Every acronym, every clause, every condition the Department puts in front of you, decoded. Search for a term, or jump straight to a letter.
The independent body that reviews visa decisions made by the Department of Home Affairs.
Renamed from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) in October 2024. If your visa is refused, you usually have 21 days from the date you receive the decision to apply for tribunal review. Reviews are independent of the original decision-maker.
The operational arm of Home Affairs responsible for border control and immigration enforcement.
The agency that issues the National Police Certificate required for most visa applications.
Migration applications need the "complete disclosure" version — state or territory police checks aren't accepted. Certificates are typically valid for 12 months from the issue date.
An Australian diplomatic mission in a Commonwealth country (e.g. AHC London, AHC New Delhi).
The official numeric code system that classifies every job for skilled migration purposes.
Your ANZSCO code determines which skilled occupation lists you appear on, which skills assessment body you need, and the salary benchmark you're measured against. Choose the wrong code and the application can fail before assessment even begins.
The person applying for a visa.
Distinct from the sponsor (who supports a partner or employer-sponsored application) and the nominator (who nominates for state or employer-sponsored visas). On family applications, the "primary applicant" is the person being sponsored; their partner and children are "secondary applicants."
A signed declaration most permanent visa applicants aged 18 and over must make, confirming they understand and will respect Australian values and laws.
Fingerprints and a digital photo collected during certain visa applications.
Required from citizens of specific countries and for certain visa types. Collected at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in your country, or in Australia at an Australia Post location.
The visa you automatically get when you apply for a new substantive visa onshore while holding another substantive visa.
Keeps you lawfully in Australia while your new application is decided. Inherits the work rights of the substantive visa you held when you applied. Does not give you the right to leave and return — you need a BVB for that.
A travel-enabled bridging visa that lets you leave and return to Australia during the wait for your substantive visa.
Apply for it separately while holding a BVA. You must specify a travel period and substantial reasons for going overseas.
The bridging visa you get when you apply for a new substantive visa onshore but do not hold a substantive visa.
Limited work rights compared to a BVA. You cannot apply for a BVB, so leaving Australia means your application is taken to be withdrawn.
A short-term bridging visa for people who are unlawful or whose visa is about to be cancelled.
Designed to let someone resolve their status — usually by departing Australia or by lodging a tribunal/court application. Very limited rights, including no work rights by default.
A specialised bridging visa for people identified as victims of, or witnesses to, human trafficking, slavery or slavery-like practices.
The Department's formal revocation of an existing visa.
Different from refusal (where the visa was never granted) and expiry (where it lapsed). Cancellation grounds include false information (s109), general grounds (s116), and character (s501). A Notice of Intention to Consider Cancellation (NOICC) usually comes first.
The legal test under section 501 of the Migration Act that every visa applicant must pass.
Substantial criminal history, certain associations, past visa breaches, or providing false information can fail this test. The threshold is lower for permanent visas than temporary ones.
The standard path to Australian citizenship for permanent residents who meet residence, character, and English requirements.
Generally requires four years of lawful residence, with the last 12 months as a permanent resident. Applicants must also pass the citizenship test.
Australian citizenship claimed by people born outside Australia to an Australian citizen parent.
Different from being a citizen by birth in Australia (which is automatic for most people born here after 1986). Citizenship by descent requires an application and is not automatic.
Living together as a couple on a genuine domestic basis.
For partner visa purposes, cohabitation is one of the key factors the Department weighs, but it isn't the only one — relationship registration (in states that offer it) can substitute for a long cohabitation history.
One of four English levels in the migration rules. Equivalent to IELTS 6 (each band) or PTE 50 (each component).
The minimum English standard for most skilled visas. Higher tiers (Proficient, Superior) award more points on points-tested visas.
A visa condition that blocks you from applying for most onshore substantive visas while you're in Australia.
Common on visitor visas. Can only be waived in compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after the visa was granted and are beyond your control.
"No further stay" conditions sometimes attached to student visas.
Same practical effect as 8503 (no onshore application for most substantive visas), with different waiver criteria. 8534 attaches to students whose study is funded by certain external sources.
A document issued by an Australian education provider confirming a student has been accepted into a registered course.
Required to lodge a student visa application. Multiple CoEs may be needed for packaged courses.
