OtterFillHow to fill in Form 80 for Australia
Form 80, “Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment”, is the Department of Home Affairs form that collects your full personal history so it can check your identity and character for a visa. You fill it in, in English, when the office processing your application asks for it and you are 16 or older.
Last checked against the official form:
- Form
- Form 80
- Edition
- 80 (Design date 03/21)
- Issued by
- Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
- Form language
- English
- Who receives it
- The Department of Home Affairs, the office processing your application; for an online application you attach the completed, signed form in ImmiAccount
- Who fills it in
- Each applicant aged 16 or over, when the office processing the application asks for it
- Language
- English only: type it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, or print it and write with a pen in BLOCK LETTERS
- Length
- 19 pages, 54 questions in Parts A to T. This guide follows the edition marked “80 (Design date 03/21)”
- Cost
- The form is free to download from Home Affairs; your visa application has its own charge
What this form is
Form 80 is not a visa application. It is a record of your personal particulars that the Department of Home Affairs uses, alongside your application, to assess your identity and whether you meet the character requirements in section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. Home Affairs lists it among the things it may ask for after you apply, together with a police certificate, Form 1563 (Statement of Character) and Form 1399 (Declaration of Service).
The form runs to 19 pages in Parts A to T: your names, birth and citizenships (A), passports and identity documents (B and C), contacts and addresses (D), travel, jobs and education (E to G), your plans in Australia and your Australian visa history (H to J), the character questions (K), military and intelligence service and past refusals (L to P), your family and contacts in Australia (Q), a sponsor (R), the declaration (S) and extra space (T).
Most of the work is the history. Questions 17 and 18 ask for every address and every trip outside Australia in the last 10 years (30 years for a refugee or humanitarian visa), and Question 19 asks for all employment and unemployment with no gaps. Home Affairs compares your answers with your application and other documents, so the dates must match.
Who has to fill it in
You fill in Form 80 if all of these apply:
- You are an applicant aged 16 or over: the form says it is completed by applicants who are 16 years of age or over.
- The office processing your application asks for it, in a request from Home Affairs or in your application’s document list in ImmiAccount.
- Each person 16 or over included in the application, such as your partner or an adult child, fills in their own form; never combine two people’s history in one.
Form 80 is not the right form if:
- You want to apply for a visa: Form 80 supports an application, it does not replace it.
- You are under 16: the form is for applicants 16 or over.
- You found a wrong answer in information you already gave: Home Affairs uses Form 1023, Notification of incorrect answer(s).
- Your circumstances have changed since you applied: Form 1023 points to Form 1022, Notification of changes in circumstances.
- You were asked for a police certificate: that is a separate document from the police of each country, not part of Form 80.
Field-by-field instructions
Part A: Applicant details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part A, 1Please provide your details as they appear in your official documents. / Family name / All given names | Your name exactly as on your official documents, such as your passport, identity document or birth certificate. | Copy the family name and all given names from your passport. If you have one name only, write it in “Family name”. |
| Part A, 1Sex: Male / Female / Indeterminate / Intersex / Unspecified / Date of birth (Day, month and year MUST be provided) | Your sex and your date of birth. | Tick Male, Female or Indeterminate / Intersex / Unspecified. Write the day, month and year in full: the form says all three must be provided. |
| Part A, 1Suburb of birth / Town/City of birth / State/Province/Region / Country | Where you were born: suburb, town or city, state, province or region, and country. | Write the place as on your passport or birth certificate, in English. Use the same spelling throughout the form. |
| Part A, 2Do you ever use a Chinese Commercial Code Number for your names shown in the passport/travel document at Question 1? | Whether you use Chinese Commercial Code Numbers, the 4-digit numbers that stand for Chinese characters, for the names in your passport. | If you do, answer “Yes” and write the full code numbers for your name. Otherwise answer “No”. |
| Part A, 3Are you of Russian descent? / In English, provide your patronymic name | Whether you are of Russian descent and so have a patronymic name, a middle name formed from your father’s given name. | If “Yes”, write your patronymic name in English letters, as in your passport where it appears. |
| Part A, 4Have you been known by any other name(s)? | Every other name you have been known by: name at birth, before or after marriage, adoptive or foster name, alias, cultural or tribal name, preferred name, and other spellings. | For each, write the type of name, the family name and the given names in English. The form has room for 1; list the rest in Part T. |
