How Do You Apply for the Subclass 836 Carer Visa on Paper in 2026?

As of July 2026, the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs’ official Carer visa (Subclass 836) page requires you to apply on paper. You must complete and submit Form 47OF in English, pay before submission, include evidence of payment, and send the package by post or courier—not in person—to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth at the address shown on the form. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, both when you submit the application and when Home Affairs decides it.

This guide provides general information about the published process, not personalised legal advice. Individual circumstances should be checked against the Department’s current requirements or advice from an appropriately authorised professional.

What must be settled before you complete Form 47OF?

The Department’s process summary requires you to:

• be a carer for an Australian relative who needs care, or a family member living with that relative who also needs care;
• be caring for a person who does not have reasonable access to care in Australia;
• have an eligible sponsor; and
• be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the application is submitted and when a decision is made.

You must also begin the Bupa medical assessment process before lodging. Checking your passport and confirming that the care, sponsorship and location requirements are addressed before completing the form helps prevent an incomplete application.

What documents must accompany Form 47OF?

What evidence proves the care need?

The Australian relative needing care, or the family member living with them who needs care, must be assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services for the immigration medical process. Home Affairs says it will not accept the application unless it has evidence that this process has at least begun.

The medical certificate must state that the person:

• has a medical condition; and
• requires a certain amount of care because of that condition.

If the assessment has begun but has not yet been completed, include a letter from Bupa Medical Visa Services confirming this. You must also provide written evidence that the person needing care does not have reasonable access to care in Australia.

If you do not provide the medical certificate when you apply, you must provide it within three months of applying. Home Affairs will not grant the visa if the certificate has not been received by the time the application is decided.

What identity documents are required?

Provide the pages of your current passport showing:

• your photograph;
• your personal details;
• the passport issue date; and
• the passport expiry date.

Also provide:

• a national identity card, if you have one; and
• evidence of any name change.

Name-change evidence may include a marriage or divorce certificate, change-of-name records from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and records showing other names by which you have been known.

Applicants must provide accurate information. If identity cannot be proved, Home Affairs says it will refuse the application and might not grant the applicant or any family members listed on it another visa for ten years.

What character documents are required?

If you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia during the ten years since turning 16, provide an Australian police certificate.

For Australian immigration purposes, Home Affairs accepts only a complete-disclosure National Police Certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police. It does not accept standard-disclosure certificates or National Police Certificates issued by an Australian state or territory police. These certificates are valid for 12 months from their issue date.

You must also provide:

• an overseas police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more during the ten years since turning 16, including your country of residence;
• military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country; and
• completed Form 80, Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment; and
• Form 1221, Additional personal particulars information.

What must partners and dependants provide?

For a partner, provide:

• identity documents;
• character documents;
• documents about former relationships, if applicable; and
• either your current marriage certificate or evidence of a de facto relationship lasting at least 12 months before you apply, except in limited circumstances.

Evidence of a de facto relationship may include joint bank statements, joint billing accounts, joint leases or mortgages, and evidence that you live or have lived at the same address.

For each dependant under 18 applying with you, provide:

• identity documents;
• evidence of your relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate; and
• character documents, if applicable.

A child over 18 can be included only if the child:

• is over 18 but has not yet turned 23 and is dependent on you or your partner; or
• is over 23, is dependent on you or your partner, and cannot earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations.

If a child is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, you must provide evidence that the child remains dependent on you because of a disability. Provide identity documents and character documents, and, if applicable, documents about the child’s other relationships.

What photographs are accepted?

For each person included in the application, provide four recent colour photographs measuring 45 mm by 35 mm. Each photograph must:

• be less than six months old;
• be of good quality;
• show the full face;
• have a plain, light-coloured background; and
• not be a laser copy.

You may wear untinted prescription glasses. A religious head covering may be worn, but it must show only your face.

Who may help or receive documents?

Only a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person may provide immigration assistance for the application.

You can authorise any person to receive documents and correspondence relating to the visa matter. If someone is providing immigration assistance, use the appropriate form:

• Form 956A — Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient; or
• Form 956 — Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.

Include the relevant form or written notification with the paper application.

How should Form 47OF be completed and paid?

Complete Form 47OF, Application for migration to Australia by other family members, in English and ensure the information is accurate.

Before submitting the application:

1. Pay using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount.
2. Include evidence that the application has been paid for.
3. Include every required supporting document and form.
4. Send certified copies rather than original documents.
5. Keep your own copy of the completed application and supporting documents.

The Department’s page also identifies other payment options in its official payment guidance. Regardless of the method used, the application must be paid before submission and evidence of payment must accompany the paper package.

A second instalment may also become payable later; it is separate from the payment made when the application is submitted.

Where must the paper application be sent?

Send the package to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, using the address printed on Form 47OF.

The Department’s step-by-step page directs applicants to the address on the form rather than reproducing a separate street address in its lodgement instructions. Therefore, use the complete address printed in the form version you are submitting.

A Subclass 836 application cannot be submitted in person. Do not attend the processing centre to lodge it; send the application by post or courier.

How do I know the paper package is complete?

