Legal Information

Getting Legal Advice

Applying for a visa is complex. Each visa has many requirements you must meet to apply for and be granted a visa.

Fact sheet

• Getting Immigration Legal advice

Checking Your Visa Status

How to check what visa you hold and its conditions and expiry date and about applying for and updating your Immicard.

Factsheet

• Finding your visa details: VEVO and Immicard

Overview

An overview of some visa options to Australia under the permanent humanitarian, family and skilled visa programs, plus temporary visa options: 

• Visas options to Australia - Overview

Offshore Humanitarian Visas - Video

Watch the video below for information on applying for an offshore humanitarian visa. 

How to apply for an offshore refugee or humanitarian visa:

• Offshore Humanitarian Visas

The following is a non-exhaustive collection of information on visa options for those who are in Australia. 

Onshore Protection visas - general information

Factsheets

Who can apply for a protection visa and what will happen after you make your application:

• Protection visas: the application process

Information on how to write your statement for a protection visa application:

• Protection visas: your statement
  • Translations in Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.

Key points to prepare for an interview with the Department of Home Affairs about a protection visa application:

• Protection visas: the Department interview
  • Translations to Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.

Temporary Visas

Fact Sheets

An overview of the types of temporary visas available in Australia:

• Temporary Visas in Australia - Overview

A visa for temporary residents who experience workplace exploitation in Australia:

• Temporary Activity Visa (Workplace Justice Pilot)

Permanent visa through Aged Care work

Pathway to permanent skilled visas through work in the Aged Care industry:

• Permanent residence through Aged Care industry 

If you apply for a visa in Australia and Home Affairs refuses your application, you can apply for a review of that decision. The body that does those reviews is changing - from 15 October 2024, the Administrative Review Tribunal will replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Immigration Assessment Authority.

Factsheets

• The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ART) for people who applied for a Permanent Protection Visa
• The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ART) for people who came to Australia by boat and applied for a TPV or SHEV

Information from the Fair Work Ombudsman about work rights for visa holders employed in Australia:

• Visa holders and migrant workers – workplace rights 
• How migrant workers can deal with being treated unfairly at work

Check the  Fair Work Ombudsman website for more information. You can have it translated into some other  languages by  clicking the language icon at the top of the page. If the website can't help you can call the Fair Work Ombudsman's office on 13 13 94 8am to 5.30pm week days

Fact sheet

• Bridging Visas and the Right to Work

Information for protection visa applicants who want to apply for a bridging visa that allows them to work.

Factsheets

Overview of visa cancellation and ways to try to stop your visa from being cancelled:

• Visa Cancellation  for 'bad character'

Visa cancellation - short version:

• Visa Cancellation

Detailed guide about visa cancellation for people in prison who are not Australian citizens. Published by Prisoners' Legal Service Queensland:

•  Visa Cancellation for non-citizens in prison

Information about travelling overseas when on an Australian refugee or humanitarian visa:

• Refugees Travelling Overseas

Factsheets

If you are sponsored for a partner visa and the relationship breaks down before you get permanent residence, and there has been family violence, you may still be able to get a permanent resident visa. This fact sheet explains the basic rules that apply:

• Family Violence and Temporary Visas

Information for permanent residents who have experienced family violence:

• Family Violence and Permanent Residents

Video fact sheet about the family violence provisions in the Migration Act 1994:

• Family Violence and Visas video

How family violence may affect a visa applicant or sponsor:

• How family violence affects visas

Factsheet

• Humanitarian Visas
• Family Stream Visas for Partners and Children
• Family Stream Visas for Children

General Information

Information on how to apply for citizenship:

Fact Pack

• Citizenship - Common Questions

Learn about the Citizenship through songs 

These songs and videos have information to help you prepare for the citizenship test:

1. 'Making Law' - Law and Government (audio)
2. 'Making Law' - Law and Government (music video)
3. 'Citizen' - Citizen Rights (audio)
4. 'Stand together' - National symbols and values (audio)
5. 'All together' - History of Australian Law (audio)
6. All together' - History of Australian Law (music video)

These 'Word Fill' activity sheets for the songs can be used to learn key words and information for the Citizenship Test

• Citizenship Test -  'Word Fill' activity sheets for the songs

Video

Information about applying for Australian citizenship:

• Citizenship information

Citizenship for New Zealand citizens 

Fact Sheet

Changes from 1 July 2023 have made a pathway to citizenship for New Zealand citizens in Australia holding subclass 444 Special Category Visas.