The minimum salary required for a Core Skills stream Skills in Demand (482) sponsorship.
Replaced the older TSMIT in July 2024. Indexed each financial year — verify the current figure at the official source before relying on it.
The occupation list introduced in December 2024 alongside the Skills in Demand visa.
Progressively replacing the MLTSSL and STSOL. Whether an occupation is on the CSOL determines eligibility for the Core Skills stream of the 482.
A regional agreement that lets employers in specific areas sponsor overseas workers in occupations or under conditions not available in the standard program.
Each DAMA has its own occupation list and concessions (sometimes lower English, salary, or experience requirements). Negotiated between the Department and regional bodies.
A relationship between two people (regardless of gender) who live together as a couple on a genuine domestic basis but are not married.
For partner visas, the Department generally requires 12 months of cohabitation before lodgement, unless the relationship is registered on an Australian state or territory relationship register (where available).
The federal department responsible for immigration, visas, citizenship, and border policy.
Replaced the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) in 2017. Often referred to in plain English as "the Department" or "IMMI."
A child, partner, or other family member included on a primary applicant's visa application.
Dependents must meet health and character requirements. Whether someone counts as a dependent is determined by the "member of family unit" definition in the Migration Regulations.
A regional area defined by the Department for the purposes of regional visas like the 491 and 494.
Excludes Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Almost everywhere else in Australia is designated regional for migration purposes, including Perth and Adelaide.
One of the streams of the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
For applicants who have not held a 482 or 457 visa for three years with the sponsoring employer. Requires a positive skills assessment and three years of relevant work experience.
The date the Department considers your visa application to have been lodged.
Usually the date the application was received and validly made. Important because it locks in which rules apply to your application — later regulation changes generally don't apply retroactively.
The state of meeting every criterion for a visa subclass.
Whether you are eligible is a determination the Department makes after lodgement, not a self-assessment. Gdaymayte explains the criteria — only a registered migration agent can advise on whether you specifically meet them.
The permanent residency programme for skilled workers nominated by an Australian employer — subclass 186.
Has two main streams: Direct Entry (for workers nominated directly) and Temporary Residence Transition (for workers who have already held a 482/457 with the same employer).
Your application to be invited to apply for certain skilled visas (189, 190, 491).
Submitted through SkillSelect. An EOI is not a visa application — it's a notice to the Department that you'd like one. Receiving an invitation is what triggers your right to actually apply.
A digital visitor visa (subclass 601) available to passport holders of specific Asia-Pacific countries.
Tied to the passport — no physical label. Multiple entry, three months per visit, valid 12 months. Free or very low cost via the official Australian ETA app.
The European equivalent of the ETA, available to passport holders of most EU countries plus a handful of others.
Free, online, three months per visit, valid 12 months.
The deadline by which a visa holder must first enter Australia after their visa is granted.
Specified on the grant letter for visas granted offshore. Missing it doesn't automatically cancel the visa but creates a real cancellation risk at the border. Check your grant letter the moment it arrives.
"Notification of Incorrect Answer" — used to correct information after a visa application has been lodged.
Correcting an error proactively through Form 1023 is almost always better than waiting for the Department to spot it.
"Additional Personal Particulars Information Form" — similar to Form 80, used in different contexts.
"Personal Particulars for Assessment Including Character Assessment" — a detailed personal history form.
Required for most permanent visa applications. Covers addresses, employment, education, travel, and family back at least 10 years. Inconsistencies between Form 80 and other documents are a common refusal trigger.
"Statutory Declaration in Support of a Partner or Prospective Marriage Visa Application."
Completed by people who know you as a couple. Two witness statements are standard for partner visa applications. Each witness needs to know both partners and confirm the relationship is genuine.
The lowest recognised English level in the migration rules.
Equivalent to IELTS 4.5 average across all bands, or paying the second-instalment VAC (sometimes called the "second VAC") to bypass the requirement. Required for secondary applicants on many permanent visas.
A partner-visa concept: the Department must be satisfied your relationship is genuine and ongoing, not contrived for migration.
Evidence falls into four buckets the Department names directly: financial, household, social, and commitment. Strong applications cover all four.
The replacement for the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement on student visas, effective March 2024.
