Marrickville Legal Centre (MLC) is proud to announce a new pro bono partnership program with immigration law firm Fragomen, that is supporting clients on temporary visas with their legal issues.
Temporary visa holders are more vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination as they generally have limited knowledge and understanding of Australian laws and where to go for help. Some people avoid seeking legal support altogether for fear of having their visa cancelled, or assume they are ineligible to access key support as non-citizens.
Temporary visa holders who do come to MLC seeking legal advice are often hesitant to take action or pursue their claims due to concerns about how it would impact on their visa status in Australia.
The pro bono partnership will work to support our clients with visa issues through a fortnightly Immigration Advice Clinic, Thursdays 3-5pm.
MLC Assistant Principal Solicitor Lucy Carroll says the partnership with Fragomen will ensure that we deliver holistic legal assistance to our clients.
We are so excited to launch this partnership to provide much needed legal assistance to our clients, who are often unable to access timely, quality legal advice on their visa status. Visa issues often don’t present in isolation, and the partnership will create depth within MLC’s legal service offering available to clients.
Fragomen is pleased to be able to partner with Marrickville Legal Centre in providing pro-bono assistance to their clients as part of the Immigration Clinic. Navigating through Australia’s immigration requirements can be complex, and we look forward to being able to provide advice and support to those individuals needing assistance in this area, and help guide them accordingly, says Jannet Balite, Fragomen’s Practice Training Director at ANZ.
This partnership also provides our legal staff with opportunities to give back, further develop their skills and experience, and form strong ties within communities.
Join us to celebrate the official launch of our Immigration Advice Clinic in partnership with Fragomen on Friday 22 September 2023 from 9.30am-11am. Register here to attend the launch event.
Are you a temporary visa holder and need free legal help? Make an appointment with a lawyer, call 02 9559 2899 or submit a web enquiry.
For media enquiries contact Tu Le, tle@mlc.org.au
