Outline

Overview

Immigration and Labour Law is a specialist unit designed to provide candidates with an opportunity to explore in depth a particular facet of immigration law that concerning the admission and treatment of noncitizens on grounds of employment or special skills. The unit is designed to be interdisciplinary in its focus offering insights for both candidates with particular interests in migration law and those with expertise or interests in employment law It examines the economic basis of the skilled component of Australias immigration program exploring the different theories and practical strategies adopted over the years in the selection of skilled migrants. It also looks in some detail at the various components of the skilled migration business skills and temporary skills transfer sub-programs. The unit involves the study of the laws and policies relevant to both the employment of foreign workers in Australia and the employment of Australian workers overseas. The unit covers substantive aspects of migration and labour law in Australia as well as law and policies relevant to the settlement and ongoing employment of foreign workers Included for special study in this regard are the matters of the recognition of overseas qualifications and the taxation superannuation and investment laws applicable to foreign workers. The unit of study is designed to foster the following skills: Skills of statutory interpretation and problem-solving through the study and use in practical situations of the Migration Act 1958 and its associated Regulations Skills of legal analysis and evaluation gained through the examination and synthesis of relevant legislation of court decisions and of rulings by the Migration Review Tribunal and Oral and writing skills through class participation simulation exercises and the preparation of a major research paper. Refer to the Sydney Law School timetable - https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	LAWS6252 or a law degree and LAWS6071 (MLLR students only)
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Mary Crock, mary.crock@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Mary Crock, mary.crock@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 October 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Research paper (60%) Written work	60%	Formal exam period Due date: 16 Nov 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Nov 2026	4000 words / 8 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	(Optional) Capstone Essay (70%) Written work	0%	Formal exam period Due date: 16 Nov 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Nov 2026	8000 words / 8 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Early Feedback Task (0%) Online quiz	0%	Mid-semester break Due date: 01 Oct 2026 at 23:59	Five multiple choice questions	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Proposed essay topic (0%) Essay abstract on topics provided or formulate own topic	0%	Mid-semester break Due date: 03 Oct 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 17 Oct 2026	300 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	(Optional) Capstone Essay plan (10%) Written work	0%	Mid-semester break Due date: 02 Oct 2026 at 09:00 Closing date: 16 Oct 2026	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Structured Class Participation (20%) Oral	20%	Ongoing	Ongoing	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance - accreditation or faculty requirement	Attendance (0%) Attendance	0%	Ongoing	70%	Not applicable
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	(Optional) Oral presentation (20%) Oral presentation	0%	Week 05 Due date: 24 Oct 2026 at 10:00	15 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Written Assessment Based on Participation (20%) Written work	20%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Oct 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 11 Dec 2026	2000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= early feedback task ?

Assessment summary

Attendance (0%): Students in this unit of study are required to attend 70% of seminars. Failure to satisfy this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade. Students who apply successfully for Special Consideration may be granted an exemption from the attendance requirement by the coordinator. To enable students to apply for Special Consideration, attendance has been included as a 0% assessment in this unit of study. Students should only apply for Special Consideration when they have failed to attend at least 30% of timetabled activities.

Early Feedback Task (0%): This unit includes an Early Feedback Task that is designed to provide students with timely insights into their understanding and engagement with the unit content. The Early Feedback Task in this unit is an online five multiple-choice questions. The task will be available on Canvas from 9:00am on 22 September 2026 and due on 1 October at 11:59pm (Sydney Australia time). It will be tailored to reflect key concepts from the Introductory class. Students will be provided with immediate automated feedback upon completion of the task

Structured Class Participation (20%): Across the course, students will participate in two structured 'on-call' class participation sessions. Students may select two sessions in which they will nominate prescribed cases or articles, explain them to the class, and take on class discussion leadership by responding to questions and comments from the teacher and their peers.

Written Assessment Based on Participation (20%): Students must submit a mini-essay based on two topics chosen for the structured participation (above). The maximum total word count must not exceed 2000 words (excludes footnotes/bibliography). The assignment is due on 30 October 2026 at 11:59 (Sydney, Australia time).

Proposed essay topic (0%): If a student choose to formulate their own research project a 300 word abstract of the proposed essay topic must be submitted on the canvas site for approval by 11:59pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 3 October 2026.

The purpose of the research essay is to allow students to pursue a chosen area or topic within the unit in more depth. The project aims to encourage the development of basic research and analytical skills; as well as fostering clear thinking and expression of ideas. The essay will also give the students the opportunity to explore aspects of migration law within a broader theoretical and jurisprudential framework and to demonstrate their grasp of issues involving the interface between immigration and labour law and also different areas of public law, politics and economics.

Research paper 4000 words (60%): Students will be provided with some suggested essay topics by 9:00am on 21 September 2026 and the research paper is due at 11:59pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 16 November 2026. Students are encouraged to formulate their own research and writing project. Students are encouraged to formulate their own research and writing project. Wordcount excludes footnotes and any bibliography.