Applicants must demonstrate they are genuinely seeking to study in Australia. Compared to GTE, the Genuine Student requirement places less weight on whether the applicant intends to remain temporarily.
The former student visa requirement — replaced by the Genuine Student requirement in March 2024.
Required applicants to demonstrate they were genuine temporary entrants rather than permanent migrants in disguise. Mentioned here because older content and migration agents may still refer to it.
The date a visa was granted.
For permanent visas granted onshore, this is also the start date of permanent residency. For offshore-granted permanent visas, PR starts on the date you first enter Australia on that visa.
The medical test that all permanent visa applicants — and many temporary visa applicants — must pass.
Examinations are done by a panel physician approved by the Department. Standard tests include a medical examination, chest x-ray (age 11+), and HIV test (age 15+). Additional tests depend on country of origin and intended occupation.
A discretionary decision to grant a visa to an applicant who fails the standard health requirement.
Only available for specified visa subclasses (most permanent skilled and family visas), and only where the cost to the Australian community of the applicant's condition is not undue.
One of the recognised English tests for migration purposes.
Tests four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. Migration uses the Academic version. Results are valid for three years for most migration purposes.
The Department's online portal for lodging visa applications, uploading documents, and receiving decisions.
Different from myGov. Your ImmiAccount holds your application history and bridging visa status.
The Department's formal invitation to apply for a points-tested skilled visa (189, 190, 491).
Issued through SkillSelect to EOIs that meet the round's cut-off score for the relevant occupation. You have 60 days from the invitation date to lodge the full visa application.
The periodic batch of skilled visa invitations issued by the Department.
Typically monthly. Cut-off scores differ by occupation and visa subclass, and can swing significantly between rounds. The data is published on the Department's website after each round.
The minimum points score required to be invited in a given round for a given occupation.
Volatile — moves with demand and program ceilings. Treat any quoted score as a snapshot, not a guarantee.
The requirement to advertise a position to Australian workers before nominating an overseas worker.
Required for most employer-sponsored temporary visas. Specific rules govern where the ad must run, for how long, and what details it must include.
The reference number for a specific Legislative Instrument under the Migration Regulations.
Used when official lists (occupation lists, designated English tests, designated areas) are formally published. If a migration agent cites "LIN 19/048," they mean a specific gazetted instrument.
The act of formally submitting a visa application.
The lodgement date is usually when the Department receives the application. Lodgement locks in the rules that apply to your application.
The body that registers and regulates Australian migration agents.
If you're hiring an agent, verify their registration number (MARN) at mara.gov.au before paying anything. Only registered agents (or Australian legal practitioners) can lawfully give immigration assistance under section 276 of the Migration Act.
A unique number assigned to each registered migration agent.
Always verify your agent's MARN at mara.gov.au. A MARN starting with a 9 means the agent is also a lawyer.
The legal definition of who can be included as a dependent on a visa application.
Generally covers spouses or de facto partners and dependent children (biological, adopted, or step-children). Some other relatives can qualify in narrow circumstances if wholly or substantially dependent.
The occupation list used for permanent skilled migration visas (189, 190 partly, and others).
Being progressively replaced by the Core Skills Occupation List as part of the Skills in Demand visa rollout from December 2024.
The body that certifies translators in Australia.
NAATI-certified translations are required when non-English documents are lodged with the Department. NAATI credentialing also awards points on the skilled migration points test.
The formal submission supporting a specific visa applicant — by an employer (482, 186), a state/territory (190, 491), or another body.
Separate from the visa application itself, with its own criteria and fee. The nomination is what creates the connection between the applicant and the sponsoring entity.
A formal Department notice that it is considering cancelling your visa, setting out the reasons and inviting a response.
If you receive one, the time to respond is short and the consequences of not responding are severe. Get advice immediately from a registered migration agent.
The annual cap on how many invitations can be issued in a financial year for each occupation under skilled migration.
Once the ceiling for an occupation is reached, no more invitations issue for that occupation until the next financial year, regardless of points score.
Outside Australia. An "offshore application" is lodged while the applicant is outside Australia.
Some visas can only be lodged offshore (300, 309, 100). Others can be lodged either way. Where you are at decision time also matters for some subclasses.
