Frequently Asked Questions

• You need to be granted and hold an Australian visa to travel, enter and/or remain in Australia, unless you are an Australian citizen.
• Keep a copy of your visa grant notification letter. This letter contains your visa grant number and other important information about your visa.
• You can provide evidence of your visa by showing your passport that is linked to your electronic visa record.
• If you are issued with a new passport since your visa was granted, you must notify Department of Home Affairs, Australia Government of your new passport details so that they can link it to your electronic visa record. Failure to do so may cause delays during your travel and issues when checking your visa details online.​
• Employers, schools, banks and other organisations may be able to check your visa conditions online with your consent using VEVO. They may also share your visa information with some Australian Government agencies.​

You can propose your immediate family member under ‘split family’ provisions in the Humanitarian Programme if:

• they were already a member of your immediate family when you were granted one of the following visas:
• Permanent Protection visa (subclass 866)
• Resolution of Status visa (subclass 851)
• a Class XB visa (200, 201, 202, 203, or 204)
• you told us about this relationship before your visa was granted
• they apply for their visa, with you as proposer, within five years of your visa being granted
• they are still a member of your immediate family
• you did not arrive in Australia as an illegal maritime arrival on or after 13 August 2012.

In most cases, you are personally responsible for paying all the costs for your examination.
​However, we will pay your fees if you are an accepted Refugee or Special Humanitarian Program applicant.

If you are applying for a Protection visa, you might be able to have the cost of your health examination paid under the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme. Contact your nearest Australian Red Cross office for advice.

The Department of Home Affairs, or the Minister for Home Affairs will decide whether you meet the character requirement and if you do not whether your visa should be refused or cancelled.

In some cases the decision made by the department is reviewable by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

It is your responsibility to show that you are of good character.

If you want to live in Australia, the Australian government believes it is in everyone’s best interest that you become part of the Australian society as soon as possible.

The Australian Values Statement encourages you to learn as much as you can about your new country, its heritage, language, customs, values and way of life.

Your visa application could be refused for a number of reasons, such as:

• you have not met the conditions of a previous visa
• you did not provide enough information to prove the claims you made in your application
• you do not meet Australia’s health or character requirements
• you gave the wrong information, or made a false claim in your application

The character requirement is used to protect the safety and welfare of the Australian community

Yes. If you apply for a visa to enter or to stay in Australia, you will have to meet the character requirement.

You might also need to meet the character requirement if you are:

• sponsoring a visa applicant
• a family member of an applicant or sponsor, even if you are not included in a visa application.

Any application proposed by a protection visa holder or a Resolution of Status visa holder will require the decision-maker to consider four factors in determining whether there are compelling reasons for giving special consideration to granting a visa:

• the degree of persecution or discrimination to which the applicant is subject in their home country
• the extent of the applicant’s connection with Australia
• whether or not there is any suitable country available, other than Australia, that can provide for the applicant’s settlement and protection from persecution or discrimination
• the capacity of the Australian community to provide for the permanent settlement of the applicant in Australia.

Applicants should supply as much information as possible, for consideration of the above four factors so that an informed assessment of the applicants individual circumstances can be determined. Only applications found to be compelling will be further considered for grant of a visa.

Where an immediate family member is proposed by an offshore Humanitarian visa holder (subclasses 200, 202, 203 or 204), the decision-maker will continue to assess against the compelling reasons factors but need only consider the extent of their connection with Australia.

You will not pass the character test if:

• you have a substantial criminal record
• you have been convicted of any offence that was committed while in immigration detention, during an escape from immigration detention, during a period where you escaped from immigration detention, or if you have been convicted of the offence of escaping from immigration detention
• you have, or have had, an association with an individual, group or organisation suspected of having been, or being, involved in criminal conduct
• having regard to your past and present criminal conduct, you are found not to be of good character
• having regard to your past and present general conduct, you are found to be not of good character
• there is a significant risk that you will engage in criminal conduct in Australia; or harass, molest, intimidate or stalk another person in Australia; or vilify a segment of the Australian community; or incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community; or represent a danger to the Australian community or to a segment of that community.

In assessing whether or not you meet the character requirement the following might be taken into consideration:

• you are assessed as a risk to Australian national security
• your presence in Australia:
• is or would be against Australia’s foreign policy interests
• is or would be against Australia’s Autonomous Sanctions Regulations
• might be directly or indirectly associated with the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
• you hold extremist views, such as the view that violence is a legitimate means of political expression
• you are likely to vilify or defame the Australian community or part of it
• you have a record of causing law and order problems, such as by addressing public rallies
• you act in a way likely to be insensitive in a multicultural society, such as by advocating that people in particular ethnic groups should adopt political, social or religious values well outside those acceptable to Australian society
• you are active in a political movement that aims to achieve the non-peaceful overthrow of your own or another government
• you have planned, participated in or been active in promoting politically motivated violence or criminal violence, or are likely to propagate or encourage such actions in Australia
• you are likely to provoke an incident in Australia because of the conjunction between your activities and the proposed timing of your visit and the activities and timing of a visit by another person who might hold opposing views
• you are a war criminal, are suspected or accused of war crimes or are associated with a person or group involved in war crimes
• you are known to be or suspected of being involved in organised crime
• you pose some threat or harm to the Australian community or part of it
• your presence in Australia is likely to be contrary to Australia’s foreign policy interests
• you claim to represent a foreign state or government that is not recognised by Australia
• the Minister is aware of any other credible material that might be relevant to specified public interest criteria.

