The visa character requirement and police checks

When you apply

You must declare all criminal conduct you have been convicted of, or charged with and awaiting legal action for, in any country. Answer every question truthfully and give all the information asked for.

After you apply, Home Affairs may ask you for a police certificate, Form 80 (personal particulars for character assessment), Form 1563 (statement of character), a military certificate or Form 1399 (declaration of service), or a letter of good conduct from an employer.

Police certificates

• Who is usually asked: people over the age of 17 who lived in a country, including Australia, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years. A police certificate is also called a penal clearance certificate.
• How long they last: 12 months from the issue date. Each must cover the time from when you turned 16 to the issue date, or the whole time you were in that country.
• Military service: you may also need a police certificate for every country you served in for over 12 months.

Australian police check

Apply for an Australian Federal Police National Police Check. Home Affairs does not accept state or territory police certificates. Select Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, include every name you have been known by, and note that no fingerprints are needed.

AFP National Police Checks ↗ · Police certificates from other countries ↗

The character test

You may not pass the character test in section 501(6) of the Migration Act, for example if you have a substantial criminal record. Officers also apply Ministerial Direction No. 123. Home Affairs considers all the circumstances of a case, and even if you do not meet the character requirements, the Minister can choose to grant the visa.

Home Affairs encourages people whose conduct or associations need a character assessment to apply early. The full list of grounds, mandatory cancellation and what refusal means are on the official character page ↗.

Applying for citizenship? It has its own character requirements ↗.