The Australian government has launched a new “confidential and safe” online support service for illegal immigrants living in the country on expired visas.
The service is part of a suite of new measures introduced by Home Affairs and immigration minister Tony Burke last year, including increasing international student numbers and loosening visa requirements for those from India, that are set to keep net overseas migration at record highs.
The online visa support service, which began running late last year, stresses that it is confidential and not linked the Australian Border Force, so illegal foreigners can use the service with “peace of mind”, and aims to make it “quicker and easier” for visa overstayers to have their “immigration status resolved”.
“A Status Resolution Officer can help provide the correct information so people can make the right decision about their future. Our team are here to provide a safe, voluntary way for people to resolve their immigration status and regain peace of mind,” Home Affairs said in a statement.
“If your visa has expired or you have a Bridging visa E, you can now request a confidential appointment for a time that suits you through a new online booking form.
“Status Resolution Officers are separate from the Australian Border Force, and all meetings through the online support service are voluntary.”
Home Affairs Status Resolution officers ran a special event in Mildura, in northwest Victoria, in November to give free advice for illegal immigrants to “find pathways to regain a lawful visa status” and “avoid the serious consequences of staying in Australia without a valid visa”.
Pro-multiculturalism and immigration commentator Dr Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary at the Department of Immigration, told SBS News the service seemed like a “good idea” but could backfire.
“It may partly be a response to the huge bridging visa backlog, which the government will not want to keep growing,” he said.
According to the most recent Home Affairs statistics from November 30, 2025, there were 398,692 people on Bridging Visas, making up approximately one in seven of Australia’s 2.86 million temporary visa holders.
The data also shows there are 102,660 rejected asylum seekers that are yet to be deported, and another 26,018 awaiting refugee status determinations.
As of October 31 the Administrative Review Tribunal had 40,427 protection visa refusals awaiting review, 23% of which were from Chinese and Indians.
But as of November 30 there were just 1,011 people in immigration detention facilities, 91.5% of whom had a criminal history, with another 86 approved to live in the community while awaiting deportation.
Header image: A Status Resolution Officer (Home Affairs).
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