Your best chance to qualify for a visa is that you appoint a consulting firm for appropriate guidance.

You can ask migration expert to help you with your application. They can also help you with other immigration advice.

If you get someone to help you, you must complete the following form:

• Form 956: Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance.

In Australia, a person who helps you with your application must be a registered migration agent, unless they are an exempt person. It is a criminal offence for an unregistered person, or someone who is not exempt, to give immigration assistance and advice.

You can withdraw the application by advising us in writing at any time before we make a decision about your application. This can be done by letter, email or completing Form 1446 – Withdrawal of a visa application. Your letter of withdrawal should include your full name, date of birth, date of application, and file reference number/transaction record number (if known).

Everyone included in the application who is 18 years of age or older must sign the form or letter of withdrawal.

If you applied online you can attach Form 1446 to your application. Information on attaching documents to an online application is available.

Note: Removing the application from your ImmiAccount does not withdraw the application.

It depends on the work you want to do and the visa you apply for.

If you have skills or qualifications that Australia needs, you can be sponsored by an employer or invited to apply for a visa by the Australian Government.

You might be able to work in Australia if you are a business person who wants to:

• make short business visits
• establish or manage a new or existing business
• invest in Australia.

You can also apply for a visa if you want to participate in a specific professional, cultural or social activity in Australia.

Somebody pretending to be a migration agent might give you false or misleading information to take advantage of your desire to travel to Australia. If you become a victim of fraud, you could lose your life savings, have your identity stolen, or your visa (if granted) cancelled.

There are a number of warning signs you should look out for:

• They do not advertise a Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN).
• They ask you to pay up front in cash and provide no receipt.
• The fee seems extremely high
• They do not give you a contract or statement of services and fees.
• They ask to meet in a public place rather than at their office address.
• They supply only a post office box or mobile phone number.
• They claim that:
• they can ‘guarantee’ you a visa
• this is a once in a lifetime opportunity or your only chance to get a visa
• they have a ‘special’ relationship with us
• they need to keep the original of your passport, birth certificate or marriage certificate.

It is easy for criminals to create websites that look professional and generate emails and brochures that appear to be from legitimate sources.

Some websites offering visa services have been designed to look like official Australian Government websites. They do not represent us or the Australian Government and do not have any influence on visa decisions.

The costs of your medical condition will depend on what it is and how long you plan to stay in Australia.

If you apply for a temporary visa, the costs of your medical condition will be based on the time you will be staying in Australia.

If you apply for a permanent visa, the costs for your medical condition will be estimated over five years (or over three years if you are 75 years of age or older).

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Exception: If you have a permanent or ongoing medical condition and the course of the disease is reasonably predictable, the costs will be assessed over the time of your remaining life expectancy. This means that if you have a serious health condition you might meet the health requirement for a temporary visa, but you might not meet the health requirement if you then apply for a permanent visa.

Your individual, non-medical circumstances (such as private health insurance or personal wealth) will not be used to work out the cost to the Australian community.

Department of Home Affairs, Australia Government will tell you.

If the visa is granted, they will let you know:

• when you can use the visa
• the visa grant number
• any conditions attached to the visa.​

If the visa is not granted, they will send you a letter or email advising:

• why the visa was refused
• your review rights (if any)
• the time limit for lodging an appeal (if applicable).

If you are applying for your visa online, you will need to select the ‘yes’ button to show that you, and any family member who is part of your visa application, agree to the values statement and will obey the laws of Australia.

If you select the ‘no’ button, you have not signed the values statement and your visa application might be delayed or refused.

You can add eligible family members to your visa application if:

• your visa permits eligible family members to be added during processing
• you have already lodged your visa application

If Department of Home Affairs, Government of Australia have not yet made a decision, you can add a family member by using:

• Form 1022 Notification of changes in circumstances 

Note: It is important that you check the relevant information and requirements for the visa you are applying for.

If you need to tell us that you have supplied us with incorrect information, you can use Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answer(s)

If you have already lodged your visa application, and a decision has not been made yet, you can use Form 1022 – Notification of Changes in Circumstances to update your information.

Examples of things you need to tell us include:

• serious illness or a death in your family
• your relationship status (married, divorced, entered a de facto relationship)
• you become engaged to be married
• you changed your name
• you have a child.

Yes. You must sign a values statement each and every time you apply for a visa.

If you receive an invitation, you will have 60 days to lodge your online visa application. If you have not lodged an online visa application within this time you will have to wait to receive another invitation. If you receive two invitations to apply for a visa for the same EOI and you do not lodge a visa application, your expression of interest will be removed from SkillSelect. If you still want to apply for a visa, you will need to submit a new Expression of Interest.

You can be in or outside Australia when you lodge your visa application.

An immediate family member is your:

• spouse or de facto partner
• dependent child or stepchild younger than 18 years of age
• parent or step-parent if you are younger than 18.

If you are advised to have a DNA test and you decide not to, Visa officers will use other information to make a decision about your visa or citizenship application.

Your visa application might be delayed or refused if you do not sign the values statement.

If your visa is refused or cancelled, you might be able to have the decision reviewed by a merits review tribunal, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).

Not all decisions are reviewable by the AAT. For example, if the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection personally decides to refuse or cancel your visa under section 501 of the Migration Act 1958, you cannot apply to have a decision reviewed by the AAT.