Inside Australia. An "onshore application" is lodged while the applicant is in Australia.
Some visas can only be lodged onshore (820, 801, 887, 887). Onshore lodgement usually triggers a bridging visa.
A sequence of visas that leads from one immigration status to another.
Common pathways: 500 → 485 → 189/190 (student to graduate to permanent skilled), 482 → 186 (temporary skilled to permanent employer-sponsored), 820 → 801 (provisional to permanent partner).
The status of being lawfully present in Australia indefinitely.
PR holders can work, study, and access most government services and Medicare. PR is not citizenship — PR holders cannot vote in federal elections and do not hold an Australian passport. The initial PR comes with a five-year travel facility.
Numbered criteria in the Migration Regulations that visa applicants must meet.
Common PICs: 4001 (character), 4002 (security), 4007 (health), 4020 (no false documents). Failing one of these is a common refusal ground.
The "false document" Public Interest Criterion. Providing false or misleading information or documents triggers refusal and a three-year ban on re-applying.
Honest mistakes can still trigger PIC 4020 — the Department doesn't require intent. Genuine corrections via Form 1023 before the Department spots the issue are the safest route.
The scoring system used for points-tested skilled visas (189, 190, 491).
Points are awarded for age, English level, education, Australian and overseas work experience, partner skills, regional study, professional year, and other factors. Minimum to lodge an EOI is 65, but recent invitation scores have been much higher for most occupations.
A document from a country's police confirming what (if any) criminal history a visa applicant has.
Required from every country an applicant has lived in for 12 months or more (cumulative) as an adult in the past 10 years. Each certificate is generally valid for 12 months from issue.
The main visa applicant on a combined application — usually the person who meets the substantive criteria (skills, sponsorship, points).
Secondary applicants (partner, children) are assessed separately for health, character, and English (the second VAC may apply if their English is below functional).
The time the Department takes to assess a visa after lodgement.
The Department publishes median (50%), 75%, 90%, and maximum times for most visas. Times change monthly. Outliers are common, especially for partner and parent visa categories.
Equivalent to IELTS 7 (each band) or PTE 65 (each component). Awards more points than Competent English on points-tested visas.
A temporary visa that gives a pathway to permanent residency after meeting certain conditions.
Common examples: 491 (skilled regional, three years residence in a designated area triggers eligibility for the 191), 309 (offshore partner provisional leading to 100).
One of the recognised English tests for migration purposes.
Computer-based. Results are usually available within 1–3 business days, faster than IELTS. Valid for three years for migration.
For visa categories with annual caps (notably parent visas), the date the application is placed in the processing queue.
Determines when an application is actually processed — for non-contributory parent visas, that can be many years after lodgement.
A formal Department decision to decline a visa application.
Different from cancellation (which revokes an already-granted visa). A refusal may trigger appeal rights to the ART and, in some cases, a section 48 bar preventing further onshore applications.
Areas of Australia outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, for the purposes of regional visa programs.
Includes Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and most of Australia. Living and working in a regional area is the core requirement of subclasses 491, 494, and 191.
A visa that lets former or current permanent residents re-enter Australia after their original visa's travel facility has expired.
Subclasses 155 and 157. The standard 155 requires 2 years of residence in Australia in the last 5 years — if you can't show that, the 1-year (or 3-month) RRV is the fallback.
A schedule of the Migration Regulations setting out tough additional criteria for applicants who do not hold a substantive visa at the time of lodgement.
Becoming subject to Schedule 3 typically requires "compelling reasons" to be granted a visa onshore. The classic trap on partner visa applications is when the substantive visa lapses before the partner visa is lodged.
A statutory bar in section 48 of the Migration Act preventing certain onshore visa applications after a refusal or cancellation.
Triggered when an applicant has had a substantive visa refused or cancelled and has not departed Australia. Limited categories (notably partner visas) can be lodged despite the bar.
The character provision of the Migration Act.
Failing the section 501 character test — usually because of a substantial criminal history — can result in visa refusal or cancellation, even if every other criterion is met.
A formal assessment of an applicant's qualifications and work experience against the Australian standards for their nominated occupation.
Issued by a designated assessing authority that's specific to the occupation (e.g. Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS). A positive skills assessment is generally required before lodging a skilled visa application.
