Applying for Subclass 116 on Paper in 2026: Forms, Postage and ImmiAccount Import

How to lodge the Carer visa (Subclass 116) on paper in 2026, and what you can self-manage after importing it into ImmiAccount.

Published: 24 September 2026

There is no online lodgement path for the Carer visa (Subclass 116): you complete Form 47OF, pay in advance, and post or courier the package to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, and you must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. Once the Department acknowledges the application, you can import it into ImmiAccount and manage most post-lodgement steps yourself. This follows the Department of Home Affairs Carer visa (Subclass 116) page, as at the July 2026 version of that page; figures and procedural detail below are general information only and not individual advice, so confirm anything that affects your own circumstances against the official page or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

Does Subclass 116 have to be lodged on paper?

Yes. The Department's own instruction for this visa is that you must apply on paper, and you must be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made. There is no ImmiAccount lodgement option at the front end for this subclass, which is why the paper package has to be complete before it leaves your hands.

The trade-off is that the paper stage is short and the post-lodgement stage can be largely online. Importing the application into ImmiAccount after you receive your acknowledgement letter gives you access to the same online services used for electronically lodged applications.

Which forms go in the envelope?

The core item is a completed Form 47OF Application for migration to Australia by other family members, submitted together with your documents and your sponsor's form and supporting documents. The Department states the forms must be completed in English, so any supporting document in another language needs to be handled accordingly rather than submitted raw.

Two other forms commonly sit in the same package, depending on your situation:

Form 956 — if someone is giving you immigration assistance (a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person).
Form 956A — if you want someone to receive correspondence about your visa matter. You can appoint anyone for this purpose; the regulated category only applies to immigration assistance.

You can send written notification instead of, or alongside, these forms with the paper application.

How is the application paid, and what proof goes in?

The visa application charge must be paid before the application is submitted, using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount. Evidence that the application has been paid for must be included with the paper package. Other payment options are set out on the Department's "how to pay" guidance for paper applications.

This is the step most likely to derail an otherwise complete package: an unpaid application is treated as incomplete, and incomplete applications may be invalid.

Where do you send it, and what should you keep?

Send the application by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, at the address printed on the form — use the address on the current version of the form rather than any address quoted second-hand, since the Department updates forms independently of its web pages.

Two handling rules matter:

Send certified copies only. Do not send original documents with the application.
Keep a copy of the completed application, including supporting documents, for your own records. If anything is later returned or queried, your copy is your reference.

Supporting material includes four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm) of each person included in the application, less than six months old, in good quality colour against a plain light-coloured background, showing the full face.

What makes a paper application invalid?

If any of the required steps are incomplete, the application may be invalid, and the Department does not process invalid applications. It will notify you if that is the case and, if requested, return the application.

The two practical checks before sealing the envelope are: every required form is present and completed in English, and payment has been made and evidenced. A separate timing trap sits slightly later — if you did not include the Bupa Medical Visa Services medical certificate when you applied, you should provide it within three months of applying, and if the certificate is not held by the time the decision is made, the visa will not be granted. You can lodge with a letter from Bupa confirming the assessment process has begun, then forward the certificate as soon as you receive it.

How do you import the application into ImmiAccount?

Import happens after lodgement, not before. You need your acknowledgement letter first.

Create a new ImmiAccount or log into an existing one.
Import the application by entering your application ID, date of birth, and identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de voyage number).

Import is available for applications made outside Australia on or after 25 June 2020, as well as for new and existing applications made in Australia. If your application predates that, it stays outside the ImmiAccount channel.

What can you do yourself after importing?

What you need to do	Channel after import
Attach supporting documents	Upload directly into ImmiAccount
Read messages from the Department	View messages in ImmiAccount
Change contact or personal details	Update details in ImmiAccount
Check where the application is up to	View application status in ImmiAccount
Apply for a Bridging Visa	Available through ImmiAccount
Withdraw the application	Available through ImmiAccount
Correct an incorrect answer	Upload completed Form 1023 through ImmiAccount
Change or remove an authorised recipient or adviser	Upload Form 956A or Form 956 through ImmiAccount

If you cannot use ImmiAccount, or the application was lodged outside Australia before 25 June 2020, additional documents and completed forms are instead attached to the Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

One limit is worth setting expectations on: the Department states it cannot provide progress updates within normal processing times. It will contact you if anything further is required, and you should not arrange travel to Australia until the Department lets you know, in writing, that it has granted the visa. Importing the application does not shorten that wait — it removes the friction around responding when the Department does ask for something.

What else do you need to do after you apply?

Three items follow their own rules once the application is in the system.

Second instalment. Pay it when the Department tells you to; the invoice is sent after you have met all other requirements for the visa, and the visa will not be granted without payment. The Department may consider reducing the second instalment to nil where you can show it is likely to cause severe financial hardship to you or to the person you are caring for — it will not reduce it for anyone else applying with you. Requests are made in writing.

Mistakes on the application. Notify the Department as soon as you can by completing Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.

Changes in situation. Tell the Department about changes to your phone number, address or passport, changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or if you want to withdraw the application. Domestic and family violence provisions also sit under this notification category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge Subclass 116 online?

No. The Department requires this visa to be applied for on paper, by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made. ImmiAccount becomes available after lodgement, once you import the application.

Which form do I use, and does it have to be in English?

You complete Form 47OF Application for migration to Australia by other family members, and submit it with your documents and your sponsor's form. The Department states the forms must be completed in English.

Do I pay before or after posting the application?

Before. Pay using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, then include evidence that the application has been paid for with the paper package. An application lodged without payment is incomplete and may be invalid.

Should I post original documents or copies?

Send certified copies only; do not send original documents with the application. Keep a copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records.

How do I get the application into ImmiAccount?

Wait for your acknowledgement letter, log into or create an ImmiAccount, and import the application using your application ID, date of birth and identity document number. Import is available for applications made outside Australia on or after 25 June 2020.

What can I do in ImmiAccount once it is imported?

You can attach supporting documents, view messages, update your details, check your application status, apply for a Bridging Visa and withdraw the application. You can also upload completed forms such as Form 1023 for incorrect answers, or Form 956 and 956A to change who assists you or receives correspondence.

Will I get progress updates from the Department?

Not within normal processing times — the Department states it cannot provide progress updates in that period, but will let you know if anything further is needed. You should not arrange travel to Australia until the visa is granted in writing.

What happens if the application is refused?

The Department will tell you in writing why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.