How to apply for a Subclass 202 visa in 2026: proposer first, then your application

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

You cannot start a Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) application on your own. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) official page (as of August 2026), your proposer must submit a proposal in ImmiAccount first — unless you are applying under the Community Support Program (CSP) — and then give you the transaction reference number (TRN). You use that TRN to lodge your own application online, and you must submit it within 60 days of the proposal.

Who has to act first, you or your proposer?

Your proposer. The Department's page sets the order clearly: the proposal is lodged first, the proposer receives a TRN, and you then apply using that reference. A proposal is not something you can create for yourself in the standard pathway.

Only certain people and bodies can propose you. Your proposer must be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation in Australia. If you are applying as a member of the immediate family of someone who was granted this visa, your proposer must be that person.

Your own circumstances also have to fit the visa before any of this is worth starting. You must be living outside Australia and outside your country of origin, and be subject to substantial discrimination in your home country that would amount to a gross violation of your human rights. The alternative pathway is being outside Australia and a member of the immediate family of a person who was granted this visa in the last five years.

What are the six steps to submit the online application?

Once you hold the TRN from your proposer, the Department lists the application itself as six steps:

Log in to ImmiAccount. If you do not have an ImmiAccount login, you will need to create a new account.
Click 'New application'.
Click 'Refugee & Humanitarian'.
Click 'Offshore Humanitarian Visa (200, 201, 202, 203, 204)'.
Complete the application.
Submit the application.

Step 4 is where people lose time: the 202 visa sits inside a shared offshore humanitarian category alongside subclasses 200, 201, 203 and 204, so you select the combined category rather than a 202-only entry.

How long does the TRN stay valid, and what happens if it lapses?

You must submit your application within 60 days of the proposal. If you have not submitted within that window, the proposal expires.

An expired proposal cannot be revived. The Department's instruction is that the proposer must submit a new proposal, and you must use the new TRN for your application. Practically, this means the 60-day clock is the single date worth writing down the day your proposer tells you the proposal is in — the remedy for missing it is starting the proposal stage again, not asking for an extension.

Does the Community Support Program follow the same route?

No. The standard requirement that your proposer use ImmiAccount to submit a proposal does not apply if you are applying under the CSP. Instead, CSP proposers must submit Form 842 Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa plus a proposal form specific to Approved Proposing Organisations (APO). Your APO will explain the full process for submitting application forms under CSP, so that organisation is the source of the procedural detail rather than the general online sequence above.

Which documents should you have ready before you start?

The Department groups the evidence by theme, and the humanitarian statement is the part you cannot assemble at the last minute:

Identity: the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; and proof of change of name (marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by). If you cannot provide these, provide a statement explaining why you have no travel or identity documents.
Humanitarian circumstances: proof if you have registered with any international organisation dealing with refugees, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and a detailed statement in English about why you left your home country.
Visas or residence permits: certified copies of any you hold.
Relationship documents: certified copies of marriage certificates or relationship registrations for you and anyone else included in your application, even if they are not joining you in Australia.
Photographs: one scanned photograph per applicant, showing the whole face against a plain background.
Character: military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country.
Getting help: Form 956A to nominate someone to receive your correspondence, or Form 956 to nominate someone providing immigration assistance.

If you include a partner, they need identity documents, character documents, documents about other relationships where applicable, any visas or residence permits held, and a photograph — plus either your current marriage certificate or documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply (joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, or documents showing your partner lived at the same address as you).

Dependants under 18 need identity documents or a statement explaining why they have none, proof of your relationship (such as a birth or marriage certificate), any visas or residence permits, any marriage or relationship registrations, character documents where applicable, and a photograph. Dependants aged 18 or over need identity documents, documents about other relationships where applicable, character documents, any visas or residence permits, and a photograph.

This is general information about how the process is structured and is not a substitute for advice on your own situation. Humanitarian assessments turn on individual evidence, so treat the Department's current page as the final check before you lodge.

Can your family apply at the same time?

Yes, and the Department asks for it. Submit your applications at the same time, because this gives the Department a clear idea of everyone who is applying for a visa. In your own application you must list all family members who are also applying for their own visa.

If you need to add someone later, you can in some circumstances add certain family members to your application before a decision is made, using Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement.

What happens after you submit?

The Department will let you — and your proposer, if you have authorised them — know when it has received your application and documents. After that, the pattern is that you wait rather than chase:

Status updates: the Department states it cannot give updates on applications; wait to be contacted.
Health exams and biometrics: you will be told if health examinations are needed, and you may be asked for biometrics (fingerprints and photo).
More information: if you did not attach all documents when you applied, send them to the office where you sent the application and quote the file number you were given. The Department may also ask for further information.
Interview: you may be asked to attend one, bringing your passport or other identification and any requested documents. Questions may cover your situation including why you are applying for a humanitarian visa, your family, and information you provided. Your proposer may also be contacted to clarify details in their proposal and to assess the kind of help they can give you. If the Department receives information that could lead to a refusal, it will usually ask you to comment.
Second instalment: if one is payable, you will be sent an invoice after you have met all other requirements for the visa. Pay after you get the invoice; do not ask for the invoice.
Mistakes and changes: notify mistakes as soon as you can using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, and report changes to your phone number, email, address or passport, changes to your marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or a decision to withdraw.

When do you get the decision, and can you travel before it?

The decision is given in writing, and you must be outside Australia when the Department makes it. If the visa is granted, you will be told your visa grant number, the date your visa starts, and any visa conditions that apply; keep a copy of the decision. If it is refused, you will be told why and whether you have a right to a review of that decision.

Do not arrange travel to Australia until the Department has told you in writing that the visa has been granted. Travel costs are your responsibility or your proposer's. Toll is the Department's Assisted Passage service provider and can help with booking flights, getting exit permits and providing your Australian Migration Status (AMS) ImmiCard — an ICAO-compliant travel document that also works as proof of eligibility for government services in Australia. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) can also assist. You or your proposer should tell the Department about your travel bookings so that an invitation to the Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) program can be sent before you travel and settlement assistance arranged on arrival.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lodge the application before my proposer does anything?

No. Your proposer must submit a proposal in ImmiAccount first, unless you are applying under the Community Support Program. They then give you the TRN, which you need in order to lodge your own application.

How long do I have to apply after the proposal is submitted?

You must submit your application within 60 days of the proposal. After 60 days without a submitted application, the proposal expires.

What happens if my proposal expires before I apply?

The proposal cannot be extended or reused. Your proposer must submit a new proposal, and your application must use the new TRN that comes from it.

Can I apply for a Subclass 202 visa on a paper form?

The Department's instruction for this visa is to apply online through ImmiAccount. Paper forms appear in the process only for specific purposes, such as Form 842 under the Community Support Program or Form 1436 to add an additional applicant.

Can I travel to Australia while my application is being processed?

No. The Department advises not to arrange travel until it has told you in writing that the visa has been granted. You must also be outside Australia when the decision is made.

What documents explain why I am seeking humanitarian protection?

You need a detailed statement in English about why you left your home country, and proof if you have registered with any international organisation dealing with refugees, such as UNHCR. The statement is your own account, so it carries the most weight of anything you attach.

Will I get progress updates while my application is being assessed?

No. The Department states it cannot give updates on applications and asks applicants to wait to be contacted. You will be contacted if health examinations, biometrics, further information or an interview are required.