Can you travel overseas on a Safe Haven Enterprise visa (790) in 2026?
Yes. As of the August 2026 version of the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV, subclass 790), a SHEV holder can travel overseas — but only to countries other than their home country, and only after the Department has given written approval to travel on compassionate or compelling grounds before they leave Australia. These two limits come from visa condition 8570 (Restricted travel), which attaches to the visa once it is granted, and they are what makes travel on a 790 different from travel on most other Australian temporary visas.
What does condition 8570 actually allow and prohibit?
Condition 8570 splits the world into two categories. Your home country — the country from which Australia granted you protection — is closed under any circumstances; even a short entry breaches the condition. Every other country is theoretically open, but only if two things are true at the same time: you have compassionate or compelling reasons for the trip, and the Department has given written approval before you depart.
The official page states the approval request runs through Form 1454 (Request for approval to travel under condition 8570), emailed to travel.request@homeaffairs.gov.au, and that you must have compassionate or compelling circumstances justifying the trip. The Department's page does not publish a fixed list of what qualifies, so the assessment is made on the circumstances put forward rather than against a published checklist.
Which travel document do you need, and why does it matter?
You should not use a passport or travel document issued by your country of nationality. Doing so may lead the Department to consider that you no longer need Australia's protection, and it may cancel your visa. Instead, TPV and SHEV holders are eligible to apply for a travel document from the Australian Passport Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) — a Convention Travel Document (Titre de Voyage) or a Certificate of Identity.
The official page also lists checks that fall on you: confirm the DFAT travel document actually allows entry to the country you want to visit, update your travel document details with the Department if you get a new one, and check your visa travel facility in VEVO before you go. Assume an applicant gets approval and flies out on a Convention Travel Document; if that document is not accepted by the destination, the approval does not solve the problem at the border.
Does the visa have to remain valid for the whole trip?
Yes. The Department requires your visa to be in effect for the entire time you are outside Australia. If you are overseas when your SHEV expires, you will not be able to return to Australia and you will not be able to apply for another SHEV or a Temporary Protection visa (subclass 785). Since a SHEV is a temporary visa that ceases five years after the date of grant, travel planned near the end of that period carries a specific risk: the trip can outlast the visa even if the departure itself was approved.
Is the rule different while your SHEV application is still undecided?
Yes, and in a stricter way. If you leave Australia before the Department decides your SHEV application, your bridging visa expires and you will not be allowed to re-enter Australia. Condition 8570 applies once a SHEV is granted; before a decision, the constraint is simply that departure ends the bridging visa. Before a decision is made, leaving Australia ends your bridging visa and you cannot re-enter; after a SHEV is granted, travel is possible only with the Department's written approval under condition 8570.
What happens if you travel without written approval?
Travelling overseas without the Department's written approval breaches condition 8570, and the Department may cancel your visa while you are offshore. The same consequence follows from entering the country from which protection was granted, even briefly. The cancellation exposure is not limited to you: the visas of members of your same family unit may also be cancelled, because everyone included in the application must meet all visa conditions.
What support is available once you are outside Australia?
Very little by comparison with an Australian citizen's trip. Consular assistance is only available to Australian citizens, and only to permanent residents in crisis situations; travelling overseas, with or without approval, is done at your own risk. The Department notes that it would normally facilitate re-entry for holders of valid Australian Passport Office travel documents such as a Convention Travel Document. This article describes the general rule as published and is not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances — for a specific trip, rely on the official page current at the time and on a registered migration professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I visit my home country on a Safe Haven Enterprise visa?
No. Condition 8570 prohibits travel to your home country under any circumstances. Even a short entry into the country from which Australia granted you protection is a breach, and the Department may cancel your visa and the visas of your family unit.
Do I need approval to travel to a country that is not my home country?
Yes. You need compassionate or compelling reasons for the trip and the Department's written approval before you leave Australia. The absence of approval is enough to breach condition 8570, regardless of which country you travelled to.
How is travel approval requested?
The official page describes completing Form 1454 (Request for approval to travel under condition 8570) and emailing it to travel.request@homeaffairs.gov.au. The request must set out compassionate or compelling circumstances justifying the travel.
Can I use my home country passport for a trip to a third country?
You should not. Using a passport or travel document issued by your country of nationality may lead the Department to consider that you no longer need Australia's protection, and it may cancel your visa. A DFAT Convention Travel Document or Certificate of Identity is the alternative for SHEV holders.
What if my SHEV expires while I am overseas?
You will not be able to return to Australia, and you will not be able to apply for another SHEV or Temporary Protection visa. Your visa must be in effect for the entire time you are outside Australia.
Will my family's visas be affected if I travel without approval?
They can be. The Department may cancel the visas of members of your same family unit as well as your own while you are offshore, since all members included in the application must meet their visa conditions.