| Part A, 5Have you ever had a different date of birth to the one shown at Question 1? | Whether any document or record has ever shown a different date of birth for you. | If “Yes”, write that date. Declare it even if it came from a registration error. |
| Part A, 6Do you currently have citizenship from any country? / No, I am stateless / How did you gain this citizenship (eg. birth, descent, naturalisation)? / Date you gained this citizenship | The citizenship you hold now, how you got it and when. | Write the country, how you gained it (for example by birth, descent or naturalisation) and the date. If you have no citizenship, tick “No, I am stateless” and give details. |
| Part A, 7Do you hold or have you held citizenship from any other country (including dual citizenships and all previous citizenships)? | Any other citizenship you hold or have ever held, including dual and previous citizenships. | For each, write the country, how you gained it and the dates; if you still hold it, write “CURRENT” as the end date. List more than one in Part T. |
| Part A, 8Do you currently have permanent residency rights in any country other than those declared in Questions 6 or 7? | Permanent residency rights in any country other than those of your citizenships, such as a green card or permanent residence. | If “Yes”, list every such country. |
Parts B and C: Passport, travel and identity documents
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part B, 9Do you have a current passport or travel document? / Is this the original issue date? / Name on the document (if the same as Question 1, write ‘SAME AS QUESTION 1’) | Your current passport or travel document: number, country, dates, nationality, issuing authority and the name printed in it. | Copy each detail from the passport. If the issue date is not the original one, answer “No” to “Is this the original issue date?” and give the original date. If the name matches Question 1, write “SAME AS QUESTION 1”. |
| Part B, 10Do you have any other current passport or travel document? | Any second current passport or travel document, for example from a second citizenship. | Give the same details as for the first one. |
| Part B, 11–13Have you ever had any previous passports or travel documents (including expired, lost or stolen documents)? / What happened to this document / Do you have, or remember, any of the document details? | Your earlier passports and travel documents, including expired, lost or stolen ones. | Tick what happened to it (expired, lost/stolen or other) and give as many details as you have or remember: number, country, dates and name. |
| Part C, 14Do you currently have, or have you ever had, any national identity documents or numbers (including birth registration numbers, social security cards etc)? | National identity documents or numbers you have now or have ever had, such as an ID card, a birth registration number or a social security card. | For each, write the type of document, the country of issue and its number. Include ones that have expired. |
Part D: Address and contact details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part D, 15Do you have any email addresses? | Your email addresses. | List all of them, personal, student and work. Do not include the address of a migration agent or lawyer. |
| Part D, 16Do you have current contact telephone numbers? | Your current telephone numbers. | Give work, home, mobile and other numbers with country code and area code. On the PDF this question sits at the bottom of page 4, after Question 18. |
| Part D, 17Your address history for the last 10 years. | Every place you have lived in the last 10 years, or 30 years if you apply for a refugee or humanitarian visa. | Write month and year from and to, full address and country, in date order with no gaps, ending with the “CURRENT” line. Include addresses for study or work, share houses, university residences, temporary accommodation and refugee camps. Explain any gap in Part T. |
Parts E to G: International travel, employment and education
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part E, 18Have you travelled to any country other than Australia in the last 10 years? | Every trip to a country other than Australia in the last 10 years, or 30 years for a refugee or humanitarian visa. | List each in date order with day, month and year from and to, the reason and the country. Include work or study abroad, holidays, business, military deployment and visits back to your own country. Your passport stamps help. |
| Part F, 19Give details of all employment and unemployment | All your employment and all your unemployment, with no gaps. Unlike Questions 17 and 18, this question sets no 10-year limit. | Include paid and unpaid work, self-employment, family business, internships and volunteering, each with the full business name (no abbreviations), type of business, your duties and the full address (no Post Office box). For unemployment, including the time from your birth to your first job, say how you spent your time and supported yourself. If you are retired, write “CURRENTLY RETIRED”; if you have never worked, write your date of birth as the start date and “NEVER WORKED”. |
| Part G, 20Give details of all tertiary education and qualifications | All your tertiary education and qualifications: college, vocational school, university, research or thesis, specialist training and trade qualifications. | Write the full name of the institution and course without abbreviations, the dates, and tick completed, withdrew or currently enrolled. For research, give the thesis and supervisor. For a refugee or humanitarian visa, list all education since birth. |
