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
• a legal practitioner, or
• an exempt person.

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

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

If you are or have been married, widowed, divorced or permanently separated, provide proof such as marriage certificates, 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 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 do not 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 character assessment
• Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information

Provide proof that all dependent applicants aged 18 years and older, who did not pay the second instalment of the visa application charge at provisional stage, have at least functional English.

We need to see evidence of your partner's identity and relationship with you.

Provide:

• identity documents and photos
• character documents
• as marriage certificate, if applicable
• documents about other relationships, if applicable

For de facto relationship provide either:

• evidence that your relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory
• 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.

To include your child who is over 18 in your visa application, they must be:

• over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23, and dependent on you or your partner, or
• over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and 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 the 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
• proof of financial dependency such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts
• if the 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 that states they are dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions

Note: A child who turns 23 while your application is being processed and who does not meet these requirements cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.

To nominate someone to:

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

Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

Have all non-English documents translated into English.

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.

Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.

1. Log in or create an ImmiAccount
2. Attach documents
3. Pay the application fee. We will not process your application until you pay the fee.
4. Note the Transaction reference number

Each family member must have their application fee paid and documents attached to their application.

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 your visa allows you to return. To see if you can return on your current visa, check VEVO.

Learn about visa expiry.

If you applied outside Australia, don't arrange travel to Australia, leave your job or sell your home until we advise you in writing that you have been granted the visa.

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

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

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

When you applied for this visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the BVA will come into effect. You can stay in Australia on the BVA while we process your new 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 BVA will cease

Learn more about visa expiry.

You can add dependent children to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa.

Complete Form 1436 - Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, 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.

Let us know if you no longer want someone to:

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

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.