Health and Character Checks for Subclass 835 in 2026
Who must pass health and character checks for Subclass 835, when the Department asks for exams and police certificates, and family-wide risk.
Every person attached to a Subclass 835 application can be pulled into its health and character checks — not just you. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs page Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 835), both requirements sit in the eligibility criteria: you and any family members applying with you must meet them, and certain family members who are not coming to Australia may also be asked to. As of the July 2026 version of that official page, neither health examinations nor police certificates are arranged up front. You lodge first, then wait to be told what is needed.
Who has to meet the health requirement?
Three groups can be caught by it. You, as the main applicant. Family members who apply for the visa with you. And family members who are not migrating, who the Department says might also have to meet it.
| Who | Health requirement | Character requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | Must meet | Must meet |
| Family members applying with you (partner, dependants under 18, dependants 18 and over) | Must meet | Must meet; character documents are listed for adult dependants and partners |
| Non-migrating family members | Might have to meet | Might be asked to meet |
The practical consequence is that this is a household-level test rather than an individual one. A relative who never intends to board a plane can still hold up the file.
Who has to meet the character requirement?
The same three groups. Character documents are named twice on the official page: once as an eligibility criterion, and again in the document checklist, where the Department asks for character documents including police certificates. Dependant children under 18 need them "if applicable"; dependants aged 18 and over, and partners, need them as a listed item.
The underlying obligations sit in the Migration Regulations 1994 as public interest criteria in Schedule 4. Clause 835.223 requires the main applicant to satisfy criteria 4001 to 4005, 4009 to 4010, 4020 and 4021, plus 4019 where the applicant had turned 18 at the time of application. Clause 835.224 extends the set to the applicant's family members, and clause 835.224A covers non-migrating family members against 4001 to 4004 and 4005 where requiring them is not unreasonable. Departmental policy guidance (PAM3) summarises this as PICs applying across the family unit.
When should you book health exams and police certificates?
After you are asked — not before. The Department states plainly that you should not arrange police certificates until asked to, and that it will let you know if health examinations are needed.
Booking early creates two avoidable problems. A certificate sitting in a drawer ages while the application waits, and a doctor's report that nobody requested may not match what the Department actually needs to see. Unless a requirement is announced, doing nothing is the correct action.
The order of operations after lodgement is short:
- Lodge the paper application on Form 47OF, with Form 40 completed by your sponsor.
- Wait for the acknowledgement letter.
- Import the application into ImmiAccount using your application ID, date of birth and identity document number.
- Read any request naming the health examinations required.
- Book those examinations, and only those.
- Wait for a separate request before arranging any police certificate.
- Upload what was requested through ImmiAccount, or through the Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.
- Pay the second instalment when invoiced, and not before.
That last step is sequenced deliberately. The Department sends the invoice for the second instalment after all other requirements for the visa have been met, which means health and character outcomes normally have to be resolved first.
Are fingerprints and photos part of this?
They are separate from health and character, but the same timing logic applies. The Department may ask for biometrics — fingerprints and a photo — and will tell you if you need to provide them. Treat it as another wait-for-the-request item.
What happens if one family member does not satisfy the criteria?
The whole application is exposed. Because the public interest criteria apply to the applicant and the members of the family unit, PAM3 describes a "one fails, all fail" outcome flowing from clause 835.224: a member who cannot satisfy the requirements can bring the application down, including for people who individually met every criterion.
Identity problems carry their own sharp edge. If you cannot prove your identity, the official page states the application will be refused, you might not be granted another visa for 10 years, and family members listed on your application might not be granted a visa for 10 years either. That is why relationship and identity evidence — birth certificates, marriage certificates, change-of-name documents — deserves the same care as the health and character items.
If you discover you gave wrong information, the page directs you to notify the Department as soon as possible and to complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, which can be uploaded through ImmiAccount.
Where do these checks sit in the wider Subclass 835 process?
This visa is applied for on paper, and you must be in Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. Health and character requests arrive during processing, into an application you are managing remotely while holding a valid visa or a bridging visa. Staying lawful is what keeps the file alive long enough to answer them.
Two consequences follow. Do not travel offshore while the application is being decided without thinking through your return visa, since you must be onshore for the decision. And tell the Department about changes — contact details, passport, marital status, the birth of a child — because family composition drives who falls within these assessments in the first place.
This article deals in general information only and does not assess any individual case; health and character outcomes turn on personal medical and history details, so decisions should rest on the latest official pages and on professional advice where your own circumstances warrant it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a health examination before lodging a Subclass 835 application?
No. Health examinations are requested after you apply, and the Department tells you whether you need them. Booking examinations that were never requested risks paying for reports that do not match what the Department requires.
Should I get my police certificate ready early to save time?
No. The Department states that you should not arrange police certificates until asked to. Certificates obtained too early can expire or fail to cover the period the Department actually needs assessed.
Do family members who are staying behind need checks too?
Possibly. Non-migrating family members may have to meet the health requirement, and the Department may ask them to meet the character requirement. The Regulations frame this through clause 835.224A, which applies criteria 4001 to 4004 and 4005 where it is not unreasonable to require them.
If one person fails the health requirement, does everyone lose?
Potentially yes. The criteria apply across the applicant and the family unit, and PAM3 summarises clause 835.224 as producing that outcome. All family members listed on the application can be refused together.
Are biometrics requested at the same time as health exams?
They are separate requests with the same discipline. The Department may ask for fingerprints and a photo, and will notify you if they are needed rather than expecting them unprompted.
When is the second instalment of the visa application charge due?
The Department invoices it after you have met all other requirements for the visa, and the visa cannot be granted unpaid. In practice, that places it after health and character matters are resolved.