Legal Help

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.

New to the ASRC
If you are a new client, please contact us by phone at 03 9326 6066 or in person at our  Footscray centre from 10:00am – 12.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We are closed on Wednesday.

Existing members
If you are an existing legal client, call our duty line on 03 9274 9889 on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday between 10:30am – 12.45pm and 1:45pm – 4:00pm, or email legalcasework@asrc.org.au

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.

Infosheets

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:

    • If you are in Afghanistan and seeking visa information or other help, please see our infosheet here. See Dari translation of this infosheet here.
    • Click here to view an information session in Dari/English about visa options for Afghan Australians with family impacted by the crisis in Afghanistan.
    • If you are seeking legal assistance to sponsor family in Afghanistan to come to Australia, please click here.