Identity Documents

Every applicant must prove their identity. Submit your passport bio-data page, any national identity card if applicable, and proof of name change if your name differs across documents.

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Every document must be current and legible. Blurry or cropped scans regularly trigger Departmental requests for resubmission.

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Australian Study Documents

You must prove you meet the Australian study requirement. Most applicants need a completion letter from their education provider, academic transcripts, and confirmation that the course was CRICOS-registered.

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Your completion letter carries the most weight. It must clearly state your course name, CRICOS code, and completion date. Vague or incomplete letters from providers regularly delay applications.

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Not sure which stream your qualification falls under? TR 485 Visa Streams — Explained

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English Language Documents

You must provide evidence of English proficiency unless you qualify for an exemption. Accepted tests include IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, and other approved providers.

 

Results must meet the minimum score requirements and remain valid at the time you lodge.

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Check your test expiry date before you lodge. Submitting an expired result carries the same outcome as submitting none at all. TR 485 English Requirement — Full Breakdown

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Health and Insurance Documents

Most applicants must complete a health examination through an approved panel physician and hold Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) for the full intended visa duration.

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Book your health examination early. Panel physician appointments have their own lead time, and an outstanding health check pauses assessment. TR 485 Visa Processing Time — How Health Checks Affect Your Timeline

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Character Documents

You must meet character requirements. Australian residents need an AFP National Police Check. If you lived overseas for 12 months or more in the past 10 years (since turning 16), you also need police certificates from those countries.

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Overseas police certificate processing times vary significantly by country. Start these early, some take weeks to arrive.

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Stream-Specific Documents

Graduate Work Stream: You need a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, or evidence your assessment application is in progress. Your qualification must link to an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list.

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Post-Study Work Stream: You need your degree certificate confirming a Bachelor, Masters, or Doctoral qualification from an Australian institution.

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PHEW Stream: You need evidence of study in a regional area or designated low population growth metropolitan area, plus any employer or location documentation your circumstances require.

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Learn more: How to Get the PHEW Extension | Hobart 485 Extension

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Documents for Family Members

If you include a partner or dependants, each person needs passport copies, birth certificates, and marriage or relationship evidence. Dependants over 16 may also need police checks. All included family members must meet health requirements.

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Common Document Mistakes That Cause Delays

Incomplete applications drive most processing delays. The most common triggers: expired English test results, completion letters missing the CRICOS code or completion date, missing overseas police certificates, and inconsistent personal details across documents,name spelling differences, date of birth discrepancies, or mismatched passport numbers.

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A Departmental request for further information pauses your application entirely until you respond. What Causes TR 485 Processing Delays

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How to Get Your Personalised Document Checklist

Use the Document Checklist Tool on the DHA website before you lodge. Once you start your application in ImmiAccount, the system generates a tailored list based on your specific circumstances. That list overrides any third-party guide, including this page.

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Key Takeaways

The Department publishes no fixed checklist. Most applicants need identity, study, English, health, and character documents, plus stream-specific evidence.

 

Family members each require their own documentation. Use the DHA checklist tool and ImmiAccount to confirm what applies to your situation. Preparing documents before you lodge, especially health exams, police checks, and English results, cuts the most common delay triggers before they become a problem.

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Frequently Asked Question

Does the government provide an official TR 485 document checklist?

No fixed checklist exists. The Department provides a personalised checklist through the Document Checklist Tool on their website and through ImmiAccount once you start your application. Your personalised list determines what you must submit.

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What happens if I submit incomplete documents?

The Department issues a Section 56 notice requesting further information, and your application pauses until you respond. Depending on what is missing, this adds weeks or months to your processing time.

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Do my English test results need to be valid when I lodge, or when the visa is decided?

Valid at lodgement. Check your expiry date before you submit — an expired result means no English evidence on file.

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Do family members need their own documents?

Yes. Each dependant you include needs their own identity documents, and those over 16 may need police checks. All included family members must also meet health requirements.

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Can a migration agent check my documents before I lodge?

Yes — and this removes most common delay triggers before lodgement. A registered migration agent reviews your documents against your specific circumstances and flags gaps before you submit.

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