Global Special Humanitarian Visa (Subclass 202)
Applying for this Visa
On this page
Application charge
There is no charge for this visa.
The forms required to submit an application can be obtained free of charge from any departmental immigration office.
See: Departmental Offices
Other costs
The Australian Government does not fund travel costs for the holders of Special Humanitarian Program visas. Successful applicants or their proposer must pay for their travel to Australia.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) operates a Refugee Travel Loan Fund which is designed to assist humanitarian visa holders meet these travel costs.
See: International Organization for Migration (IOM) > Refugee Travel Loan Fund
The costs of medical and x-ray examinations are met by the Australian Government.
How to apply
The applicant must be outside Australia when:
- applying for the visa
- a Global Special Humanitarian visa is granted.
An application for entry under the Global Special Humanitarian subclass must be made on an Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa (form 842), accompanied by a Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (form 681) completed by an Australian citizen or permanent resident or community organisation in Australia who is willing to support the application.
See:
Proposing an Applicant
Proposing an Immediate Family Member (Split Family Provisions)
Form 842 – Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa (592KB PDF file)
Form 681 – Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (241KB PDF file)
Valid applications
A valid application is a complete application, with all required documents attached as evidence and lodged in the required place.
Note: The department cannot process invalid applications.
Wherever possible, a complete application should be lodged. If all of the documents listed on the visa checklist are not available and there is a need to lodge the application urgently, the applicant must ensure that they have the minimum documentation required to make a valid application. If not, all documents will be returned to the applicant.
Lodging an application
A proposer is required for a person to be considered for an SHP visa.
Applications under the SHP must include an Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa (Form 842) and a Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (Form 681).
They must be submitted at the appropriate departmental office:
| If the applicant lives in: | The application must be lodged at: |
|---|---|
The Middle East, Pakistan or Afghanistan |
The department's Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre in Melbourne. See: Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia |
| Any other country not listed above | The department's Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre in Sydney. See: Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia |
After an application is lodged
For information about what happens after you lodge your application.
See: After an Application is Lodged
More information
Before you ask for additional help about this visa, you should read all the available web content.
If you still require assistance, contact your nearest departmental office outside Australia.
See: Contact us