Parts H and I: Proposed travel or further stay, and addresses in Australia
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part H, 21–24Are you currently in Australia? / Why are you travelling to Australia? / Do you have any proposed or booked travel dates for your journey to Australia? / Are you applying for a temporary visa? | If you are outside Australia: why you are travelling there and your planned arrival and, for a temporary visa, departure. | If you are in Australia, answer “Yes” to Question 21 and go to Question 25. Otherwise give the reason with any dates or events, the arrival date, flight and city if booked, countries on the way, and the towns or cities you will visit; write “N/A” where nothing applies. |
| Part H, 25–29What is your main reason for remaining in Australia? / List the towns/cities you will visit during your further stay in Australia / Give details of your arrival in Australia / Are you applying for a temporary visa? / Do you have any proposed or booked travel for your departure from Australia? | If you are already in Australia: why you are staying, where you will go, when you arrived and, for a temporary visa, when you plan to leave. | Give your main reason, the towns or cities, your arrival date and city, and any booked departure details. |
| Part I, 30–32Do you know any details of the places you will stay during your time in Australia (eg. hotel, friends, relatives)? / Will you stay at any other address? | If you are outside Australia: the places you will stay there, such as a hotel or a friend’s or relative’s home. | Give the full residential address with postcode and telephone numbers. A post office box is not accepted. Put more than 2 addresses in Part T. |
| Part I, 33Do you have any other addresses in Australia that have not been declared at Question 17? | If you are in Australia: any address in Australia you have not already given at Question 17. | Give the address and telephone numbers, and say when and in what circumstances you lived or stayed there. |
Part J: Australian visa history
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part J, 34Are you currently in Australia? / Give details of current visa | If you are in Australia now: the visa you hold. | Write the type of visa (for example visitor or business), the reason for your journey, the name you used on entry, where the visa was issued and your arrival date. |
| Part J, 35Have you been to Australia before? / Give details of previous visas | Each earlier visit to Australia and the visa you held. | Give the same details plus the departure date for each visit. Your passport stamps and old visa grant notices can help with the dates. |
Part K: Character (Question 36)
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part K, 36Have you, or any other person included in this application, ever: been charged with any offence that is currently awaiting legal action? / been convicted of an offence in any country (including any conviction which is now removed from official records)? / … family or domestic violence … / … arrest warrant or Interpol notice? / … sexually based offence involving a child … / … sex offender register? / … unsoundness of mind or insanity? / … not fit to plead? | The first bullet points of Question 36: pending charges, convictions in any country, family or domestic violence, protection orders, arrest warrants or Interpol notices, sexual offences involving a child, sex offender registers, and findings of unsoundness of mind or unfitness to plead. | Tick “No” or “Yes” for each line. The question covers you and every other person in the application, and a conviction removed from official records still counts. For each “Yes”, give the date of the charge, the outcome and any penalty, and attach court documents such as sentencing remarks. For orders, declare only those where you are the respondent or the subject, not those protecting you, and attach a copy. |
| Part K, 36… activities which would represent a risk to national security … / … genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, slavery … / … associated with a person, group or organisation that has been/is involved in criminal conduct? / … organisation engaged in violence … / served in a military force, police force, state sponsored/private militia or intelligence agency (including secret police)? / … military/paramilitary training … / … people smuggling or people trafficking offences? | The middle bullet points of Question 36: national security risks, genocide, war crimes and other serious international crimes, links with criminal or violent groups, service in a military, police, militia or intelligence agency, weapons training, and people smuggling or trafficking. | Answer each line on its own terms. Compulsory military or police service is still service: tick “Yes” and give the details in Part L or Part T. |
| Part K, 36been removed, deported or excluded from any country (including Australia)? / overstayed a visa in any country (including Australia)? / had any outstanding debts to the Australian Government or any public authority in Australia? | The last bullet points of Question 36: being removed, deported or excluded from any country, overstaying a visa anywhere, and debts to the Australian Government or a public authority in Australia. | Include Australia. For each “Yes”, give the dates and details. |
