Immigration Advice & Rights Centre Inc.

• Who can use IARC’s Advice Services
• When and where to get free advice from IARC
• What to bring to a face-to-face advice service
• What advice does IARC NOT provide?
• What advice DOES IARC provide?
• Responding to email, mail, fax and voicemail inquiries
• Ongoing assistance and representation

Note: IARC’s services are also listed in the IARC Brochure.                 

 Who can use IARC Advice Services?

Any person in NSW who is financially disadvantaged (before receiving advice from our centre you will be asked to provide some information regarding your financial status) and is an actual or potential applicant, sponsor or proposer for an Australian visa may use IARC’s advice services. Please note that there are some aspects of Australian immigration law and policy which IARC does not provide advice on (see What advice does IARC NOT provide?).

IARC will only provide advice to third parties (ie someone other than the applicant, sponsor or proposer) in exceptional circumstances.

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When and where to get free advice from IARC

IARC provides free immigration advice and assistance to financially disadvantaged people in NSW through the following advice services:

Face to face advice	This is an appointment-only service. Please contact IARC on (02) 9279 4300 to make an appointment.  Please note that there may be a waiting period before you are allocated an appointment.
Telephone   advice	Every Tuesday and Thursday, 2-4pm only. Telephone advice line is (02) 9262 3833

 
These services do not operate on public holidays.

If you intend to use these services, please download and read IARC’s Brochure. We also ask those who intend to use our services to read the section headed What advice does IARC NOT provide?. IARC does not take appointments for these services. They operate on a 'first come, first served' basis.

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What to bring to a face-to-face advice service

Please bring any relevant documents with you to the advice service, including:

•     Passport;
•     Visa details;
•     The applicant, sponsor or proposer (if possible);
  •     Any documents from the Department of Immigration, Migration Review Tribunal, Refugee Review Tribunal,
             Minister for Immigration, Centrelink etc.;
•     Proof of financial disadvantage if available e.g. health care card or social security number etc.

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What advice does IARC NOT provide?

IARC does not:

•     provide advice in relation to:

          o Judicial Review;
          o Economic Stream Migration (including employment, business and skills visas);
          o Retirement visas;
          o Withdrawal of sponsorship;
          o Withdrawal of an assurance of support;
          o Student visa (except where the query is in relation to cancellation and the client can demonstrate financial
             hardship);
          o Migration to countries other than Australia;

•      fill in forms.

If you need advice in relation to the above you will be referred to another organisation or private migration agent.

IARC will only provide advice to third parties (ie someone other than the applicant, sponsor or proposer) in exceptional circumstances.

IARC will provide advice to financially disadvantaged people in relation to most other immigration inquiries. If you are unsure about whether IARC can advise on a particular matter, please speak to an IARC staff member by phoning the Administration line (02) 9279 4300.

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What advice DOES IARC provide?

IARC provides advice to financially disadvantaged people in relation to:

•       most family, refugee and humanitarian visas, including:

               o De facto, spouse, fiancé and interdependency visas
               o Refugee and humanitarian visas
               o Child visas
               o Parent visas
               o Carer visas
               o Remaining relative visas
               o Aged dependent relative visas
               o Family members of a New Zealand citizen

•        many temporary visas, including bridging visas, visitor visas, electronic travel authorities and working holiday
             visas

•       resident return visas
•       Australian citizenship
•       the domestic violence provisions
•       conditions attached to visas, including condition 8503 (“no further stay”)
•       criteria which must be met for visas, including health, character and provision of an assurance of support
•       avenues for merits review, including:

               o MRT, RRT and AAT review
               o Ministerial intervention following a decision of a Review Tribunal   

•       information for people who do not hold a visa, including advice on detention, removal, bridging visas, cancellation
             procedures and exclusion periods
•       procedural issues, including Freedom of Information requests and complaints, and
•       whether an application can be made onshore.

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Responding to e-mail, mail, fax and voicemail inquiries

Due to limited resources, IARC can only provide advice by telephone and face-to-face at the times set out in When and where to get free advice from IARC. IARC does not have the resources to respond to requests for advice received by email, fax, mail or voicemail.

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Ongoing assistance and representation

If you need ongoing assistance and representation, IARC will consider your case against IARC's Advice and Casework Guildelines. Each request is considered on a case by case basis.

IARC will not provide ongoing assistance and representation in relation to any case which falls within a category that IARC does not advise on (except filling in forms for cases where IARC agrees to represent a client).

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