(Optional) Capstone essay (100%)

LLM students who are undertaking this unit towards the end of their degree, and need a capstone experience to complete their degree, must apply to the unit coordinator to undertake the assessment option of a Capstone Essay.

Oral presentation (20%): Students electing to write a capstone essay will be required to explain their research in a 15 minute oral presentation. This component has been added to guard against over or inappropriate reliance on AI in preparation of the long-form essay. Due date for oral presentation is 24 October 2026.

Capstone Essay plan (10%): Students wishing to take up this option are required to meet the unit coordinator in person to discuss / workshop their topics and then submit a 500 word topic proposal by 9:00am (Sydney, Australia time) on 2 October 2026. A copy of the approval email must be kept and included with the submission.

Capstone Essay (70%): The Capstone Essay will replace regular assessments in this unit. The Capstone Essay must be 8000 words and is due at 11:59pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 16 November 2026. Your essay topic should respond to the material covered in the present unit. However, at the same time, in order to serve as a capstone for your LLM, it should build upon the learning that has taken place during your LLM studies more generally.

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude all footnotes and any bibliography (if required), and exclude acknowledgements of assistance from editors, automated writing tools or generative AI (where use is permitted).

Referencing: The Sydney Law School expects you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) for your footnoting style, although you should confirm this with your lecturer. A link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at Referencing and Citation Styles: AGLC4.

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study. As the EFT is an early diagnostic tool, this task is not included in the final grade for the unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	• Completely answers the question. • Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. • Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). • Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. • Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75 - 84	• Completely answers the question. • Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. • Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. • Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. • Generally well expressed and free from errors. • Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65 - 74	• Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. • Contains no significant errors • Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. • Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. • Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50 - 64	• Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. • Contains some significant errors. • Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. • Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. • Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. • Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. • Adequate expression. • Overall, demonstrates the minimum level of competence in the assessment and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies in the degree or subject area.
Fail	0 - 49	• Does not answer the question. • Contains significant or numerous errors. • Few or no identifiable arguments. • Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. • Lack of research or analysis. • Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. • Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

For more information see Guide to Grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per 24 hours or part thereof, after the due time on the due date. Penalties for late submission will be applied strictly, subject to a 5 minute grace period.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 02	Introductory class	Self-directed learning (2 hr)
Week 05	DAY 3: Session 9: The Employee in Australian Labour Law and Employee-Like Workers; Session 10: Protection of Migrant Workers - Wage Theft; Session 11:Threshhold Requirements, Rights and Obligations of Migrant Workers; Session 12: Dealing with Abuses in Australia - Employer Sanctions	Seminar (6 hr)
Week 05	DAY 4: Session 13: Internationally Mobile Students; Session 14: Captive Workers and Human Trafficking; Session 15: Modern Slavery: Offshore Contracts and Supply Chains and Session 16: Conclusion and Discussion of essay progress and Completion of the student feedback survey for this unit of study.	Seminar (6 hr)
Mid-semester break	DAY 1: Session 1: A History of Skilled Migration to Australia; Session 2: The Labour Law Framework: A Brief introduction; Session 3: Labour law institutions 4: The Role of Trade Law in economic migration	Seminar (6 hr)
Mid-semester break	DAY 2: Session 5: Law and Policy relating to Skilled Migration; Session 6: Independent Economic Migration; Session 7: Sponsored Economic Migration - The Temporary visas; Session 8: The Protection of migrants and International Law	Seminar (6 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for this unit. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade being recorded as the student’s result for this unit (see The University of Sydney Law School Resolutions: Coursework Awards cl 11).

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Mary Crock, Daniel Ghezelbash and Peter Prince Crock's Immigration and Nationality Law in Australia, (Sydney, the Federation Press, 2026); and

Catherine Costello and Mark Freedland (Eds), Migrants at Work: Immigration and Vulnerability in Labour Law, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014), (Hereafter "Costello & Freedland").

All readings for this unit are available in or through Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. analyse the principles, concepts, practices and policy settings governing employment-based migration in Australia, including the broader legal, social, economic and institutional contexts in which immigration and labour law operate.
LO2. advise on complex legal questions faced by migrants, workers and employers in employment-based migration matters by applying statutory interpretation, legal reasoning, regulatory analysis and relevant policy considerations.
LO3. research, evaluate and synthesise factual, legal, scholarly and policy materials concerning the intersections between immigration law and labour law, including their historical, ethical and economic dimensions.
LO4. critically evaluate the coherence, efficiency, fairness and ethical implications of legal, policy and regulatory responses to migrant worker exploitation, including wages, working conditions, enforcement, trafficking and access to justice.
LO5. communicate, collaborate and reflect in professional legal learning contexts by producing clear oral and written analysis, working independently and collaboratively, and using feedback to refine judgement and professional capability.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Assessment regime has changed since the last time this content was taught.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

LAWS6195: Immigration and Labour Law

Semester 2b, 2026 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links