Legal support · international students · Melbourne
A letter you don’t understand is not the end. Legal help for international students in Melbourne.
Visa notices, work problems, a court date, a landlord, a debt collector, a charge after one bad night. Most students facing these are scared, alone, and searching at 2am. OneCall introduces you to a Melbourne law firm whose team works with students and migrants every week, and stays with you until you understand what happens next.
Reviewed by Samsul Alam, OneCall Melbourne · Updated 30 September 2026
These are the situations students bring us most. Tap one to see what usually happens first, not a promise of an outcome, just the next step.
If you are in danger right now, call 000. This page is not an emergency service.
How it works
1Tell us what’s going onTwo minutes in the form, or a WhatsApp message. Photos of any letter help. You can write in your own language.
2We put it into wordsOneCall reads it with you, asks the questions a lawyer will ask, and passes a clear summary to the firm, so you don’t have to explain twice.
3The right lawyer calls youWe decide with the firm who on their team fits your matter. Usually within two business days you hear what the situation actually is, what your options are, and what it would cost before anything starts.
You don’t have to pick anyone. You talk to us, and we work out who on the team is the best fit.
Bengali
Punjabi
Hindi
English
1
You talk to us first
Not to a receptionist at a law firm. To OneCall, in Bengali, Hindi or English, about what’s actually going on.
2
We work out who fits
Visa problem, court date, family matter, unpaid wages: each goes to the lawyer on the team who does that work, and where we can, one who speaks your language.
3
They work as a team
If your problem crosses two areas, say a charge that could touch your visa, the lawyers talk to each other. You explain it once.
Immigration and visas
Family law
Criminal law and traffic
Work and pay
Property and renting
Contracts and money
Wills and estates
Want to see who they are first? The team’s names, qualifications and backgrounds are open to OneCall members. A free account takes a minute.
A team of lawyers and migration agents, so your matter goes to whoever knows that area best
More than 13 years of giving legal advice in Melbourne
Lawyers who speak Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi as well as English, and interpreters for other languages
Immigration, family and criminal law under one roof: the three that hit students hardest
Offices in the CBD and in Melbourne’s west, so you can meet in person
What OneCall does
We listen. We help you put the problem into plain words, gather the letters and dates, and introduce you to a solicitor who deals with exactly this. We check that the call happened, and we chase it if it didn’t.
The first conversation with us is free, and you can have it in Bengali, Hindi or English. Then we work out with the firm which lawyer is the best fit.
We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. We don’t tell you what to plead, what to write back, or how strong your case is. That comes from the solicitor, who is responsible for it under their own licence.
The law firm is independent of OneCall. They may pay us a referral fee for the introduction; you never pay more because of it, and their costs are agreed with you in writing before any work starts.
Questions students ask before they ask a lawyer
Common questions
Can an international student get a lawyer in Melbourne?
Yes. Your visa does not stop you getting legal advice, and talking to a lawyer is not reported to anyone. Free and low-cost services exist too, such as community legal centres and the free legal service for international students at the Study Melbourne Hub; a good solicitor will tell you when one of those is the better option for your situation.
Will talking to a lawyer affect my visa?
No. Getting advice is confidential between you and the lawyer. What can affect a visa is ignoring a letter, missing a deadline, or answering something the wrong way without advice, which is exactly what a first conversation helps you avoid.
How much does a lawyer cost?
It depends on the matter, and OneCall does not set or know the fees. What we can tell you is that in Victoria a law firm must tell you its costs in writing before the work starts, so you are never surprised. The introduction through OneCall is free for you.
What does OneCall actually do here?
We listen, help you put your situation into words, and introduce you to a law firm whose team works with students and migrants. We decide with them which lawyer is the best fit for you. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and we are not involved in the advice you receive. The firm may pay us a referral fee; you never pay more because of it.
Do I have to choose a lawyer?
No. You talk to OneCall first. We listen, then work out with the firm which lawyer on the team is the right fit for your kind of problem and the language you are most comfortable in. They work as a team, so if your matter crosses two areas of law you still only explain it once.
I only speak a little English. Is that a problem?
Tell us in the form which language you are most comfortable in. No. Tell us in the form which language you are most comfortable in. The team includes lawyers who speak Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi as well as English, and the firm can arrange interpreters for other languages.
What should I have ready for the first call?
Any letter, notice or document you were given (a photo on your phone is fine), your visa details, and the dates: when it happened and any deadline you know of. If you have nothing yet, that is fine too; just describe what happened.
Talk to OneCall
One message and our team takes it from here — the first chat is free.