Kenya

Visa Information and Lodgement

Country coverage

The visa office provide immigration and visa services to clients in Kenya and 20 other countries in East, Central and West Africa including: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Biometrics collection

All people in Kenya or Ghana, regardless of nationality, lodging paper-based visa applications in Kenya or Ghana will be required to attend an Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) in person to lodge their application and provide their biometrics. A 10 digit fingerprint scan and a facial photograph will be collected.
Note: Clients in Kenya lodging applications for Resident Return, Refugee and Humanitarian visas and Australian Citizenship by Descent applications should lodge at the Australian High Commission (AHC) in Kenya and will not need to provide biometrics.

Lodging a visa application

At an AVAC

The department has an agreement with VFS Global to provide Australian visa lodgement services for people in Kenya and Ghana through an AVAC. The AVAC accepts applications for Australian visas. Clients can lodge their applications in person through the AVACs in Kenya and Ghana.
Note: The AVAC does not accept couriered or posted applications.

Further information on the AVAC and their services is available from their website.
See: VFS Global

By post or courier to the Australian High Commission

Please ensure you have enclosed the appropriate visa application charge. Sponsors can also pay at any department office in Australia and you can include the official receipt with your application.
See: Contacts – Kenya
Note: Clients in Kenya and Ghana lodging applications directly with the AHC will still need to go to the AVAC to provide biometrics.
Exception: Clients in Kenya lodging applications for Resident Return visas, Australian Declaratory visas, Citizenship by Descent and Refugee and Humanitarian visas.

At the Australian High Commission in person

To lodge in person at the AHC you will need to make an appointment. Appointments are made by email or by calling the AHC.
See: Contacts – Kenya
Note: Clients in Kenya and Ghana lodging applications directly with the AHC will still need to go to the AVAC to provide biometrics.
Exception: Clients in Kenya lodging applications for Resident Return visas, Australian Declaratory visas, Citizenship by Descent and Refugee and Humanitarian visas.
See: VFS Global

Permanent entry visas

Permanent entry visa applications (except general skilled, business skills, Distinguished Talent (subclass 124), Former Resident (subclass 151) and parent subclasses) from countries in the country coverage list above are lodged and processed in Nairobi.

General skilled migration applications are lodged at the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre.
See: General Skilled Migration Processing Centres

Business skills applications are lodged and processed at the Perth Business Skills Processing Centre.
See: Perth Business Skills Processing Centre

Applications under the Special Migration stream – Distinguished Talent (subclass 124) and Former Resident (subclass 151), are lodged and processed at the Perth Office.
See:
Perth Office
Distinguished Talent Visa Enquiry form

Contributory parent and parent migration applications are lodged and processed at the Parent Visa Centre.
See: Parent Visa Centre

Refugee and Humanitarian visas

Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa applications from clients in Africa are lodged and processed at the AHC, Nairobi, Kenya.
Exception: Those described below in 'Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia from Applicants in Any Country in Africa'
See: Contacts – Kenya

Clients from Africa whose application for a Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa is accompanied by a proposal form (Form 681) must lodge their application at the department's Sydney office. This applies to people who are lodging a visa for consideration under the Global Special Humanitarian Program or as an immediate family member.
See:
Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia from Applicants in Any Country in Africa ( 27KB PDF file)
NSW Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre

Temporary entry visas

Student visa applications

Student visa applications from clients in Africa are lodged and processed at the Africa Student Hub (ASH) Pretoria, South Africa.
See: Contacts – South Africa

Some African nationals may apply online for a Student visa.
See: Student Visa Online Applications

If you are not eligible to apply for a Student visa online, you will need to lodge a paper application with the ASH Pretoria. Please ensure you have enclosed the appropriate visa application charge.
Exception: Clients lodging student applications in Kenya or Ghana.
See: New Africa Student Hub (ASH) Australian High Commission Pretoria ( 87KB PDF file)

Biometrics and clients lodging student applications in Kenya and Ghana

Clients in Kenya and Ghana lodging paper-based student visa applications, regardless of nationality, are required to attend either of the AVACs in Kenya and Ghana in person, to lodge their application. All student visa applications lodged in Kenya and Ghana will be transferred from the AVAC to the ASH Pretoria for processing.

Other temporary entry visa applications

Other temporary entry visa applications from countries in the country coverage list above are lodged and processed in Nairobi.

416 Special Program applications are lodged and processed at the Hobart Special Program Processing Centre.
See: Hobart Special Program Processing Centre

420 Entertainment sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre.
See: Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre

442 Occupational Trainee sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre.
See: Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre

Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) applications must be lodged in Australia by the sponsor. 679 Sponsored Family Visitor visas will be processed at one of the Sponsored Family Visitor processing centres.
See: Sponsored Family Visitor Processing Centres

If you are sponsored by an Australian employer for a subclass 457 Business (Long Stay) visa, you may lodge your visa application online or at an Australian office of the department. If you are sponsored by an overseas business, you can lodge your visa application with the Australian Immigration Office responsible for applications in your country.
See:
Centres of Excellence
Online Applications

If you are sponsored by an Australian employer, you must lodge your visa application at the same office in Australia where your employer lodged papers to support your application. Please ask your employer which office they lodged these papers at.
See: Contact Us – Australian Offices

Citizenship

Applications for Citizenship by Descent can be lodged at the Australian High Commission, Kenya.
Exception: Clients in Ghana can lodge Citizenship by Descent applications at the AVAC.

All applications for Australian citizenship general eligibility and other situations, and applications to resume or renounce (give up) Australian citizenship should be lodged at the Melbourne CBD Office.
See:
Application process for Australian citizenship
Application process to resume Australian citizenship
Giving up your citizenship
Melbourne CBD Office