Legal information about Australian immigration and general law for refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, educators, legal professionals and community workers.
Checking your Visa Status
Factsheet
How to check what visa you hold and its conditions and expiry date and about applying for and updating your Immicard.
Immigration Legal Advice
Fact sheet
Applying for a visa is complex. Each visa has many requirements you must meet to apply for and be granted a visa.
Visa options to Australia - Overview
An overview of some visa options to Australia under the permanent humanitarian, family and skilled visa programs, plus temporary visa options.
Offshore Humanitarian Visas
Onshore Protection visas - general information
Factsheets
Who can apply for a protection visa and what will happen after you make your application.
Translations in Arabic, Dari,Farsi and Tamil.
Information on how to write your statement for a protection visa application.
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.
Translations to Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
Refugee Family Reunion visas
Refugees travelling overseas
Information about travelling overseas when on an Australian refugee or humanitarian visa.
TPV and SHEV Visa holders - pathway to permanent visas
TPV AND SHEV VISA HOLDERS CAN NOW APPLY FOR PERMANENT VISAS - SEE TPV SHEV CONVERSION
Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) and Temporary Protection Visas (TPV)
Factsheets
TPV AND SHEV VISA HOLDERS CAN NOW APPLY FOR PERMANENT VISAS - SEE TPV SHEV CONVERSION
Safe Haven Enterprise Visas conditions, what the 'SHEV pathway' is, and how to change from a Temporary Protection Visa to a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa.
Translations to Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
Information about financial support and consequences of covid-19 for TPV and SHEV holders.
What are Temporary Protection Visas and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas, how are they different from each other and how to decide which one to apply for?
Translations in Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
How to re-apply for your protection visa before it expires and the differences between a Temporary Protection Visa and a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa.
Translations in Arabic, Dari,Farsi and Tamil and Rohingya audio version.
Chart outlining the 'fast-track' visa application process.
How to apply for Centrelink benefits if you need financial help.
Translations in Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
Summarised information on what your options are if your protection visa application has been rejected by the IAA
Translations in Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
Detailed guide on what your options are if your protection visa application has been rejected by the IAA
Safe Haven Enterprise Visas conditions, what the 'SHEV pathway' is, and how to change from a Temporary Protection Visa to a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa.
Translations to Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
'FAST TRACK' INTERVIEWS - INFO SHEETS
This information sheet, translated to several languages, outlines key information for people who applied for their first Temporary Protection visa (TPV) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) under the Federal Government’s Fast Track Assessment process but who have not yet been interviewed about their application. It is essential that anyone in this situation seeks urgent legal assistance.
Temporary Visas
Fact Sheet
An overview of the types of temporary visas available in Australia
Ukraine - Visa information
Information about visa options for Ukraine nationals following the invasion by Russia in February 2022.
Pathway to permanent skilled visas through work in the Aged Care industry
Visa information 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.
New Zealand citizens - Special Category visa
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).
Permanent visa through Aged Care work
Pathway to permanent skilled visas through work in the Aged Care industry
Cancellation of Visas
Factsheets
Overview of visa cancellation and ways to try to stop your visa from being cancelled.
Visa cancellation - short version.
Detailed guide about visa cancellation for people in prison who are not Australian citizens. Published by Prisoners' Legal Service Queensland.
Family Violence and Visas
Factsheets
Being granted permanent residency after separating from the sponsoring partner where there has been family violence, where there is a child of the relationship, or where the sponsoring partner has died.
Video fact sheet about the family violence provisions in the Migration Act 1994.
How family violence may affect a visa applicant or sponsor
Family Law
Factsheets
Legal processes for family mediation, domestic violence, separation, divorce, overseas marriages, and property settlement.
Citizenship
Information on how to apply for citizenship.
Learn about the Citizenship through songs
These songs and videos have information to help you prepare for the citizenship test:
- 'Making Law' - Law and Government (audio)
- 'Making Law' - Law and Government (music video)
- 'Citizen' - Citizen Rights (audio)
- 'Stand together' - National symbols and values (audio)
- 'All together' - History of Australian Law (audio)
- 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
Video
Information about applying for Australian citizenship.
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.
Community workers' resources
Factsheets
Information for support workers working with our clients.
Risk management strategies when working with clients.
Useful information when helping clients who have lawyers.
Lawyers doing migration work
Covid-19 information
NOTE: COVID-19 SUPPORT AND CONCESSIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED OR CHANGED.
THE BELOW INFORMATION RELATES ONLY TO WHEN COVID-19 SUPPORT WAS AVAILABLE.
Information in many languages about covid-19.
Factsheets
Information about financial and visa support during Covid-19 for TPV and SHEV holders.
For applicants and holders of permanent protection visas, TPVs and SHEVs.
Learn law through music
Law Rap' Music Circles and Videos
Learn law and life skills through drum circles. Contact lawrap@rails.org.au
'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.
- 'All together' - History of Australian Law (audio)
- All together' - History of Australian Law (music video)
- 'Making Law' - Law and Government (audio)
- 'Making Law' - Law and Government (music video)
- 'Making Law' Lyrics and chords
- 'Stand together' Music video
- 'Stand together' Lyrics and chords
- 'Law Rules'- Legal system: a song about justice and the rule of law. (audio)
- 'Law Rules' Lyrics and chords
- 'Soul shoes'- Resolving disputes (audio)
- 'Soul Shoes' Lyrics and chords
- 'Consumer Rights' - Shopping (audio)
- 'Consumer Rights' Lyrics and chords
- 'Buyer Beware' - Shopping (audio)
- 'Buyer Beware' Lyrics and chords
- 'Money Dreams' - Credit, debt, budgeting (audio)
- 'Money Dreams' Lyrics and chords
- 'Buying a car' - Shopping (audio)
- 'Storms' - Domestic violence (audio)
- 'Storms' - Domestic violence (music video)
- 'Storms' Lyrics and chords
- 'Take Care' - Bullying (audio)
- 'Take Care' Resources - Support Services
- 'Beat the Rap' - Cops, crime, Courts (music video)
- 'Beat the Rap' Lyrics and cords
- 'Landlord' - Rental Rights (audio)
- 'Landlord' Lyrics and chords
- "Work Rights' - Work (audio)
- 'Work Rights' Lyrics and chords
- 'Discrimination' - Human Rights (audio)
- 'Discrimination' Lyrics and chords
- 'Citizen' - Citizen Rights (audio)
- 'Citizen' Lyrics and chords
- 'Car cha cha' - a song about buying a new vehicle (audio)
- 'Car cha cha' (lyrics and chords)
- 'Glass Half Full' Lyrics and chords
- 'Drive safely' Lyrics and chord
- 'Peacekeeper' Video
You can also view or download:
- 'Folk Law' CD cover
- '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 Education
Civics Rap
'Civics Rap' invites learners to dialogue, dance, sing, rap and reflect about key issues and empowers us to take responsibility and make right choices.
Our education resources contain general legal information, not professional legal advice on particular matters. If you need specific legal advice, see a registered migration agent or lawyer.
For any feedback, questions or comments, email education@rails.org.au.