•  New Zealand Citizens - Australian Citizenship

Information about visa options for Ukraine nationals following the invasion by Russia in February 2022:

• Visa options for Ukrainians 

Pathway to permanent skilled visas through work in the Aged Care industry:

• Permanent residence through Aged Care industry 

Visa information for Ukrainians outside Australia:

• Visa Info for Ukrainians outside Australia

The Department of Home Affairs website has information at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/ukraine-visa-support. Always check this for updates.

The Government has announced that Palestinian nationals who are in Australia on temporary visas such as visitor visas will be invited to access a new humanitarian visa pathway. This fact sheet explains what the pathway is, and what it involves.

• Factsheet

Information about Australian visas for New Zealand citizens and their families. There is a separate fact sheet for New Zealand citizens and Australian citizenship (click here).

• New Zealand citizens - Special Category visa

Support Workers and General Info

Factsheets

Information for support workers working with our clients:

• FAQs for support workers

Risk management strategies when working with clients:

• Community workers information: legal responsibilities

Useful information when helping clients who have lawyers:

• Community workers information: working with lawyers

Lawyers doing migration work

Factsheet

Information about lawyers doing migration work. 

• Lawyers doing migration work

'Law Rap' Music Circles and Videos

Learn law and life skills through drum circles. Contact lawrap@rails.org.au

• Music videos created in Law Rap Drum Circles
• Audio - Talk Law

'Folk Law' - Album of original law songs

Folk Law' is a music CD and songbook with original songs about everyday law. The songs cover the legal system, shopping, buying cars, driving, renting, bullying, police, courts, family violence, work rights, resolving disputes, discrimination and citizenship.

1. 'All together' - History of Australian Law (audio)
2. All together' - History of Australian Law (music video)
3. 'Making Law' - Law and Government (audio)
4. 'Making Law' - Law and Government (music video)
5. 'Making Law' Lyrics and chords
6. 'Stand together' Music video
7. 'Stand together' Lyrics and chords
8. 'Law Rules'- Legal system: a song about justice and the rule of law. (audio)
9. 'Law Rules' Lyrics and chords
10. 'Soul shoes'- Resolving disputes (audio)
11. 'Soul Shoes' Lyrics and chords
12. 'Consumer Rights' - Shopping (audio)
13. 'Consumer Rights' Lyrics and chords
14. 'Buyer Beware' - Shopping (audio)
15. 'Buyer Beware' Lyrics and chords
16. 'Money Dreams' - Credit, debt, budgeting (audio)
17. 'Money Dreams' Lyrics and chords
18. 'Buying a car' - Shopping (audio)
19. 'Storms' - Domestic violence (audio)
20. 'Storms' - Domestic violence (music video)
21. 'Storms' Lyrics and chords
22. 'Take Care' - Bullying (audio)
23. 'Take Care' Resources - Support Services
24. 'Beat the Rap' - Cops, crime, Courts (music video)
25. 'Beat the Rap' Lyrics and cords
26. 'Landlord' - Rental Rights (audio)
27. 'Landlord' Lyrics and chords
28. "Work Rights' - Work (audio)
29. 'Work Rights' Lyrics and chords
30. 'Discrimination' - Human Rights (audio)
31. 'Discrimination' Lyrics and chords
32. 'Citizen' - Citizen Rights (audio)
33. 'Citizen' Lyrics and chords
34. 'Car cha cha' - a song about buying a new vehicle (audio)
35. 'Car cha cha' (lyrics and chords)
36. 'Glass Half Full' Lyrics and chords
37. 'Drive safely' Lyrics and chord
38. 'Peacekeeper' Video

You can also view or download:

1. 'Folk Law' CD cover
2. 'Folk Law' song book, with the lyrics and cord charts to all songs

Order a hard copy of the CD and the songbook by completing the order form and sending it by email to education@rails.org.au.

Civics Rap

'Civics Rap' invites learners to dialogue, dance, sing, rap and reflect about civics and law, and empowers us to take responsibility and make right choices. 

• Civics Rap resources