalSolicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria
- LegalUnrestricted Practising Certificate — Law Institute of Victoria
- ProfessionalPrincipal Solicitor at Ahura Lawyers
- ProfessionalPrincipal Migration Lawyer at Falcon Immigration & Visa Services
- TranslationNAATI Accredited Persian to English Translator
Family & Home
A small proof of the argument
Dr Soodi lives in Forest Hill, Victoria, with his wife Saeideh. Their three daughters tell the story the books argue for: Eva, a practising lawyer who completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne; Amy, completing her Juris Doctor while working in access-to-justice; and Hannah, a graduate psychology student at Monash. They arrived in Australia with everything they were. Australia gave them everything it is.
What was built between those two gifts is not a story of assimilation. It is a story of expansion.
Speak with Dr Soodi's Team