Since re-opening our doors in January, the team have hit the ground running; our Legal Service are committed to supporting migrant workers across the state understand and enforce their rights. The expansion of our team ensures we can support a wider net of workers who due to the precarious nature of industries like Hospitality, Agriculture and Construction, slip into the shadows of exploitation.

Our Research and Policy team have also started the year strong by publishing a range of submissions that focus on Victoria’s strategy for International Education and the value of Skilled Migration to Australia.

Our team are out and about at University O-weeks, educating international students about their rights, all across Victoria. Our ‘Work Ready’ program, focusing on career-ready support, information relating to work rights exploitation and a monthly law clinic that students can access with our Employment lawyers, is back for another big year.

The Migrant Workers Centre has been instrumental in advocating and enforcing the Workplace Justice Visa, a Visa Protections pilot allowing temporary workers to extend their stay to take legal action against their employer. You can access our in-language resources below.

We would like to thank you for your continued support and solidarity with the migrant worker movement, and we look forward to sharing our highlights in 2026 as we continue our mission: fighting for equal workplace rights, fair visa processes and an end to migrant worker exploitation in Australia.

Legal service

The Migrant Workers Centre have a dedicated legal team, available on Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9AM – 5PM who can provide free legal help to workers who have experienced exploitation, mistreatment, disadvantage or unfairness in the workplace.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for our service, you must:

• Live or work in Victoria
• Have been born overseas
• Have a question or issue about your rights at work

Learn more here

Migrant Workers Centre Annual Report 2024-2025

The last financial year was a significant time for the centre; during this time, we were able to provide:

• 119 workers information and referral services and;
• 50 workers legal advice and support
• 119 Know your Rights sessions, delivered by ambassadors and staff to over 2,400 attendees
• 44 outreach and engagement events across Victoria with over 11,000 attendees and;
• 10 capacity building sessions covering a range of work-related topics to over 200 attendees

Since our launch, we have recovered over $2.29M in wages and entitlements.

We published 2 research reports and 3 policy submission addressing migrant exploitation and recommendations on how to address this, we also hosted 3 research-related webinars with 143 participants.

Read our 2024-2025 Annual Report here

Understanding Visa Protections

New visa protection resources are now available on the Migrant Workers Centre website to help migrant workers understand their rights and what to do if they've been exploited at work.

They cover the Workplace Justice visa and Strengthening Reporting Protections, the VEVO portal, how to report issues at work and more.

In-language resources available here

If you would like printed versions of our resources, get in touch with Communications Manager, Omar Ghazala

Work Ready

Work Ready is a project designed to support international students to feel safe, confident and informed in the workplace. International students often work in industries where they face higher chances of workplace exploitation; common examples include underpayment, bullying and unpaid trials.

The project aims to educate newly arrived students on their work rights and entitlements while they’re in Australia, it also provides one-on-one job coaching and support.

February

Resume Checking and Mock Interview Night with WEstjustice

March

Workplace Rights Panel discussion with Employment Lawyers, Unleash seek.com.au power

April

Thrive as an International Student: Looking after your wellbeing during exams with Partners in Wellbeing

Stay tuned for dates and event registration on our social media

Upcoming events

“After our sessions, students feel more confident applying for jobs and relieved to have personalised guidance that recognises their individual experiences. My hope is that every student walks away knowing their rights and how to present themselves with confidence.”

Andres, International Student Support Worker

Workplace legal advice for international students

Up to 60-minute one-to-one sessions free of charge.

How can our Law Clinic Employment Lawyer help?

If you have been exploited at work, our Employment Lawyer can provide legal advice for free.

Step 1: Collect documents that you think are relevant

Step 2: Go to Study Melbourne Hub on the dates and times listed below

Step 3: Chat with our Employment Lawyer about your workplace issues

Location: Study Melbourne Hub, 7 Hardware Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

Advice delivered in English; interpreters can be arranged if required.

Learn more and upcoming dates here

Know your Rights at work sessions

The Migrant Workers Centre delivers “Know Your Rights at Work” community legal education sessions to help migrant workers understand their workplace rights and safety in Australia.

Most migrant workers in Australia experience problems at work at some point, such as underpayment, workplace injury, or unfair treatment. But only a small number ever speak up or seek help about these issues.

“Know Your Rights at Work” sessions give workers confidence and practical knowledge to respond to workplace issues and connects them with support services that can give them free and confidential advice.

These sessions are ideal for community groups, educational institutions, migrant support programs, and any organisation interested in supporting workers’ rights.

Sessions for community groups and not-for-profit organisations are free.

