We prefer that you have any health checks before you apply for the visa.

Find out the examinations you need and how to arrange them.

Only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be:

• a registered migration agent, or
• a legal practitioner, or
• an exempt person.

You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.

Provide accurate information. See what may happen if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.

Also provide:

• a national identity card, if you have one
• proof of change of name

Documents that prove a change of name include:

• a marriage or divorce certificate
• change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
• documents that show other names you have been known by.

You must prove you have been usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 4 years immediately before the date of the application.

The place that a person is 'usually resident' is assessed taking into account their physical residence (where the person eats, sleeps, has a home) and the person's intention to make that place their home.

This evidence should include the date you consider you began living in Australia.

Your evidence might include but is not limited to:

• lease agreements
• rates notices
• utilities bills

Provide an Australian police certificate if you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16. We only accept complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. We don't accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. For immigration purposes, Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Also provide:

• an overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16
• military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country.

Complete and provide the following forms:

• Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment (596KB PDF)
• Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information (331KB PDF)

Provide proof that all applicants aged 18 years and older have at least functional English.

Applicants aged 18 years and older, who can't provide evidence of functional English, will need to pay the second instalment of the visa application charge when we ask for it.

If you are or have been married, widowed, divorced or permanently separated, provide proof such as marriage certificate, divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents or statutory declarations.

If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).

Provide:

• identity documents
• character documents
• marriage certificate, if applicable
• evidence of Australian citizenship, if applicable
• documents about other relationships, if applicable

For de facto relationships provide either:

• evidence that your relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory or
• enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.

For both married and de facto applicants you must provide evidence that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship. Evidence can include but is not limited to:

• joint bank account statements
• billing accounts in joint names
• joint leases or mortgages
• documents that show your partner has lived at the same address as you

For every dependant 18 years old or younger who is applying with you, provide:

• copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children
• copies of the adoption paper, if applicable.

You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:

• has a legal right to decide where the child lives, and
• is not coming to Australia with the child.

They must complete either:

• Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (276KB PDF) (240KB PDF)
• statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to migrate to Australia on this visa

Alternatively, you can show us:

• an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or
• that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate.

Include:

• an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence
• adoption papers or other court documents, if applicable.

You don't have to prove that your dependant under 18 years of age has functional English.

Note: If your child is likely to turn 18 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you. See the section 'Dependants over 18 documents' below for further information. A child who turns 18 while your application is being processed and who is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.

Family members included in your application do not need an eligible visa unless they are no longer considered a member of the family unit. In this case, they must hold an eligible visa granted on the basis they were a member of your family unit.

Dependants over 18 without an eligible visa

If your child is over 18 years of age and does not hold an eligible visa, they must meet additional requirements to be included in your application.

If your child is:

• over 18 years of age but has not turned 23, you must show that they are dependent on you or your partner
• over 23 years of age, you must show that they are unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and that they are dependent on you or your partner.

If your child is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you due to disability.

Provide:

• identity documents
• documents about their other relationships, if applicable.

You must also provide proof your child is dependent on you.

• proof of your relationship with the dependant such as a birth certificate or adoption papers
• a completed Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (307KB PDF)
• proof of financial dependency such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts
• if your child is aged 23 or is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you must also provide a report from a qualified medical practitioner. The report must state that they are dependent on you or your partner due to total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions.

Note: A child cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa if they turn 23 while your application is being processed and they do not meet these requirements.

To nominate someone to:

• receive your correspondence, use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
• provide immigration assistance, use Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited but on each translation, they must include their:

• full name
• address and telephone number
• qualifications and experience in the language they are translating

These details must be in English.

Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.

The scans and photos must be clear.

Note: You do not need to have any documents certified

If a document is more than one page, save it all as one file.

Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

1. Log in or create an ImmiAccount
2. Attach your documents
3. Pay the first application charge. We will not process your application until you pay this first instalment of the visa application charge.
4. Note your transaction reference number (TRN).

We do not give updates on applications under assessment.

You can check if we need more information from you in ImmiAccount.

If you are in Australia, you don't have to tell us if you want to travel outside Australia while we process your application. This is because you can be outside Australia when we make a decision.

But if you leave Australia, make sure you have a valid visa to return. To see if you can return on your current visa, check VEVO.

Learn about visa expiry.

We will let you know if you need health examinations.

We might ask for biometrics (fingerprints and photo). We will let you know if you need to provide them.

If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as you can in ImmiAccount.

We might also ask you to provide more information; however we are not obliged to do so and we may make a decision on your application without asking for more documents.

If you are in Australia, make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while we process your application.

If you made a valid application for this visa in Australia, you are usually eligible to be granted a bridging visa. If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the bridging visa will come into effect if you do not hold another substantive visa.

You can stay in Australia lawfully as the holder of a substantive or bridging visa while we process your visa application.

Do not ask to have the visa you currently hold cancelled. If your visa is cancelled:

• you will be staying in Australia unlawfully
• your bridging visa will cease

Learn more about visa expiry.

If you need to pay a second instalment, pay it when we send you the invoice.

You can add members of the family unit to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa.

Complete Form 1436 - Adding an additional applicant after lodgement (481KB PDF), pay using ImmiAccount, attach the form and supporting documents to your ImmiAccount.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Family members who are not coming to Australia do have to meet our character requirement and might have to meet our health requirement.

If your child is born after you submit your application but before we decide on your visa, you must tell us as soon as possible.

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.

You must tell us as soon as possible if you made a mistake on your application.

Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers (168KB PDF) and attach it in ImmiAccount.

Let us know if you no longer want someone to:

• receive your correspondence - complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
• provide immigration advice - complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

For more information see Who can help you with your application.

Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your marital or de facto status
• the birth of a child
• you want to withdraw your application

See how to tell us if your situation changes.