The temporary employer-sponsored visa that replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in December 2024.
Has three streams: Specialist Skills (high earners), Core Skills (the main stream, replacing the standard 482), and Essential Skills (lower-wage critical occupations). The 482 number was retained.
The online system used to submit Expressions of Interest for points-tested skilled visas.
EOIs sit in the SkillSelect pool until they receive an invitation in a periodic round, or until they expire (after two years).
A party who supports a visa application — a partner (partner visa), an employer (482, 186), a state government (190, 491), or another body.
Sponsorship carries legal obligations, including notification obligations to the Department about changes in circumstances.
The status an employer obtains in order to sponsor overseas workers on the Skills in Demand visa.
Approval is generally for five years and is separate from the nomination of any specific worker. Without an active SBS, an employer cannot lodge nominations.
A formal written statement made under oath before an authorised witness.
Used in many migration contexts. Commonwealth statutory declarations (made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959) are accepted in all migration contexts; state versions may not be.
A specific visa within the Australian system, identified by a number (e.g. subclass 189, 482).
Each subclass has its own criteria, fees, conditions, and processing rules. "Subclass" is the formal term — colloquially most people just say "the 189" or "the 482."
Any visa that isn't a bridging visa or a criminal justice visa.
Holding a substantive visa at the time of lodgement matters for many other rules: the s48 bar, Schedule 3, and bridging visa eligibility all turn on it.
The highest English tier in the migration rules. Equivalent to IELTS 8 (each band) or PTE 79 (each component).
Awards the most English points on points-tested skilled visas.
The Employer Nomination Scheme (186) stream for workers who have already held a 482 or 457 visa with the sponsoring employer for the required period.
Doesn't require a separate skills assessment in most cases, which is the main practical advantage over the Direct Entry stream.
The former subclass 482 visa.
Replaced by the Skills in Demand visa from December 2024. Older content and migration agents still reference TSS — it refers to the same subclass number under different naming.
An Australian tax identifier issued to working visa holders.
Without one, employers must withhold tax at the highest marginal rate. Apply free via the ATO once you have permission to work.
The period during which a permanent resident can travel outside Australia and still return as a permanent resident.
Initial PR comes with a five-year travel facility from the grant date. After that, you need a Resident Return Visa to re-enter as a permanent resident.
A person in Australia who does not hold a substantive or bridging visa.
Subject to detention and removal. Different from a lawful non-citizen, who holds any valid visa.
The fee paid to the Department to apply for a visa.
Some visas have multiple instalments — partner visas, for example, have a "second VAC" payable if the applicant has less than functional English. VACs typically rise on 1 July each year.
The Department's free online tool that confirms a person's current visa status and conditions.
Used by employers to verify work rights, by landlords and government departments to verify identity, and by visa holders to check their own conditions.
A specific rule attached to a visa, identified by codes starting with "8" — for example 8101 (no work), 8202 (course attendance), 8503 (no further stay).
Breaching a condition is a ground for cancellation. Conditions are listed on the grant notification and visible in VEVO.
The unique reference number issued when a visa is granted.
Used to look up the visa in VEVO and to reference it in any correspondence with the Department.
A physical label or stamp in a passport showing a visa grant.
Mostly historical. Almost all Australian visas are now label-free — verification is through VEVO. A label can still be requested for some travel scenarios.
A mid-tier English level used in a small number of visa contexts. Equivalent to IELTS 5 (no band less than 5) or equivalent.
Subclass 417 or 462, depending on passport. A temporary visa that lets eligible passport holders aged 18–35 (in most cases) travel and work in Australia for up to three years.
417 is reciprocal (UK, most of Europe, Canada, Japan, Korea, etc.). 462 is for countries with a Work and Holiday agreement (US, China, Vietnam, etc.) and has additional requirements (education, English). Specified "regional work" (88 days for the second visa, 6 months for the third) unlocks second and third-year visas.
This glossary explains terms used across Australia’s migration system. It is general information, not immigration advice for your situation. Only a registered migration agent (MARA) or Australian legal practitioner can advise whether a term applies to your circumstances. Find a registered agent at mara.gov.au.
Some terms reference volatile figures (income thresholds, fees, occupation lists). Always cross-check the latest at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before relying on them.
