Character, security and the Australian values statement for subclass 866 in 2026
How character and security checks and the Australian Values Statement apply to subclass 866 in 2026, and who has to sign it.
Yes. An application for the Protection visa (Subclass 866) still has to clear character and security checks, and if you are 18 or over you must have read — or had explained to you — the Life in Australia booklet and confirm, when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement, that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Those three items are set out on the Department of Home Affairs "Protection visa (Subclass 866)" page, as at the October 2026 version of that page. This article is general information about published criteria rather than advice on any individual case; outcomes depend on your own circumstances and on the current official pages.
Subclass 866 is one of the permanent routes into Australian residence, but it reaches permanent status through a different gate from the skilled and employer streams. There is no points test and no sponsor. What replaces them is a set of threshold requirements that sit alongside the protection claim itself, and character, security and the values statement belong to that set.
Where do character, security and the values statement sit in a 866 application?
They sit alongside, not inside, the protection test. The protection question is whether you are a refugee or meet the complementary protection criteria under the Migration Act 1958. Character, security and the values statement are separate conditions that must also be met for the visa to be granted.
That separation matters for how you read your own situation. Meeting the refugee definition does not answer the character or security questions, and signing the values statement does not advance the protection claim. Each is assessed on its own footing, using information gathered across the application — including identity evidence.
What does the character requirement actually involve?
The Home Affairs page states that you must meet certain character requirements, and refers applicants to its separate character requirements material for the detail. The subclass 866 page itself does not set out the character test, the grounds on which a person may fail it, or any waiver pathway.
What the page does make explicit is the link to identity. Home Affairs says it will use the information collected about your identity when assessing your protection claims and completing character and security checks. In practice that means the identity evidence you provide is not filed away for a single purpose — it is also an input to the checks.
How does the security assessment work, and what feeds it?
Security is assessed as part of the application process. The page says Home Affairs will assess whether you meet Australia's security requirements for the grant of a protection visa, without describing the assessment method or the standard applied.
The inputs it does name are identity-related:
- documents as evidence of your identity, nationality or citizenship, which you are responsible for providing so identity checks can be completed
- biometrics, meaning a scan of your fingerprints and a digital photograph of your face
- the identity information collected, which is then used for the protection assessment as well as the character and security checks
The practical consequence is that cooperation on identity is not optional housekeeping. If identity material is missing, the checks that depend on it cannot be completed.
| Requirement | Who it applies to | What the page states |
|---|---|---|
| Character | All applicants | You must meet certain character requirements; detail sits in separate Home Affairs character material |
| Security | All applicants | Assessed as part of the application process for the grant of the visa |
| Australian Values Statement | Applicants aged 18 or over | Must have read, or had explained, the Life in Australia booklet, and confirm respect for the Australian way of life and obedience to Australian laws |
| Identity and biometrics | All applicants | Documents and biometrics may be required; identity information feeds the character and security checks |
Who has to sign the Australian Values Statement, and what exactly are you confirming?
The obligation attaches at 18 years of age and above. If you are 18 or older, you must have read the Life in Australia booklet or had it explained to you, and you must confirm two things when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement: that you will respect the Australian way of life, and that you will obey Australian laws.
The wording carries two points worth reading closely. The first is the alternative on the booklet — reading it yourself and having it explained to you are treated as equivalent, which is relevant where language or literacy is a barrier. The second is the verb. The page refers to signing or accepting the statement, so the confirmation can be given in more than one form.
The subclass 866 page imposes this on applicants aged 18 or over; it does not state a separate values statement obligation for applicants under 18.
What else has to be true for the application to be valid?
Character, security and values are three of several criteria. The others on the same page are:
- Arrival and immigration clearance. You must have arrived in Australia while holding a visa that was in effect and have been immigration cleared on arrival. Immigration clearance is defined in section 172 of the Migration Act 1958: you enter at an airport or seaport, provide evidence of a passport and visa in effect, and leave the port with the permission of an Australian Border Force officer. If your visa was cancelled or you were detained on arrival, you were not immigration cleared.
- No maritime arrival or clearance barrier. You cannot make a valid application if you are an unauthorised maritime arrival, or a person who was not immigration cleared on last entry to Australia.
- No application bar. You cannot make a valid permanent protection visa application if you have been refused a protection visa since your last arrival to Australia, or have had a protection visa cancelled since your last arrival. The Minister has the power to lift an application bar where that is determined to be in the public interest, and Home Affairs says it will tell you if a bar affects your application.
- No prior temporary protection history. You must not hold, or have ever held, a Temporary Protection visa (subclass 785), Temporary Safe Haven visa (subclass 449), Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) visa (subclass 786), or Safe Haven Enterprise visa (subclass 790).
- Protection criteria. You must be a refugee or meet the complementary protection criteria as defined by the Migration Act 1958.
- Health. You must undergo health examinations, conducted by Bupa Medical Visa Services. Home Affairs issues a health identifier (HAP ID) and information on arranging the examinations after you lodge.
What happens if a check is not satisfied?
The page expresses character and security as requirements for the grant of the visa and does not set out individual outcomes, refusal steps or waiver pathways. What it does establish is that these are conditions of grant rather than post-grant matters, and that the identity material you supply is used to run them.
Because the published criteria, and the way they are applied, can change, treat the current Home Affairs pages as the authoritative statement of what is required at the time you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign the Australian Values Statement for subclass 866 in 2026?
Yes, if you are 18 years of age or older. You must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet, and you must confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement. The requirement is stated on the Home Affairs subclass 866 page.
Is the values statement the same as passing the character test?
No. They are separate criteria on the subclass 866 page. The values statement is a confirmation you give if you are 18 or over; the character requirement is a standard you must meet, with the detail set out in separate Home Affairs character material. Meeting one does not satisfy the other.
What biometrics are collected, and why do they matter?
Home Affairs may ask for a scan of your fingerprints and a digital photograph of your face as part of the application. The identity information collected is then used both when assessing your protection claims and when completing character and security checks, so it feeds more than one part of the decision.
Can I still apply if I previously held a Temporary Protection visa (subclass 785)?
No. You must not hold, or have ever held, a subclass 785, Temporary Safe Haven visa (subclass 449), Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) visa (subclass 786), or Safe Haven Enterprise visa (subclass 790). That is an absolute bar on the criteria listed on the page, separate from the character and security requirements.
Can the application bar be lifted if I was refused a protection visa after my last arrival?
The criteria state you cannot make a valid permanent protection visa application if you were refused a protection visa, or had one cancelled, since your last arrival to Australia. The Minister has the power to lift an application bar where it is determined to be in the public interest, and Home Affairs says it will notify you if a bar affects your application.
When are health examinations arranged?
After you lodge. Home Affairs gives you a health identifier (HAP ID) and information on how to arrange your health examinations once the application has been lodged; the examinations are conducted by Bupa Medical Visa Services.