Subclass 887 document checklist for 2026: identity, relationship, work and residence

What to upload for a subclass 887 application in 2026: identity, character, work, residence and relationship documents, grouped by person.

Published: 8 October 2026

If you are about to lodge a Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887) application, the documents you need fall into five groups: identity, character, work and residence, relationship, and dependants. Each group has its own set for the main applicant, and separate sets for a partner and any dependent children included in the application. The list below follows the Australian Department of Home Affairs Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887) official page as at July 2026. It is general information about what that page asks for, not advice on your own circumstances, so confirm anything that turns on your history against the official page or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before you lodge.

Where should you start before you upload anything?

Start by checking that every person in the application has a valid passport or travel document. The official page states that you and your family members must have valid passports or travel documents to be able to submit an application for this visa.

Then decide who is in the application. You need documents for your partner and any dependent children who are applying with you, and if your partner or dependent children are not included, you need to tell the department the reason why — for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are already a permanent resident.

Assume an applicant who was nominated by a state or territory government for their eligible visa. Their work and residence must fall in a regional or low-population growth metropolitan area. An applicant who was sponsored by a family member instead needs work and residence in a designated area of Australia. An eligible visa is a subclass 489, 495, 496, 475 or 487 visa, or a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B granted after a valid application for a subclass 489, 495 or 487 visa (including one of those visas that expired during the concession period while the holder was outside Australia, where the application is lodged outside Australia during the concession period), and the person meeting the primary criteria must have held one of those five subclasses for a total of two years before applying.

What identity documents does each person need?

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

Also provide:

a national identity card, if the person has one
proof of change of name, if applicable

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; and documents that show other names the person has been known by. Name-change evidence is one of the easiest items to leave out when the name on a passport differs from the name on a lease or a payslip, so match names across every document before you upload.

How do you prove two years of residence in a specified regional area?

Unless the COVID-19 concessions apply, you must provide proof that you have lived for a total of at least two years as the holder of an eligible visa, in a regional or low-population growth metropolitan area if a state or territory government nominated you, or in a designated area of Australia if a family member sponsored you.

Proof of residence can include, but is not limited to:

leases or rental agreements
utility bills such as telephone, gas or electricity that show the home address
school reports
title deeds to the home
any other evidence that demonstrates you and any family members are resident in a specified regional area

The evidence should also demonstrate that you and any family members included in the application complied with your visa conditions while in Australia.

How do you prove 12 months of full-time work?

Unless the COVID-19 concessions apply, you must provide proof that you worked full-time — a minimum of 35 hours a week — for at least 12 months as the holder of an eligible visa, in the same category of area that applies to your residence.

The 35 hours can be made up of hours worked in one or more jobs in each week. Assume an applicant who worked 20 hours a week in one position and 15 hours a week in another during the same period: that arrangement can meet the requirement, but suitable evidence is needed for each position. You can work in your nominated occupation or any other occupation.

For employment, proof can include:

employment references on company letterhead, covering your position, the period of employment and your weekly work hours
Notices of Assessment issued by the Australian Taxation Office
bank statements showing wage or salary deposits
superannuation documents
payslips covering the period of employment
contracts, group certificates and any other documents relevant to your employment history

For periods of self-employment or contract employment, proof can include taxation documents including business activity statements; evidence of business registration; evidence of business activity such as a statement from your account, or correspondence from customers and suppliers; audited financial statements for the relevant period; evidence of contracts or franchise arrangements; advertising and marketing material; a company profile or prospectus; memberships of business or professional associations; and any other documents relevant to the self-employment history. For this pathway the evidence should demonstrate that the business requires you to be active in it for at least 35 hours a week.

Do the COVID-19 concessions change what you need to show?

The official page describes concessions for eligible applicants who lodge during the concession period. Applicants outside Australia who lodge in that period must provide evidence of at least nine months full-time work in a specified regional area and 18 months residence in a specified regional area, unless the Minister specifies a shorter period in a legislative instrument. Applicants inside Australia who lodge in that period must provide evidence of at least nine months full-time work and two years of residence.