Learn more or submit an EOI here

Research and Policy

Latest policy submissions:

Submission to the inquiry into the value of skilled migration to Australia

This submission calls for a skilled migration program grounded in rights, fairness, and dignity, consistent with the Migration Review (2023) and the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy (2023).

Submission to refreshing Victoria’s Strategy for International education

The submission highlights how education, work, and visa conditions intersect for international students. As paid work is necessary for many students, the conditions of that work have a direct impact on educational outcomes and wellbeing and must be considered within an education-focused strategy.

Read our latest policy submissions here

International Working Women’s Day: Join the rally!

This International Working Women’s Day, women and gender-diverse unionists and allies from across Victoria are coming together to build collective power and solidarity. We invite our community to stand together for dignity, safety and respect at work.

Event information
Friday 6 March 2026
12PM - 1:30
Victorian Trades Hall Council steps, 54 Lygon St, Carlton

Welcome to the first edition of the Migrant Workers Centre newsletter for 2022. This year, we’ll be bringing you quarterly wraps of our industrial wins, campaigns and programs, and worker stories.

This first edition features:

• The Protecting Migrant Workers Bill: Fighting for migrant worker whistle-blower protections
• New report: Australians overwhelmingly support a pathway to permanency for migrants
• 24 months and counting – visa processing delays for 887 applicants
• Worker win: Karun’s story
• Multicultural Safety Ambassadors collaborate with Philippine Consulate
• Book a Know Your Rights session
• Meet our new organiser: Haniah
• Sick leave for casuals: the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee

The Protecting Migrant Workers Bill: Fighting for migrant worker whistle-blower protections

In February, the Migrant Workers Centre appeared at a Senate hearing to discuss our submission on the Protecting Migrant Workers Bill.

The Protecting Migrant Workers Bill seeks to criminalise and expand the penalties for businesses who exploit workers on temporary visas. The Bill also prevents employers who’ve broken the law from sponsoring new migrant workers. Migrant worker exploitation is a systemic issue which needs to be addressed however the Bill falls short by failing to protect the workers who have been exploited. Without whistle-blower protections, workers who report their employer for wage theft risk losing their visa and being deported.

Key recommendations from our submission call for:

• An amendment to the Migration Act to further protect migrant workers from any adverse immigration outcomes as a result of their employer’s contravention
• An additional 90 days for whistle-blowers to find an alternate sponsoring employer
• Establishing a new bridging visa with work rights for migrants who are victims of workplace exploitation, harassment, or injury– so they can remain in Australia while navigating lengthy cases or recovering from injury
• Ensuring whistle-blowers are not penalised in future visa applications in Australia.

One worker who recently faced the injustices of the employer sponsorship visa system is Michael*. Michael came to the Centre for assistance earlier this after his employer was found guilty of wage theft and lost the right to sponsor workers. Michael was from Vietnam and had worked and built a life in Australia with his family for nearly a decade. Despite working for the employer for two years and complying with all visa requirements – Michael lost his visa and has had to start the sponsorship process all over again. This was the third time an employer sponsored visa had fallen through for Michael through no fault of his own. Michael had tried appealing to the Department of Home Affairs to no avail. Despite the system being stacked against him, he’s courageously shared his story in the hopes of bringing about change.

Our Lives in Limbo report last year revealed extremely high levels of stress amongst temporary visa holders, the highest being amongst those on employer sponsored visas - due to the precarity of their visa and future being reliant on a single employer. Without whistle-blower protections, the Protecting Migrant Workers Bill will only increase stress and put more workers in Michael’s position.

New report: Australians overwhelmingly support a pathway to permanency for migrants

A new independent report co-commissioned by the Human Right Law Centre and the Migrant Workers Centre published earlier this year showed Australians overwhelmingly support pathways to permanency for migrants already living and working in Australia.

The survey also found a majority of people recognised migrants help fill skill shortages for particular jobs and agreed with the statement: migrants should have stability to plan for their future here no matter what type of visa they hold.

This report is a turning point for our campaigning and advocacy for migrant workers’ rights as it allows us to point to indisputable evidence that Australians overwhelmingly support fair treatment of migrant workers. Read more about the report and its findings here.

24 months and counting – visa processing delays for 887 applicants

A cohort of migrant workers who have been facing a long and difficult road to permanent residency are 887 visa applicants. The 887 visa is one of the few visas with a pathway to permanent residency in Australia and only eligible after applicants have lived and worked in a regional area in Australia for two years. Since the pandemic, the processing times for this visa has exploded, leaving many workers living in limbo with uncertain employment prospects, restrictive requirements for residency locations, and unable to plan for the future.

Shweta, an applicant who’s waiting for her visa, recently shared her story with the Migrant Workers Centre and the media in hopes of shedding light on what life with visa precarity is like.

