Unrepresented Asylum Seekers

Mother and childAfter March 2014, about 30,000 people seeking asylum who had arrived in Australia by boat without a valid visa were left with no legal support and representation. Nearly 3,000 of them were in Queensland.

We created the Unrepresented Asylum Seekers (UAS) project in 2014 with the aim of meeting people's need for basic legal support and providing them with opportunity for a new, safe life.

On 14 February 2023, the law changed allowing all holders of a TPV or a SHEV that has not been cancelled to be eligible for a Permanent Visa to remain in Australia. The permanent visa is called a Resolution of Status Visa (Subclass 581) (RoS Visa).This information applies to you if you held or applied for a TPV or SHEV before 14 February 2023.

RAILS can help eligible people obtain a RoS visa.

  • If you need help or if you want to refer someone to RAILS for help with applying for a RoS visa, complete our referral form and email it to pr@rails.org.au: TPVSHEV Conversion referral v2.pdf (rails.org.au)
  • If you have any questions, call us on (07) 3846 9333 or email pr@rails.org.au

For more information, visit: TPV/SHEV Conversion | Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (rails.org.au)

RAILS continues to assist boat arriving refugees an asylum seekers not eligible to apply for a RoS visa. 

If you need our help, please fill in our self-referral form and email it to admin@rails.org.au or call us on (07) 3846 9300. 

For agency referrals, please fill in our referral form and email it to us at admin@rails.org.au. 

You can help people seeking asylum get the protection they need. Please consider donating to the UAS project and join us in fighting the good fight!