New Validity Requirement for Protection Visa (Class XA) (Subclass 866)

From 1 November 2010 most protection visa applicants will be required to provide a digital photograph and a scan of their fingerprints (known as ‘personal identifiers’). If clients do not meet the requirement to provide personal identifiers their protection visa application will be invalid under s46(2A) of the Migration Act 1958.

The most important way that you can assist the department and the client in this process is for you to encourage and help clients lodge their protection visa application in person at an office of the department and provide their personal identifiers at the same time. This will ensure that all validity requirements are met at lodgement time, and that their protection visa application is processed as quickly as possible.

If clients lodge their protection visa application by mail, you can assist by helping clients make an appointment to provide personal identifiers within the timeframe given to them by the department. This will prevent the application from becoming invalid.

Information about the new requirement, including a client information brochure and a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, is available on the department’s website.

See: Protection Visa (Class XA) (Subclass 866) - Applying for this Visa