Our Lives in Limbo report, launched at the Migrant Workers Conference last year, uncovered the undeniable link between insecure visa status and workplace exploitation whereby:

• 65% of temporary visa holders have experienced wage theft
• 1-in-4 have additionally experienced other forms of labour exploitation
• A link between workplace exploitation and temporary visa status where 91% of workers who experienced wage theft arrived on a visa with no pathway to permanent residency

This huge increase in visa processing times further entrenches a class of workers with limited rights who are vulnerable to exploitation.

Since Shweta shared her story, many workers waiting for their 887 visa have contacted us with similar stories. In response, the Migrant Workers Centre has launched a survey hoping to better understand the scale of workers affected.

If you have applied for an 887 visa or recently been granted one - can you take a couple of minutes to fill out this short survey?

Worker win: Karun’s story

Karun* came to the Migrant Workers Centre for assistance in February. Karun had been working as a casual employee for a food packaging company in Victoria. After six months of employment, he decided to leave, but upon resignation – his employer withheld his final pay of $2500.

This practice is unfortunately not uncommon from employers seeking to take advantage of workers’ insecure and short-term visa status or lack of familiarity with Australia legal processes. Another worker who came to the Centre recently described how she was forced to leave jobs without notice because “you never get your final pay cheque if the bosses know [you’re about to leave]”.

Luckily, Karun came to us for advice quickly and learned his employer could face legal penalties for wage theft. Migrant Workers Centre organisers also outlined to Karun the steps we could support him to take to reclaim his stolen wages.

Emboldened by this new information and support, Karun confronted his employer and made it clear he knew his rights and wouldn’t back down without a fight. The employer subsequently promptly paid the outstanding amount in full. While this matter was quickly resolved, it illustrates how accessible information in language and support for migrant workers to navigate dispute resolution procedures can go a long way to empower workers and deter unscrupulous employees.

*Name has been changed

Multicultural Safety Ambassadors collaborate with Philippine Consulate

The Multicultural Safety Ambassadors program continues with ambassadors leading sessions on workplace rights and safety. Safety ambassadors Florence and Dennis kicked off the year with a Post Arrival Orientation Seminar at the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne for international students who’ve just arrived in Australia. In addition to running these collaborative sessions, the Philippine Consulate is also distributing Migrant Workers Centre resources on wages and workplace rights.

Florence delivering a session at the Philippine consulate. Source: Migrant Workers Centre

Dennis delivering a session at the Philippine consulate. Source: Migrant Workers Centre

Our resources are also available from our website in English and a number of translated languages.

Book a Know Your Rights session

Our Know Your Rights program has kicked off again for the year with Migrant Workers Centre organisers running sessions with community groups and TAFEs. The sessions cover basic information about workplace rights including minimum wage, penalty rates, safety at work, types of employment and where to get assistance with workplace issues. Sessions are available in English, Chinese, Arabic, Nepali, Korean and Spanish and can be conducted in person or over Zoom. If you’d like to book a session for your organisation, fill out this form and we will be in touch

Meet our new organiser: Haniah

Hi! I’m Haniah, the new community organiser here at the Migrant Workers Centre. I’m a first-generation Spanish speaking American who migrated to Melbourne on a student visa four years ago. After finishing my Master of International Relations focusing on climate migration, I had the privilege of co-founding the Australian Youth Climate Coalition's POC Climate Network and enjoyed organising and supporting young people across Australia. And while I’ve organized and campaigned in a few different movements across the world, nothing beats being here, at home, at the Migrant Workers Centre. It’s a privilege to work alongside so many passionate and brilliant minds here at the MWC and I can’t wait to see all of the amazing things we can achieve for migrant workers!

If you need help with a workplace issue, click here to book a free and confidential appointment with an organiser. Our team speaks English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Nepali and Spanish and interpreter services for other languages are also available.

Sick leave for casuals: the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee

The Victorian Government has announced a Sick Pay Guarantee for casual and contract workers. This is a landmark win for workers’ rights and has been set up in recognition that better job security and leave provisions are needed for casual workers in critical industries. No worker should have to go to work sick in order to support themselves and their families

This guarantee provides up to 38 hours per year of sick or carer’s leave paid at the national minimum wage of $20.33 per hour. In this initial period, the Guarantee will be accessible to workers in hospitality, food preparation and food trades, retail and sales support, supermarket supply chains, aged and disability care, cleaning and laundry, and security. Further industries and occupations will be announced later in the year.

The Sick Pay Guarantee is provided by the Victorian government, and you do not need to tell your employer if you apply. Click here to find out more, see translated resources about the program and to apply.