What Documents Do I Need for an Australia Subclass 400 Visa in 2026?
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400) official page (as of August 2026), your documents are easiest to manage as four upload groups: identity, work and employer support, financial support, and family members. You prepare them to submit online in ImmiAccount, and every family member included in the application must have their own application charge paid and their own documents attached. This guide is general information only rather than personalised professional advice; for your own case, rely on the current official page and, if you choose, qualified professional advice.
What identity documents do I need?
Start with your passport. Upload the pages of your current passport that show your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
If you have a national identity card, include it as well. If your name has changed at any point, add proof of the change:
- a marriage or divorce certificate;
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or from the relevant overseas authority; or
- documents showing other names you have been known by.
Identity documents are part of the first upload, so non-English items should already be translated and scanned by the time you reach ImmiAccount.
What work and skills documents prove the specialist role?
The Department wants evidence that an Australian organisation has engaged you for work that needs to happen in Australia. Provide a letter of invitation, job offer, employment contract, or another document from the Australian organisation confirming they have employed you to work in Australia, showing:
- details of your position, duties, or project of work;
- the duration of your work;
- the reason why you are required to work in Australia;
- support for your visa application;
- your employment conditions and wages; and
- the Australian workplace standards or Industry Award that applies to your position.
Because the subclass 400 route is for non-ongoing work, your duration evidence should fit the “likely completed within six months or less” pattern and should not suggest you expect or arrange to stay in Australia afterwards for any reason related to that work.
To show the work matches your background, you can also include:
- a copy of your resume;
- any licences or qualifications you hold; and
- a letter from your overseas employer explaining your current position and duties.
Some freelance work may be acceptable — for example a freelance journalist or photographer undertaking a media assignment. In that case, provide a copy of your itinerary and the details of your work assignment.
Entertainment-related work has sharp limits. The Subclass 400 checklist can cover directing, producing or another role in a production that will not be shown in Australia — supported by a distribution contract or similar evidence — and promotional activity such as an actor attending a red-carpet premiere or a band on a promotional tour without performances. It does not cover performing as an entertainer, supporting an entertainer or group performing in Australia, or directing, producing or taking part in a production that will be shown, broadcast or performed in Australia, including theatre, film, television, radio, concert or recording. Those cases are directed to the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) Entertainment stream instead.
What financial documents prove I can support myself?
Funds evidence must cover you and any family you bring to Australia. You can provide:
- evidence of funds, such as an employment contract or bank statements; or
- a letter from your bank or financial institution stating your financial position.
Employer help also counts. The Department says it can consider allowances, accommodation and other support from your employer when assessing whether you have adequate means.
What do I upload for my partner or dependants under 18?
Family evidence differs depending on who is travelling with you.
For your partner, provide identity documents and character documents, plus documents about any other relationships if relevant. Then provide one of the following:
- your current marriage certificate; or
- enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you apply — for example joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, or documents showing your partner has lived at the same address as you.
For every dependant under 18 applying with you, provide:
- your child’s identity documents;
- proof of your relationship with them, such as a birth or marriage certificate; and
- your child’s character documents, if applicable.
For this visa, family members are treated as your partner, your dependent child and stepchild, and your partner’s dependent children and stepchildren. Their own identity, relationship and character evidence — and their own application charge — sit alongside yours.
Do police certificates or health exams go in the first upload?
Health and character requirements apply, but that does not mean every certificate belongs in the initial file set. Use this split as a working rule:
| Evidence | Usual timing |
|---|---|
| Passport pages, national ID, change-of-name proof, employer/work documents, funds evidence | part of the first upload |
| Partner and child identity/relationship evidence | part of the first upload |
| Translations of non-English documents | uploaded with the original documents |
| Police certificates | only if and when the Department tells you they are needed |
| Health examinations | either completed before you apply or after you apply, if the Department asks for them |
Health insurance is recommended, and you can organise health exams in advance if you prefer. You will usually be told later whether police certificates or biometrics are required, and ImmiAccount is where the Department records those requests.
How do I translate, scan and attach files in ImmiAccount?
All non-English documents must be translated into English, and the application should contain both the original and the translated documents. Translators working in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include, in English:
- the translator’s full name;
- their address and telephone number; and
- their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
Scan or photograph every document — English and non-English — in colour, keep the images clear, and save any multi-page document as one file.
When you are ready to apply, create or log in to ImmiAccount, attach your documents, arrange for family applications to be processed together, pay the application charge, and note the transaction reference number. The Department will not process the application until the charge is paid, and each included family member must have their own charge paid and their own documents attached. If you did not attach everything at filing time, add the remaining documents in ImmiAccount as soon as you can.
What happens after I submit the checklist?
You track and manage the application through ImmiAccount, including any request for more information. The Department confirms when it has received your application and documents, but it does not give status updates inside the standard processing window; ImmiAccount is the place to check whether anything further is needed.
You can add family members at any time before a decision is made. If your details change — for example your contact details, passport, marital or de facto status, or the birth of a child — tell the Department. If you find a mistake in what you submitted, notify it as soon as possible and attach Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers in ImmiAccount. Do not arrange travel until you receive written notice that the visa has been granted; if you enter Australia on another visa and it ceases, you cannot rely on a bridging visa to stay while the subclass 400 decision is pending, because you must be outside Australia when the decision is made. Grant details arrive by email and include your visa grant number, start date and conditions; refusals explain the reasons and the application charge is not refunded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to upload documents for every family member?
Yes. Each family member included must have their own application charge paid and their own documents attached to their application. This includes your partner and any dependent or stepchild children travelling as part of the family unit. Applications can be processed together, and you can add family members before the decision is made.
Do all non-English documents need translation?
All non-English documents must be translated into English, and both the original and the translation should be in your application. Translators inside Australia must be accredited by NAATI. Translators outside Australia need no accreditation, but every translation must show the translator’s full name, address, telephone number, and qualifications and experience in the language, written in English.
What proves a de facto partner relationship?
The Department expects enough documents to prove the de facto relationship existed for at least 12 months before you apply. Helpful items include joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing your partner has lived at the same address as you. If you are married, the current marriage certificate takes the place of the de facto evidence.
When do police certificates or health exams get requested?
Police certificates are not automatically part of the first upload; the Department tells you if and when they are needed. Health examinations can be done before you apply, if you prefer, or after you apply when the Department asks. Translation, identity, employer and funds documents, by contrast, belong in the initial submission.
Can I use Subclass 400 for entertainment or production work?
It depends on the activity. The visa may cover directing, producing or another role in a production that will not be shown in Australia, and promotional activity such as a premiere appearance or a promo tour without performances. It does not cover performing as an entertainer, supporting entertainers, or taking part in a production that will be shown, broadcast or performed in Australia. Those activities point to the subclass 408 Entertainment stream instead.
What if something changes after I submit?
Tell the Department as soon as possible about changes such as contact details, marital or de facto status, a new child, or withdrawal of the application. For mistakes in answers, attach Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers in ImmiAccount. Accurate information is an ongoing obligation, so it is better to correct the record early than to wait for a decision.