Before dispatching the application, check that it contains:

• Form 47OF, completed in English;
• evidence of the application payment;
• evidence that the Bupa assessment process has begun;
• the Bupa medical certificate or confirmation letter, as applicable;
• written evidence that the person needing care has no reasonable access to care in Australia;
• identity and name-change documents;
• applicable character documents and Forms 80 and 1221;
• partner, dependant and relationship documents;
• the required photographs;
• any applicable Form 956 or Form 956A; and
• certified copies rather than original documents.

If any of these steps is incomplete, the application may be invalid. Home Affairs does not process invalid applications. It says it will notify the applicant and, if requested, return the application.

What happens after I post or courier the application?

How will I know the application has been received?

Home Affairs will notify you after it receives the paper application. If you did not provide the Bupa medical certificate initially, this is also the point at which you must ensure it reaches the Department within the required three-month period.

How do I import the paper application into ImmiAccount?

You can import the application after receiving the acknowledgement letter.

Create an ImmiAccount or sign in, then enter:

• your application ID;
• your date of birth; and
• your identity document number, being your passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number.

ImmiAccount then provides access to online services for:

• attaching supporting documents;
• viewing messages;
• updating personal details;
• checking the application status;
• applying for a Bridging Visa; and
• withdrawing the application.

Importing the paper application does not change the rule that the original Subclass 836 application must be lodged on paper.

What if Home Affairs requests more information?

Provide additional material as soon as possible. If the application is in ImmiAccount, upload the documents there. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, attach them to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

Home Affairs may also request:

• health examinations;
• biometrics, including fingerprints and a photograph; or
• further information about the application or the people included in it.

During normal processing, the Department says it cannot provide progress updates on the application. It will let you know if anything further is required.

Must I stay in Australia while the application is processed?

You must be in Australia when Home Affairs decides the application. If you intend to travel outside Australia while it is being processed, you must tell the Department. If you leave Australia, you must have a valid visa that allows you to return.

Home Affairs says a Bridging Visa is granted when you apply. If your current visa expires before the application is decided, the Bridging Visa starts.

Do not cancel your current visa. Home Affairs warns that doing so would leave you staying unlawfully and make you ineligible for a Bridging Visa.

When is the second instalment payable?

Home Affairs sends the invoice for the second instalment after you have met all other requirements for the visa. You must pay it when requested; otherwise, the visa cannot be granted.

The Department says it may consider reducing the second instalment to nil if payment would likely cause you or the person you are caring for severe financial hardship. It will not reduce the second instalment for anyone applying with you. Any hardship request must be made in writing.

How should I correct errors or report changes?

If Form 47OF contains an incorrect answer, notify Home Affairs as soon as possible using Form 1023, Notification of incorrect answers.

If the application has been imported into ImmiAccount, upload the completed form. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, attach it to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

Matters that may need to be notified include changes to:

• your telephone number, address or passport;
• your marital or de facto status;
• the birth of a child;
• your decision to withdraw the application; or
• experienced domestic or family violence.

What happens when Home Affairs decides the application?

The decision will be communicated in writing. If the visa is granted, Home Affairs will identify:

• the visa grant number;
• the date the visa starts; and
• the visa conditions.

If the application is refused, the Department will explain the reasons and state whether you have a right to request a review. Home Affairs says it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for the Subclass 836 online in 2026?

No. The initial application must be submitted on paper. ImmiAccount is used for the pre-submission payment function and, after lodgement, for importing and managing the application.

Can I hand-deliver the application to the Perth centre?

No. Home Affairs says Subclass 836 applications cannot be submitted in person. Send the package by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth at the address printed on Form 47OF.

Which postal address should I use?

Use the address shown in Form 47OF for the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. The Department’s step-by-step page directs applicants to the form rather than providing a separate street address in its lodgement instructions. Check the address on the form version you are using before sending the package.

Must the Bupa medical certificate be in the initial application?

A completed certificate need not always be supplied initially, but evidence that the Bupa assessment process has begun must be included. If the assessment is still underway, provide the appropriate confirmation letter from Bupa Medical Visa Services. If the certificate is not provided when you apply, it must be supplied within three months; otherwise, the visa cannot be granted.

Can I send original identity and supporting documents?

No. Do not send original documents; send certified copies instead. Retain your own complete copy of the application and all supporting documents.

Can a friend or family member receive correspondence?

Yes. Any person can be authorised to receive documents and correspondence. If that person will also provide immigration assistance, they must be a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person, and the appropriate appointment form must be included.

Do I have to pay before mailing the application?

Yes. The application must be paid before submission and evidence of payment must be included. ImmiAccount provides the online payment function, while the Department also identifies other payment options. A second instalment is invoiced separately after the other visa requirements have been met.

Can I leave Australia while the application is waiting?

The location requirement continues: you must be in Australia when Home Affairs decides the application. Intended overseas travel must be notified, and you must have a valid visa to return if you leave. You should not cancel your current visa because doing so affects your status and Bridging Visa eligibility.

Is the application fee refunded if the visa is refused?

No. Home Affairs says it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. A refusal notice will state the reasons and whether you have a right to request a review.

What happens if the application is incomplete?

An incomplete application may be invalid and will not be processed. Home Affairs says it will notify you and, if requested, return the application.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Carer visa (Subclass 836)
• Department of Home Affairs — Form 47OF: Application for migration to Australia by other family members
• Department of Home Affairs — ImmiAccount online services