After you apply for Subclass 200 in 2026: health exams, biometrics, interviews

Once your Subclass 200 (Refugee visa) application is lodged, the Department of Home Affairs takes the next step, not you: it will tell you when it has received your application and documents, and it will separately advise you if you are required to undertake a medical examination or have your biometrics collected. As at August 2026, this is what the Department's Refugee category visas (Subclass 200, 201, 203 and 204) page sets out for the post-lodgement stage. Everything below is general information about how that stage is described, not advice about any individual case; the processing officer's requests, and the official page as updated over time, are what govern your application.

What happens first, and can you get progress updates?

The Department confirms receipt of your application and documents, then contacts you if anything further is needed. It also states plainly that it cannot give updates on applications, so the practical position is that you wait to be contacted while keeping the Department informed of your current contact details and any change in your circumstances.

That "keeping us informed" obligation is not a formality. The changes the Department lists as reportable after lodgement include changes to your phone number, email, address or passport, changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and a decision to withdraw your application. A missed letter about a health exam or an interview because your address changed is a risk entirely within your control to remove.

How are health exams and biometrics arranged?

You do not arrange these yourself in the first instance. The Department advises you if a health examination is required, and it may also ask for biometrics — fingerprints and a photo — telling you if you need to provide them. Both are handled with the assistance of Toll, described on the official page as the Department's Assisted Passage service provider.

If you are asked to undertake these requirements, the Department points to its own instruction letters, published as Requirements for your Offshore Humanitarian Visa Application in a range of languages including English, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Hakha Chin, Karen, Nepali, Persian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili and Turkish. Those letters carry the operational detail — where to go, what to bring, and how the appointment is made — so follow the version you are given rather than any general checklist.

What if you need to send more documents?

Two situations are covered separately. If you did not attach all your documents when you applied, you send them to the office where you lodged the application, quoting the file number the Department has given you. Separately, the Department may itself ask you for more information, and that request will come to you directly.

Documents are only one part of this. The official page also warns that accurate information matters at the application stage, and separately provides a mechanism for correcting errors after lodgement, covered below.

Will there be an interview, and what will you be asked?

An interview is possible rather than automatic: the Department may ask you to attend one. If it does, you must bring your passport or other identification and any other documents it has requested.

The Department lists three broad areas it may ask about:

Area	What it covers
Your situation	Why you are applying for a humanitarian visa
Your family	Family members connected to the application
Your application	Information you provided in the application

One further point matters for fairness. The Department states that if it receives information that could result in you being refused a visa, it will usually give you the opportunity to comment. That is the point at which a consistent account matters most, and it is also why correcting a known error early is better than leaving it to surface later.

When can you travel to Australia?

Not before you hold the visa. The instruction is unqualified: do not arrange travel to Australia until the Department has let you know, in writing, that it has granted you the visa. An application in progress confers no travel authority, and the Department cannot give updates that would let you time a booking against a likely decision.

What if something in your application was wrong, or your family situation changes?

Mistakes and changes have different tools. For an incorrect answer, the Department asks you to let it know as soon as you can by completing Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers). For family, in some circumstances you can add certain family members before a decision is made, using Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement).

Representatives are handled the same way after lodgement as before: Form 956A appoints or withdraws an authorised recipient for correspondence, and Form 956 appoints a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to provide immigration assistance. Only those categories of person can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee, which is worth knowing before anyone offers to "handle" your post-lodgement requests for you.

How will you find out the decision?

The Department notifies the outcome by email or letter. If the visa is granted, it tells you the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any visa conditions that apply; it advises you to keep a copy of the decision. If the visa is refused, it tells you why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

Because Refugee and humanitarian visa settings and the Department's published procedures can change, treat the official page as the controlling source at the time you read it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does lodging a Subclass 200 application mean I must do a medical examination?

Not automatically. The Department advises you if you are required to undertake a health examination, so no examination should be arranged until that advice arrives. When it does, Toll, the Department's Assisted Passage service provider, assists with the requirement.

Who collects my biometrics, and what do they involve?

If biometrics are required, the Department will tell you, and Toll assists with the collection. Biometrics are described as fingerprints and a photo.

Can I ask the Department how my application is going?

The official page states that the Department cannot give updates on applications, so the process is to wait to be contacted. What you should do proactively is keep your contact details and circumstances up to date with the Department.

I forgot to attach a document. What should I do?

Send it to the office where you lodged the application, quoting the file number the Department gave you. The Department may also contact you separately if it wants more information.

Can I book a flight to Australia once my application is being processed?

No. The Department's instruction is to make no travel arrangements to Australia until it has told you in writing that the visa has been granted. There is no interim travel entitlement while the application is undecided.

What happens at a Subclass 200 interview?

You may be asked to attend, and you must bring your passport or other identification plus any requested documents. Questions may cover your situation and why you are applying for a humanitarian visa, your family, and the information you gave in your application.

I made a mistake on my application form. Is there a way to fix it?

Yes — the Department asks you to tell it as soon as you can, using Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers). Correcting an error early is generally safer than having it identified during assessment or raised at an interview.

References

Department of Home Affairs — Refugee category visas (Subclass 200, 201, 203 and 204)