Refugee Advice & Casework Service

What Refugee Advice & Casework Service does

Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) is an independent Australian nonprofit community legal centre founded in 1987 and headquartered in Randwick, New South Wales. It is the only organization in Australia dedicated exclusively to providing specialist legal support to people seeking asylum, and has served over 75,000 people from 138 countries over more than 35 years. Its core offering consists of free legal advice, casework, and representation through Department of Home Affairs visa applications and Administrative Review Tribunal appeals, supplemented by trauma-informed support for refugees, stateless individuals, women at risk of gender-based violence, LGBTQI+ refugees, and families seeking reunion.

RACS's product surface extends beyond direct legal services into four specialized programs: the Women at Risk Program, the Stateless Children Program (the only service of its kind in Australia), the LGBTQI+ Safety Program for individuals persecuted on SOGIESC grounds, and the Reuniting Families Program. The organization also runs weekly community information sessions and policy advocacy work aimed at reforming Australian immigration protection law. Delivery relies on a small staff of 11–50 employees, supplemented by pro bono lawyers and university law student volunteers, with office facilities provided in-kind by UNSW Law & Justice.

The business model is donation-led, with a secondary stream of project-based government grants and ancillary merchandise/event revenue. RACS is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC) and holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Taxation Office (ABN 46 008 173 978). All legal services are provided free of charge to clients. Reach is concentrated in New South Wales, with the explicit geographic restriction that RACS can only assist people who are already in Australia. Legal practice is supervised by Principal Solicitors Sarah Dale and Katie Wrigley.

Name

Refugee Advice & Casework Service

Legal name

Refugee Advice & Casework Service (Aust) Inc.

Website

https://racs.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RACS is an Australian nonprofit community legal centre, founded in 1987 and based in Randwick, NSW, providing free specialist legal support to refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless people from 138 countries. It runs unique programs for women at risk, stateless children, and LGBTQI+ refugees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Asylum Legal Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Refugee legal services
• Asylum legal advice
• Community legal centre
• Immigration casework
• Pro bono legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Randwick

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: RACS is primarily funded by donations from individuals and organizations. Donations fund lawyers, paralegals, support staff, visa applications, interpreting costs, weekly outreach, and community information sessions. Office facilities are provided by UNSW Sydney, so donations are not used for rent or utilities.
2. Government Project Funding: RACS receives some government funding for specific projects, though many projects rely entirely on donations and volunteer support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RACS is a nonprofit community legal centre that provides free, trauma-informed legal advice, casework and representation to refugees, people seeking asylum, stateless individuals and displaced people in Australia. Its services cover protection visa applications, appeals at the Administrative Review Tribunal, family reunion, and specialized programs for women at risk, stateless children and LGBTQI+ refugees. All services are delivered at no cost to clients and funded through donations and limited government grants.

Product overview

RACS operates as a single-service legal nonprofit organization offering free legal support to refugees, people seeking asylum, stateless individuals, and displaced people. The core offering consists of legal advice and casework/representation services. Specialized programs include the Women at Risk Program, Stateless Children Program (the only service of its kind in Australia), LGBTQI+ Safety Program, and Reuniting Families Program. Services are delivered through trauma-informed legal practitioners with support from pro bono partnerships and volunteer lawyers. The organization also provides community outreach through information sessions and advocates for systemic policy changes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advice Services
• Casework and Representation
• Women at Risk Program
• Stateless Children Program
• LGBTQI+ Safety Program
• Reuniting Families Program
• Community Information Sessions

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ people helped since 1987
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNSW Sydney (UNSW Law & Justice)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNSW Law & Justice provides significant support to RACS, including the use of the Faculty's premises and facilities. This partnership enables RACS to operate without rent or utility costs, allowing donations to directly fund legal services. RACS is grateful for this institutional support.
• Pro Bono Legal PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACS partners with legal professionals and student volunteers through pro bono partnerships, which means they can help a greater number of people seeking protection in Australia.
• Advocacy PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACS engages in advocacy partnerships to influence the adoption of fairer laws, policies and processes in the Australian immigration protection system.
• Complementary Service PartnershipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with organizations providing complementary services to refugees, working together to provide holistic support to clients.
• University Law StudentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACS engages with universities and law students through volunteer programs to expand their reach and impact.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Justice Connect: Australian nonprofit connecting vulnerable people with pro bono legal help across many practice areas, including some refugee work. Broader incumbent; overlaps on community legal centre model and pro bono volunteer infrastructure rather than niche refugee specialization.
• Australian Red Cross (Migration Support Programs): Delivers the federal Humanitarian Settlement Program and other migration support services for newly arrived refugees. Comparable on refugee client base and government-funded casework, but at much larger scale and broader scope than RACS.
• Australian Human Rights Commission: Federal statutory body addressing human rights, including complaints related to immigration detention. Comparable on refugee policy advocacy and rights-based framing, but as a regulator/advocate rather than a direct legal casework provider.
• LawAccess NSW: NSW government-funded legal helpline and information service. Geographic overlap with RACS (both serve NSW asylum seekers and disadvantaged clients) but operates a much broader generalist legal aid mandate.

Direct peers

• Refugee Council of Australia: National umbrella body for refugees and asylum seekers in Australia. Overlaps with RACS on policy advocacy and refugee rights, although RACS focuses on individual legal casework while RCOA focuses on systemic advocacy.
• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre: Australia's largest asylum seeker assistance organization, providing legal, health, education, and material aid. Overlaps with RACS on refugee legal advocacy and donor competition, while offering a broader wraparound service model.
• Refugee Legal: Australian nonprofit providing free specialist legal advice and casework to refugees and asylum seekers. Direct peer because it competes for the same client base, donor pool, and pro bono network, with a similar trauma-informed legal service model.
• Australian Refugee Association: SA-based nonprofit delivering settlement and advocacy services to refugees. Comparable as a refugee-focused legal/settlement support provider serving a similar vulnerable client base in Australia.

Emerging players

• Settlement Services International: Sydney-based nonprofit providing settlement, housing, and support services for refugees and migrants. Adjacent peer offering wraparound settlement services that often intersect with RACS's legal assistance pathway.

Regional players

• Multicultural NSW: NSW government agency supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including newly arrived refugees. Comparable on refugee-facing community engagement within the same geography, though not a legal casework provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RACSaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/racsaustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/racsaustralia
• Xx.com/RACSaustralia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refugee Advice & Casework Service