Lodgement location	Employment concession (3 months off the 12-month requirement)	Residence concession (6 months off the 2-year requirement)
Onshore lodgement	Yes	No
Offshore lodgement	Yes	Yes

The concession period itself is a separate setting published by the department, so check whether it is open at the time you lodge rather than relying on the figures alone.

What relationship documents are needed?

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.

For a partner included in the application, provide evidence of their identity and of the relationship with you: identity documents and photos, character documents, a marriage certificate if applicable, and documents about other relationships if applicable.

For a de facto relationship, provide either evidence that the relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory, or documents proving you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you apply. Whether married or de facto, you must provide evidence that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship, which can include joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing your partner has lived at the same address as you.

What documents do dependent children need?

For every dependant aged 18 or younger applying with you, provide copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all dependent children, copies of adoption papers if applicable, and parental responsibility documents if applicable. A dependant must hold an eligible visa.

Parental responsibility documents apply where someone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives is not coming to Australia with the child. That person must complete Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, or a statutory declaration giving consent. Alternatively, you can show an Australian court order allowing the child to migrate, or that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate. Include an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver's licence, plus adoption papers or other court documents if applicable.

For a child over 18, they must hold an eligible visa granted on the basis that they were a member of your family unit. Provide identity documents, proof of your relationship such as a birth certificate or adoption papers, character documents, a marriage certificate if applicable, and documents about other relationships if applicable. Children aged 18 or younger do not have to prove functional English.

Who needs police certificates and character forms?

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. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted; standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by state or territory police are not. For immigration purposes these 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 Form 80 – Personal particulars for character assessment and Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information.

Does anyone need to prove functional English?

Provide proof that all applicants aged 18 and over who have not paid the second instalment of the visa application charge in respect of their eligible visa have at least functional English. Applicants aged 18 and over who have not paid that second instalment and cannot provide evidence of functional English will need to pay the second instalment when the department asks for it. No amount is set out on the visa page itself, so the figure is whatever the department invoices at the time.

What order should you upload documents in ImmiAccount?

Work through the groups in the order below so that nothing is left behind a partially completed form.

Check that each applicant's passport or travel document is valid.
Collect identity documents for each person, including any change-of-name evidence.
Assemble residence evidence covering the full two-year period.
Assemble work evidence covering the full 12-month period, with separate evidence for each job.
Add relationship evidence, including de facto or genuine-and-continuing evidence where it applies.
Add dependant documents, including Form 1229 or a statutory declaration where parental responsibility applies.
Order police certificates and complete Form 80 and Form 1221.
Add functional English evidence, or note that the second instalment will be paid on request.
Complete Form 956 or Form 956A if someone is assisting you or receiving correspondence for you.
Log in or create an ImmiAccount.
Attach your documents.
Pay the first application charge, because the department will not process the application until it is paid.
Note your transaction reference number (TRN).

If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as you can in ImmiAccount. The department may ask for more information, but it is not obliged to do so and may make a decision on the application without asking for more documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need documents for my partner and children if they are not applying with me?

You still need to tell the department why they are not included, for example because they already hold Australian citizenship or are already a permanent resident. Family members who are not accompanying you must also meet the character requirement.

Can two part-time jobs be combined to meet the 35 hours a week?

Yes. The 35 hours can comprise hours worked in one or more jobs in each week, and you can work in your nominated occupation or any other occupation. Suitable evidence must be provided for each position.

Which Australian police certificate will the department accept?

Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted, and the certificate is valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Do I need a new health examination for this visa?

In most circumstances you will not, because you already undertook a health examination for your eligible visa. The department will tell you if health examinations are needed.

Can I add family members after I lodge the application?

No, not except for newborn children. If your child is born after you submit the application but before a decision is made, you must tell the department as soon as possible.

What if I made a mistake on the application?

Tell the department as soon as possible. Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and attach it in ImmiAccount.

Can I travel outside Australia while the application is being assessed?

You do not have to tell the department if you want to travel, because you can be outside Australia when the decision is made. If you leave, make sure you have a valid visa to return.