Parts L to P: Military service, intelligence agencies and refusals
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part L, 37Have you undertaken any military service? / No: Give reasons / Yes: Give details in chronological order | Any military service you have done: compulsory, conscription, military training, voluntary or professional. | If “Yes”, give in date order the country, the full name and ID number of the unit, your rank, duties and any country of deployment. If “No”, the form still asks for a reason, for example that your country has no compulsory service. |
| Part M, 38Are you currently, or have you been employed as an intelligence officer or an agent of an intelligence or security agency? | Whether you work or have worked as an intelligence officer or an agent of an intelligence or security agency. | If “Yes”, give the organisation, your role and the dates you served. |
| Parts N–O, 39–40Have you ever been refused a visa to any country? / Have you ever been excluded, asked to leave, deported or removed from any country? | Any visa refusal by any country (Question 39), and any time you were excluded, asked to leave, deported or removed from a country (Question 40). | Give the dates, countries and circumstances. Include refusals by countries other than Australia. |
| Part P, 41Have you ever been refused, renounced or rescinded citizenship of any country? | Whether any country has refused you citizenship, or you have renounced it or had it rescinded. | If “Yes”, give the dates, countries and circumstances. |
Part Q: Associated people
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part Q, 42Do you have a partner? | Your partner: wife, husband, fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other or de facto partner. | Give their relationship to you, names (including any patronymic and other names), sex, date of birth, Chinese Commercial Codes or “N/A”, place of birth, citizenships with the year granted, country of residence and whether they migrate with you. If you are widowed, give your deceased partner’s details and write “DECEASED” as the country of residence. |
| Part Q, 43Do you have children? | All your children: biological, adopted, from a current or previous marriage, step-children and children who have died. | Give the same details for each, whether or not they come with you. The form has room for 6; list more in Part T. |
| Part Q, 44Do you know details of your parents? | Your parents: biological, adoptive, step-parents, legal guardians and parents who have died. | Give the same details for up to 4 parents; write “DECEASED” where a parent is no longer living. |
| Part Q, 45Do you have siblings? | Your brothers and sisters: full, half and adopted. | Give the same details for each. The form has room for 5; list more in Part T. |
| Part Q, 46Other travelling family members / Are there any other family members included in the visa application? | Other relatives included in the visa application who travel with you, such as nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws or grandparents. | Give the same details for each; more than 2 go in Part T. |
| Part Q, 47–48Do you have any personal contacts in Australia? / Do you have any other personal contacts in Australia? | People you know in Australia: visa sponsors, relatives, friends, family members and acquaintances. | Give as much as you can about one contact at Question 47 and another at Question 48: name, sex, relationship, date and place of birth, nationality, residential address (no post office box), telephone and email. Put all the others in Part T. |
Part R: Sponsoring employer details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part R, 49–52Are you being sponsored by, or associated with, a business or organisation in Australia? / Does the employer/business have any other associated addresses? / … an email address? / … telephone numbers? | A business or organisation in Australia that sponsors you or that you are associated with. | Give its name, a description, its commercial address and a contact person, then any other addresses such as a head office or factory, its email address and its telephone numbers. |
Parts S and T: Declaration and additional information
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Part S, 53WARNING: Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. / I declare that: … / Signature of applicant / Date | Your declaration that the information is complete, correct and up to date, that you have read form 1442i Privacy notice, and that the Department may collect, use and disclose your personal information, including biometric information. | Sign and date it yourself, after checking every answer. Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. Keep a copy of the form and its attachments. |
| Part T, 54Additional information: Question number / Additional information | Space for answers that did not fit, and for explanations of gaps. | Start each entry with the question number it continues. If you need more room, attach a separate statement, as the form says. |
Key terms
| Term on the form | What it means |
|---|---|
| Character requirements (section 501 of the Migration Act 1958) | The test you must pass to be granted a visa and to stay in Australia. Home Affairs may refuse or cancel a visa if you do not meet it. |
| ImmiAccount | Home Affairs’ online account, where you lodge an online application and attach documents such as Form 80. |
| Chinese Commercial Code Number | A 4-digit number for each Chinese character, used to record Chinese names exactly. Form 80 asks for them for you and your family. |
