Free and low-cost help after a visa refusal
Legal aid commissions, community legal centres and some specialist services give free immigration help, but most have eligibility limits and many focus on protection and cancellation matters.
Free help exists, but it is limited and often depends on the type of decision, where you live and your circumstances. The ART says Legal Aid Commissions and Community Legal Centres (CLCs) may be able to provide independent help to support your review. Most services have eligibility rules, and several focus on protection visas and cancellations rather than general migration refusals.
The ART cannot recommend a particular person or organisation, cannot pay for someone to help you, and says it can help you understand the review process but cannot advise on your case. It advises organising help as soon as possible. Your decision letter states your review time limit, and the time limit applies whether or not you have found help. Read the 28-day deadline for the general rule.
Source: ART, Legal support for immigration and citizenship reviews (checked 16 October 2026)
Legal aid and community legal centres
The ART's legal support page lists each state's Legal Aid Commission, directories of community legal centres, and law society services that find lawyers or run pro bono schemes. Start there, then check each service's current contact details and eligibility on its own website. This site has not reproduced phone numbers because they change.
Legal Aid NSW runs an Immigration Service providing free legal advice, assistance and representation about refugee law and other immigration matters. It says its advice covers protection visa refusals, visa cancellations, detention and removal, Federal Court matters and citizenship refusals. It does not cover economic stream or work visas, visitor visas, student visas or sponsoring family. It says it can represent people in the ART or in court if they are eligible for legal aid.
Source: Legal Aid NSW, Immigration Service (checked 16 October 2026)
Specialist services in NSW
- Immigration Advice and Rights Centre (IARC) gives free immigration and citizenship advice to people in New South Wales who are experiencing vulnerability. Areas include family visas, visa cancellations, citizenship and protection visas. Appointments are by online enquiry, may be subject to income tests, and it generally cannot help people outside Australia or outside NSW.
- Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) is a nonprofit giving free legal help to refugees and people seeking asylum. It can only assist people located in Australia, and its focus is protection matters, not general skilled or student visas.
Source: IARC and RACS websites (checked 16 October 2026)
Free help for protection visa reviews
The ART says you may be able to get free legal help from a refugee and immigration service if you are applying for review of a decision under the Migration Act to refuse or cancel a protection visa. It lists the providers below. This help is aimed at protection reviews; for other migration reviews, the ART points to legal aid, CLCs, pro bono lawyers or agents. More detail is in protection visa refusals: where to get help.
| State or territory | Providers listed |
|---|---|
| ACT | Legal Aid ACT |
| NSW | Legal Aid NSW; IARC; RACS |
| NT | NT Legal Aid Commission; Refugee Legal |
| Qld | Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS); LawRight |
| SA | Legal Services Commission of SA; Refugee Legal |
| Tas | Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service |
| Vic | Refugee Legal; Victoria Legal Aid |
| WA | Circle Green Community Legal |
As listed by the ART (checked 16 October 2026). Listing here is not a recommendation, and each provider sets its own eligibility rules.
Volunteer and non-commercial registered agents
Some registered migration agents work for non-commercial organisations that do not charge. The OMARA says their services are not available to everyone, and you must meet the organisation's conditions. You can find them using the non-commercial organisation filter on the Register. The ART's page also lists a Northern Territory organisation where volunteer registered agents run free advice sessions by booking.
Source: OMARA, Types of registered agents (checked 16 October 2026)
The Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme
The Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) is a Home Affairs scheme that provides professional immigration advice and visa application assistance free of charge to disadvantaged visa applicants, prospective applicants and people seeking asylum. A 2026 funding amendment confirms it is still current. This site could not read the Home Affairs eligibility page, so who qualifies, who the providers are, and whether it covers review of a particular refusal are not confirmed here. Do not assume it covers every refused applicant; ask Home Affairs.
If you pay for help
If you hire a registered agent or lawyer, a written agreement and fee estimate are your rights. See migration agent fees and written agreements and questions to ask before hiring a migration agent. You can also represent yourself at the ART.
Whether any service can take on your matter depends on its own rules, not on anything this page can tell you. The page is general information only, and your decision letter remains the place to find your time limit.
Where this came from
- ART, Legal support for immigration and citizenship reviews (checked 16 October 2026).
- ART, Immigration and citizenship (checked 16 October 2026).
- Legal Aid NSW, Immigration Service (checked 16 October 2026).
- IARC, Visas and citizenship (checked 16 October 2026).
- RACS, I need legal help (checked 16 October 2026).
- OMARA, Types of registered agents (checked 16 October 2026).
- Explanatory Statement, F2026L00089 (checked 16 October 2026).