Welcome
Welcome to the website of the Migration Branch of the Australian High Commission in London. We are an overseas office of the Department of Home Affairs. We service clients who are usually resident in the United Kingdom, Andorra, Ascension Island, Belgium, Canary Islands, Falkland Islands, France, Gibraltar, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Portugal, Saint Helena, Spain and Ukraine.
You should not book flights or make travel commitments until you have a visa to travel to Australia. The department will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by clients whose visa application was finalised later than expected or was unsuccessful.
Travelling to Australia for the summer?
Submit your Australian visa application now and you’ll avoid peak processing period delays. When submitting your visa application for Australia, remember to use the online document checklist. This will ensure you submit a decision ready application. More information can be found at: www.homeaffairs.gov.au
What's New?
The Australian Government has announced it will enhance the way visa and citizenship services are delivered using the latest digital technologies. For more information visit the Department of Home Affairs' website.
Post Specific Information
Where an application for Citizenship by Descent involves a person born through commercial surrogacy, a DNA test will be requested after the application has been lodged.
You should NOT commence making arrangements for DNA testing until you receive a formal request to do so.
When you have received a request, the steps are as follow:
• You should engage a NATA accredited lab - See: Form 1259i - Information about DNA testing for visa and citizenship applicants;
• Once you have engaged the lab, a DNA collection kit will be sent to our accredited panel clinic in Kyiv;
• You should notify the processing office of the name of the lab sending the collection kit, and where possible, which courier company and consignment number;
• The processing office will notify the accredited panel clinic of impending courier delivery and will confirm with them receipt of the kit;
• The processing office will notify you when kit has been received by IOM;
• You should then make an appointment direct with accredited panel clinic in Kyiv, notifying DIBP London of time/date;
• The processing office will advise the Australian Embassy in Kyiv of your appointment;
• Following the appointment, you will take the sealed DNA sample collection kit to the Australian Embassy in Kyiv;
• The Australian Embassy in Kyiv will return the DNA sample collection kit by approved methods to Australia confirming with the processing office that the kit was delivered untampered.
You can view current global visa and citizenship processing times for most visa subclasses and citizenship types. Please see the product page for the specific visa subclass or citizenship type you are applying for. You can navigate to any product from Individuals and Travellers or Visa Support. On the product page, two processing times will be displayed, indicating how long it takes to finalise 75 and 90 per cent of all applications submitted globally.
Processing times apply from the date your complete application is lodged.
You can also use the Visa Finder to compare processing times for up to three different products.
Please note that applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and that actual processing times may vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether the applicant has lodged a complete application including all necessary supporting documents
- how promptly the applicant responds to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external parties, particularly in relation to health, character, national security, and Assurance of Support requirements
- the number of places available in the migration programme (for permanent migration visas)
- surges in demand and peak periods
To ensure your application falls within the published processing times, we strongly encourage you to submit complete applications. The checklists provided on ImmiAccount will assist in making sure you have included all required documents during the application process.
Immigration and Citizenship
Our Department is committed to building more efficient and effective ways of delivering accessible services through the use of digital channels as our default form of delivery.
As such, you can complete a number of services online without needing to contact the department directly. This includes:
Check status of your Australian visa online
Please note that we are unable to provide any updates on the progress of your application if it is within average global processing times.
Please ensure that any supporting documents required with your application are attached during, or by the next business day, following the lodgement of your application. A decision may be made solely on the information that you provide with your application.
Any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English Translation.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs is moving towards a global visa processing model. This means that any application may be processed in an office other than where it is lodged. As such it is important that all supporting documents attached to the application which are not in English, be accompanied by an English translation.
Please note that the translation does not have to be certified, however it does need to be accurate. This approach will assist in processing applications expeditiously.
Please ensure that when providing an English translation, that a copy of the original document is also provided. Failure to provide an English translation of supporting documentation may delay processing and result in the document not being considered as part of the visa application.
Departmental policy relating to supporting documentation can be found on the Department’s website: http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Info