What Identity Documents Does the 190 Visa Require in 2026?
For a Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) application, the identity documents you provide are the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; and proof of a change of name. This is the identity list on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' "Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190)" official page, as of the July 2026 version of that page, and it applies at the document-gathering step, before you lodge. The rest of this article is general information about what that page asks for, not personalised advice — where your own name history or documents are unusual, treat the official page as the controlling source and check it against your situation.
What exactly should the passport pages show?
The requirement is stated in terms of what the pages show, not how many pages you scan. You need the pages of your current passport that show your photo, your personal details, and the passport's issue and expiry dates — so a single photo page is not automatically enough if the issue and expiry dates sit elsewhere in the document.
Use the passport you currently hold. The page's wording is "current passport," which matters if you renewed recently: the document you upload should be the one you would travel on, and the same one whose details you entered in your EOI and application.
Do I need to send a national identity card?
Only if you have one. The official page lists a national identity card as something to provide "if you have one," which makes it conditional rather than mandatory — applicants from countries that do not issue one are not expected to produce one.
If you do hold a national identity card, include it. It carries an additional data point (an identity record issued by your home country) that is separate from your travel document.
What counts as proof of a change of name?
The page gives three categories of acceptable evidence:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names you have been known by
The logic is a chain: something issued by an authority that connects your former name to your current one (the first two categories), or documents demonstrating that you were known by another name at all (the third).
What if I used another name but never formally changed it?
The third category covers this. A formal change-of-name certificate is not the only route — documents showing other names you have been known by are listed as proof in their own right.
Suppose an applicant always used an anglicised first name on employment and education records while their passport carried a different given name. There is no registry certificate to produce, but the employment and education records fall into the third category, and omitting the second name would leave a gap between the identity in the passport and the identity in the skills and employment evidence submitted for the same application. Identity evidence is part of a broader accuracy obligation: the Department's page on providing accurate information explains what may happen if you cannot prove your identity or do not provide true information.
Do partner and dependant applicants need identity documents too?
Yes, in different forms. Partner applicants require identity documents and photos, character documents, a marriage certificate if applicable, and documents about other relationships if applicable. Dependants 18 or younger require birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents, plus adoption papers where applicable. Dependants over 18 require identity documents and documents about their other relationships where applicable. There is also a consent requirement: where someone with a legal right to decide where a child lives is not migrating with that child, their completed Form 1229 or statutory declaration must be accompanied by an identity document showing their signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence.
| Who | Identity-related item | Source requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | Current passport pages (photo, personal details, issue/expiry dates) | Required |
| Main applicant | National identity card | Only if you have one |
| Main applicant | Proof of change of name | Required where applicable |
| Partner | Identity documents and photos | Required |
| Dependant 18 or younger | Birth certificate or family book showing both parents | Required |
| Consenting adult for a child | ID showing signature and photo (passport or driver's licence) | Required with Form 1229 or statutory declaration |
When do these documents actually get uploaded?
Identity documents belong to Step 2, "Gather your documents," which supports the claims in your EOI and the other visa criteria. Once you are invited, you have 60 calendar days to apply, and the Department states it cannot extend this time. Applications are lodged online through ImmiAccount, where you attach documents and pay the application charge.
Frequently asked questions
Is a national identity card mandatory for the 190 visa?
No. The official page lists a national identity card as something to provide "if you have one," so it is conditional on you holding one. If your country issues national identity cards and you have one, include it alongside your passport pages.
Which passport pages does the Department want — the whole passport?
The requirement is defined by content rather than by page count: the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Include whichever pages carry those four elements, using the passport you currently hold.
Can a marriage certificate serve as proof of a change of name?
Yes. A marriage certificate is listed explicitly as a document that proves a change of name, as is a divorce certificate — which matters for a name reverted after divorce. Registry-issued change of name documents are the alternative authority-issued route.
What if my name changed overseas rather than in Australia?
The official page accepts change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority. Overseas-issued change of name documents sit on the same footing as Australian registry documents, provided they come from the authority responsible for recording names in that country.
Do I need identity documents for family members who are not migrating with me?
If your partner or dependent children are not included in the application, you must tell the Department the reason why — for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident. Their identity and character treatment is separate from the identity documents uploaded for applicants who are included.
What happens if I cannot prove my identity?
The Department's own page on providing accurate information sets out what may happen if you cannot prove your identity or do not provide true information. The identity list itself is the starting point for meeting that expectation, so gaps in the passport, national ID or name-change chain are worth resolving before lodgement rather than after.
Is there a deadline attached to providing these documents?
Yes, indirectly. Once you receive an invitation, you have 60 calendar days to apply for the visa, and the Department states it cannot extend this time. Identity documents are part of the material you attach in ImmiAccount when you lodge within that window.