| Patronymic name | A name formed from your father’s given name, used in Russian and some other naming traditions. Form 80 asks for it in Question 3 and for each family member. |
| Stateless | Having no citizenship of any country. You tick it in Question 6 and give details. |
| De facto | A partner you live with in a genuine relationship without being married. Form 80 counts a de facto partner as a partner in Question 42. |
| Refugee/humanitarian visa | Applicants for these visas give 30 years of addresses and travel, and all education since birth, instead of the usual periods. |
| CURRENT | What you write for a citizenship you still hold, and the last line of your address and employment history. |
| DECEASED | What you write as the country of residence for a family member who has died. |
| Part T – Additional information | Page 19, where you continue any answer. Start each entry with the question number; attach a separate statement if you need more room. |
| Police certificate | A record of your criminal history, or a statement that you have none, from the police of a country where you have lived. Home Affairs may ask for it separately from Form 80. |
| Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information | A supplementary form about your personal particulars, also for applicants 16 or over. If you are asked for both, the answers must match. |
| Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answer(s) | The form to tell Home Affairs that information you gave was incorrect, and what the correct information is. |
| Form 1442i Privacy notice | The notice that explains how the Department collects, uses and discloses your personal information. The declaration says you have read it. |
Common mistakes
- 1
Leaving gaps in the timeline
Questions 17 and 19 must run with no gaps from start to the present. Cover every month, including time between jobs or studies, and explain any gap in Part T.
- 2
Stopping jobs at 10 years
The 10-year period is printed for addresses and travel. Question 19 asks for all employment and unemployment and includes the time from your date of birth to your first job.
- 3
Dates that do not match the rest of your file
Compare every date with your visa application, CV, skills assessment and passports before you send it. Home Affairs reads them side by side.
- 4
Missing short or home-country trips
Question 18 includes visits back to your own country, business trips and short holidays. Work from the stamps in all your passports, old and new.
- 5
Leaving out a conviction or a charge
Question 36 asks about pending charges as well as convictions, in any country, and includes a conviction removed from official records. Declare it and attach the court documents.
- 6
Answering “No” to military service with no reason
Question 37 asks for reasons even when the answer is “No”. If you did compulsory service, answer “Yes” and give the details.
- 7
Leaving out family members
Question 43 includes step-children and children who have died; Question 44 includes step-parents and legal guardians. List them even if they are not migrating with you.
- 8
Not signing or not dating Part S
Sign and date the declaration yourself. An unsigned or undated form may be treated as incomplete.
- 9
Using an old copy of the form
Download the current PDF from Home Affairs, not a copy saved from an earlier application or another site, and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Questions and answers
What is Form 80 used for?
Home Affairs uses it to assess your identity and character for a visa. It records your names, documents, addresses, travel, work, education, family and character history.
Does every visa applicant need Form 80?
No. The form is completed by applicants 16 or over when the office processing the application asks for it, in a request or in your ImmiAccount document list. Each applicant 16 or over who is asked fills in their own form.
How do I submit Form 80?
For an online application, attach the completed and signed form to your application in ImmiAccount, as Home Affairs’ help page says. Follow any instruction and date given in the request.
How far back does Form 80 go?
Addresses and travel cover the last 10 years, or 30 years for a refugee or humanitarian visa. Employment and unemployment have no printed limit, and tertiary education covers all your studies.
Can I fill in Form 80 in another language?
No. The form must be completed in English, typed or by hand in BLOCK LETTERS. You can prepare your answers in your language first, then copy them in English.
What if I don’t remember an exact date?
Check passports, tickets, payslips and school records first. If a date still cannot be found, give what you know and explain in Part T rather than inventing one.
I made a mistake after I sent Form 80. What now?
Tell Home Affairs with Form 1023, Notification of incorrect answer(s), which asks for the incorrect answer and the correct one. For a change in your circumstances, use Form 1022.
What is the difference between Form 80 and Form 1221?
Both collect personal particulars from applicants 16 or over. Form 1221 is a shorter supplementary form; if you are asked for both, give the same answers in each.
Do I have to send Form 80 if I have already sent a police certificate?
Yes, if Home Affairs asks for it. A police certificate and Form 80 are separate items on its list, and Home Affairs says you must provide all requested information.
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