Services that can support you to settle and find stability in Australia.
Migrating to a new country isn’t easy. Services, institutions, workplaces, and social situations can be unfamiliar, unfriendly, and hard to navigate. Unfortunately, this is sometimes due to people’s prejudices.
Challenges are often the result of poorly run institutions or cultural differences. Australia also has policies in place that disadvantage newly arrived migrants. For example, there is a waiting period before new arrivals can access things like government subsidised healthcare, education and support payments. Delays in visa processing can mean that people are stuck in prolonged uncertainty with additional costs because they are ineligible for subsidised services.
We’ve compiled some resources that might help you to navigate financial matters more easily and some services that can support you to settle and find stability in Australia.
Brotherhood of St. Laurence programs
The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is a social justice organisation working to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia. We run support programs for people with refugee, asylum seeker and migrant backgrounds. This includes:
- support for families
- help finding work
- support services for women with refugee, asylum seeker and migrant backgrounds
- refugee children outreach
- assistance for refugee communities to access services
Learn more about BSL’s work for refugees and migrants.
SBS settlement guide
The SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) Settlement Guide covers topics related to personal finance. You can read, listen, and watch in up to 50 different languages. Its purpose is to help people new to Australia feel welcome and develop a sense of belonging. It’s useful even if you’ve been here for many years.
MyAus app
The MyAus app is a directory by not-for-profit organisation The Social Policy Group for navigating life in Australia as a new migrant. You can find information on all topics related to settling in this country in your preferred language.
To start using the app, download it and register on your platform of choice.
Refugee support services
Included are refugee-specific services you may find useful. We also suggest searching near you for support services and resources in your local area.
| Resource | What to expect |
| Afghan-Australian Community and Settlement Support grant program | Supports Afghan-Australian and other community and grassroots organisations undertaking critical work to welcome and support people recently evacuated from Afghanistan |
| Asylum Seeker Resource Centre | Support services to find basic needs, food, healthcare, housing, employment, education and more |
| Foundation House | Client and specialist services for refugees living in Melbourne |
| The Red Cross | Support and emergency services for asylum seekers and refugees in all Australian states and territories |
| The Refugee Council of Australia | Service directories and information sheets |
| Workplaces, places of learning, libraries, and government institutions | Varied support services, activities, and resources available for asylum seekers and refugees |
Centrelink payments
The Australian Government provides income support payments through Centrelink. You can use this tool to learn about your eligibility for payments, including support for migrants and refugees and asylum seekers, or go to Services Australia to learn more about the services and support they offer.
Dealing with Centrelink
Many people find dealing with Centrelink difficult. Applying for payments can be confusing. Most payments are set too low and have overly strict requirements.
📌 See our dealing with Centrelink page.
Emergency relief through the ‘Ask Izzy’ resource
Ask Izzy is a website that connects people in need with everyday necessities, housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and more all around Australia. It’s free and anonymous. If you’re on the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don’t have credit or access to wifi.
This information was last updated on 5 June 2023.
The links and resources in this article have been compiled and reviewed by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. We aren’t responsible for what you’ll find at the links, though we do hope you find the information useful. See our disclaimer if you’d like to know more.
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