When Prani* first moved to Melbourne, she loved the city. She had come to study, work, and experience a new culture: everything a young person dreams of. It was her first time away from her home and family, and she was excited to make the most of it.
Unfortunately, Prani’s love for the city was short-lived. Like too many international students, she became a victim of a predatory and exploitative workplace.
THE HIDDEN HARM FACING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Prani found a job as a florist. Unknown to her, her employer (who had also offered her accommodation) was running an unregistered business and using his position of power to exploit international students who didn’t know their rights. The business operated largely in cash, with no tax records or business registration. The accommodation was an unregistered rooming house, where the boss subleased the property to several young women, collecting unregistered bonds and sexually harassing his tenants.
This was more than an exploitative workplace. It was an exploitative housing arrangement that blurred the lines between employer, landlord, and perpetrator. The harassment was often racialised, targeting young Asian women who were isolated, new to Australia, and unfamiliar with their rights.
Without expert legal intervention, the risks for someone in Prani’s position are immense: loss of income, loss of housing, risk to visa status, and, most seriously, loss of safety.
When her boss’s harassment escalated to assault, Prani knew it wasn’t right, but she didn’t know what to do. Her mental health declined. She struggled to get out of bed, let alone finish her diploma. Without family or close friends in Australia, she didn’t know where to turn.
“I didn’t even know what my rights were,” she said. “I was completely lost. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I was depressed, stressed, and having panic attacks.”
Prani was determined to hold her perpetrator accountable and stop him from hurting other women. Searching for help, she was referred in multiple directions. She spoke to police and community services, but struggled to access coordinated legal support.
CONNECTING WITH SPECIALIST SUPPORT THROUGH ISEALS
Our International Student Employment and Accommodation Legal Service (ISEALS) program provides free specialist legal support to international students like Prani. In partnership with Jobwatch, WestJustcie and Study Melbourne, we help people all across Victoria who are facing workplace exploitation, sexual harassment, or other forms of abuse. These cases are complex and interconnected — often spanning employment, criminal, migration, and civil law — and require sustained, expert legal work over months or years.
Prani first came to our attention after a caseworker recognised that Prani needed specialist legal advice and suggested she visit a Study Melbourne Hub, where she was introduced to our ISEALS team.
Prani’s first meeting with our lawyer, Ariz, marked a turning point. “He listened to me. He told me the steps I needed to take. He was so caring and supportive.”
What began as a conversation about her boss’ treatment of her at work soon expanded into a complex web of legal issues: sexual assault, underpayment, visa uncertainty, and ongoing safety concerns.
“These cases are complex and require sustained legal expertise,” said Ariz. “Without proper support, international students risk losing their income, housing, and even their visa.”
ISEALS’ work underscores a growing concern: that international students are uniquely vulnerable to exploitation due to isolation, lack of familiarity with Australian law, and fear of reporting wrongdoing. Without specialist legal services, abuses often go unchecked.
SAFE, ONGOING AND TARGETED LEGAL SUPPORT
ISEALS’ legal team supported Prani to report the assault to police and prepare the evidence needed to ensure authorities could charge her perpetrator when they hadn’t before. At the same time, our lawyers identified that she had been underpaid thousands of dollars by her employer. They pursued the matter through the Fair Work jurisdiction, securing a $14,000 order in her favour. While her former employer continues to delay payment, the decision itself represents a significant recognition of her rights.
Throughout this process, our team worked with partner organisations to help Prani understand her visa options so that she could remain in Melbourne to continue her legal proceedings and finish her diploma. West Justice, one of our partners in the delivery of the ISEALS program, provided dedicated support to certify her workplace exploitation claims. The Human Rights Law Centre also helped her apply for a workplace justice visa. Without this, she risked losing her right to stay in Australia and her chance at seeing justice.
COMPLEX LEGAL PROBLEMS REQUIRE DEEP, INTENSIVE SUPPORT
We’ve been helping Prani for more than two years now. Her criminal and multiple civil proceedings continue, each requiring expert navigation through different jurisdictions and systems. The reality is that justice systems can be slow, and people like Prani need ongoing support. Her perpetrator has made it more difficult for her at every step of the process, and without Prani’s bravery in coming forward, and continuing patience and perseverance, his abuse might have continued without consequence.
For Prani, the time and uncertainty are challenging, but she remains determined.
“I’m patient,” she said. “Nothing will change the truth. I have to stay here to go through the court, but it’s worth it. I’m not just doing this for myself — I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did.”
Her story illustrates the essence of ISEALS’ work. These are not simple matters that can be resolved with one piece of advice or a single referral. They require continuity, expertise, and trust. Our lawyers provide consistent and steady expertise through months or years of legal and emotional upheaval. Each decision has consequences for a person’s visa, study, financial stability, and mental health.
For international students like Prani, access to ongoing specialist legal support is the difference between justice and silence.
“I don’t know what words I could use to express my grateful and thankful feelings,” she said. “Ariz is amazing. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
*Because of the ongoing nature of this matter, we have chosen to change our client’s name.
