The Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Status Resolution Service (ISRS) is taking its outreach program on the road today, 26 November, with pop-up walk-in clinics in Canberra’s Kippax Library and Parramatta Mission Community Hub. Officers will offer on-the-spot appointments for people whose visas have lapsed or who are stranded on Bridging Visa E.
The ISRS initiative aims to help undocumented migrants avoid detention by discussing lawful pathways, bridging-visa extensions and voluntary departure options. Community advocates say the physical presence of status-resolution officers—rather than remote call-centre support—reduces barriers for vulnerable migrants who may lack internet access or fear formal interview settings.
![Status-Resolution Service holds walk-in clinics for visa-less residents in ACT and Parramatta]()
Employers in construction and hospitality, sectors that frequently hire workers on precarious visas, are being reminded that hiring someone without work rights can attract civil and criminal penalties. The walk-in clinics allow affected individuals to regularise their status, thereby reducing compliance risks for businesses.
After the ACT and New South Wales sessions, the mobile service will rotate through other metropolitan libraries in December. Stakeholders welcome the move but argue that similar outreach should be expanded to regional centres where undocumented farm workers often reside.
Individuals do not need an appointment; interpreters are available on request. ISRS says it will not conduct enforcement during the sessions and that information provided is confidential unless serious offences are disclosed.
The ISRS initiative aims to help undocumented migrants avoid detention by discussing lawful pathways, bridging-visa extensions and voluntary departure options. Community advocates say the physical presence of status-resolution officers—rather than remote call-centre support—reduces barriers for vulnerable migrants who may lack internet access or fear formal interview settings.
Employers in construction and hospitality, sectors that frequently hire workers on precarious visas, are being reminded that hiring someone without work rights can attract civil and criminal penalties. The walk-in clinics allow affected individuals to regularise their status, thereby reducing compliance risks for businesses.
After the ACT and New South Wales sessions, the mobile service will rotate through other metropolitan libraries in December. Stakeholders welcome the move but argue that similar outreach should be expanded to regional centres where undocumented farm workers often reside.
Individuals do not need an appointment; interpreters are available on request. ISRS says it will not conduct enforcement during the sessions and that information provided is confidential unless serious offences are disclosed.
