The ASRC Human Rights Law Program offers free legal advice and assistance to people seeking asylum, including people in detention, who cannot afford a private lawyer and have no access to government-funded legal advice.
We can provide legal support at all stages of the refugee determination process, including expert migration advice, limited assistance and full representation, from visa applications through to tribunal and court review. We also actively engage in policy and law reform, community and professional legal education and training, and outreach to detention centres.
Find out more about how the Human Rights Law Program operates here.
Contacting HRLP
New and existing legal clients can contact us by phone on 03 9274 9889 or in person at our Footscray centre on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 10:00am-12:30pm. We are closed on Wednesday.
Individuals in detention
If you are currently in detention, you can email us at legal@asrc.org.au. Please note that we will not respond to email requests from individuals who are not in detention. Please include all relevant information including your ID and any documents about your visa status, such as visa grants, refusals or cancellations.
It can be very difficult to understand what your visa status is, and what stage of the process you are at. This can be overwhelming and upsetting, and make it hard to get help. This document pack will help you understand your situation by checking documents you have received, and make it easier for you get advice and assistance.
The following infosheets cover commonly asked questions and topics about the legal process for people seeking asylum in Australia.
The infosheets contain general information and do not replace legal and migration law advice. You should not rely on the infosheets to make decisions about your immigration matter.
See translation of this infokit in your language:
See also this Guide about which family members you can include in your application here
You can also view answers to Frequently Asked Questions for those who have already lodged their application, here.
For proposing someone for an offshore humanitarian visa click here.
See translation of the Australian Proposers infosheet in your language:
As you may be aware, there are changes occurring at the ASRC.
To plan for these changes to make the ASRC sustainable into the future:
The Footscray centre will close to all visitors every Wednesday.
Every Friday, some services will be closed but the Foodbank, Health, Legal and Hub services will remain open.
To access our services, you can phone 03 9326 6066 or come to the ASRC Footscray in person during opening hours.
The Reception Team will greet you and link you with our services.
As you may be aware, there are changes occurring at the ASRC.
To plan for these changes to make the ASRC sustainable into the future:
The Footscray centre will close to all visitors every Wednesday.
Every Friday, some services will be closed but the Foodbank, Health, Legal and Hub services will remain open.
To access our services, you can phone 03 9326 6066 or come to the ASRC Footscray in person during opening hours. The Reception Team will greet you and link you with our services.
The Government has announced it will provide pathways for TPV/SHEV holders and TPV/SHEV applicants to
be assessed for RoS visas. RoS visas are permanent visas that allow holders to live, work and study in Australia,
access government services such as Medicare and Centrelink, and sponsor eligible family members for
permanent residence.
Click here for Permanent Visa Pathways for TPV/SHEV Holders & Applicants Fact Sheet
The Fact Sheet is also available in: Dari – Urdu – Arabic – Tamil
Thanks for your interest in supporting the ASRC Telethon on World Refugee Day, Monday 20th June.
Complete this form with your details and we will send you an email reminder before the event as well as alerts throughout the day when key activities happen.
Please note: all requests submitted to the Marketing Services Model will not be worked on until 1 July 2022 to allow the team space to focus on projects such as the Winter Appeal and Telethon.
You are welcome to submit requests and we’d love to support – we ask that you please supply a reasonable due date, keeping in mind we will not tend to the request until July. Thank you!
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners across Australia and pay respect to their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. We acknowledge sovereignty of the lands upon which we work and live have never been ceded.
The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).
We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.
The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).
We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.
You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/
If you applied for a TPV or SHEV visa between 2015 and 2017 and have not already attended a Protection visa interview with the Department, please contact the ASRC urgently for legal assistance. CALL: Fast track hotline 0422035324 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email legal@asrc.org.au
The application interview is your only chance to explain your case to the Department. Update your contact details with the Department to receive your Interview Invitation (the ASRC can also help you do this).
Click here to learn more (Info sheet Fast Track interviews).
Click here to read info sheet in other languages.
“I can’t erase racism by myself. It’s only if we all come together to accept that there is an issue and work together that we can make a change.”
Prudence Melom, founder and CEO of E-RACED
“Growing in a refugee camp and experiencing hardship from a young age I felt very misunderstood among my peers in Australia. Kids my age did not understand why my skin was darker, they didn’t understand why my accent was a little different and they didn’t understand why I came to Australia.
“I was inspired to start E-RACED after experiencing first hand the effects of racism in this country and the power of sharing my story to completely change people’s attitudes. Never underestimate the power of one-on-one interactions and sharing stories to change the world.”
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Connect with us
Need help from the ASRC? Call 03 9326 6066 (Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm) to book an appointment.