Character and Police Certificate Requirements for the 116 Carer Visa in 2026
Who must meet the character requirement for the 116 Carer visa, and why you should not arrange police certificates until the Department asks.
Yes — if you apply for the Carer visa (subclass 116), you must meet Australia's character requirement, and so must every family member aged 16 or over who applies with you. But do not go and order police certificates now: the Department of Home Affairs Carer visa (subclass 116) official page says, "Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to." This article reflects that official page as at July 2026, read together with the Migration Regulations 1994.
Who has to meet the character requirement?
The character requirement is not limited to you as the main applicant. The official page sets out three groups:
- You, the person claiming to be the carer.
- Family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you. The threshold is 16, not 18 — a 17-year-old in your application is inside the character requirement.
- Other family members, if the Department asks. The page states it might also ask that other family members meet the requirement, so the line is not fixed at the people listed on your form.
The age of 16 belongs to the character requirement specifically. Other criteria use different ages: the Australian values statement, for instance, applies from 18.
Do I need police certificates before I lodge my application?
No. The Department's document checklist for this visa has a "Character documents" heading, and the only instruction under it is the one quoted above. There is no lodgement step that asks you to attach police certificates, and the paper application is not invalid for want of them.
The reason is timing rather than paperwork. The Department asks for police certificates only when it needs them in the course of processing your application, and it tells you what it requires at the time it makes that request. Certificates gathered months earlier do not move that assessment forward.
When does the request arrive, and where do the documents go?
After you apply. The Department says it will let you know if you need to provide anything further, and health examinations work the same way — "We will let you know if you need health examinations."
A subclass 116 application is made on paper, sent by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, and you must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. Once you receive your acknowledgement letter, you can import the application into ImmiAccount, which is where you can attach supporting documents, read messages and check status. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, or you lodged outside Australia before 25 June 2020, additional documents are attached to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.
What is actually being assessed under "character"?
The official page links the requirement to the Department's character requirement, and the Migration Regulations 1994 set the character criteria as public interest criteria PIC 4001 to 4004. The main applicant must satisfy them at the time of decision under clause 116.223, and secondary applicants under the equivalent clause 116.323. Consolidated regulation text is updated over time, so the numbering and wording should be checked against the current official version of the regulations.
Accuracy sits close to this. PIC 4020 and 4021 deal with false or misleading information and bogus documents, and the Department's own warning is blunt: if you cannot prove your identity or do not provide true information, it will refuse the application, and it might not grant you or the family members listed on your application another visa for 10 years.
Immigration history is a separate criterion again. The Department will consider whether you have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused when it decides your case, and that assessment sits alongside character rather than inside it.
How character compares with the other requirements people confuse it with
| Requirement | Who it covers | How the timing works |
|---|---|---|
| Character | You, plus family members aged 16 and over applying with you; other family members if asked | Assessed at decision; police certificates requested only if and when the Department asks |
| Health | You, plus family members applying with you; family members not coming to Australia might also have to meet it | The Department tells you if health examinations are needed |
| Debt to the Australian Government | You, plus any family member, including those who do not apply with you | Must be paid back, or arrangements to pay it back must be made |
Everything above is general information about how the criteria are framed. It is not an assessment of your record or your family's, and it is not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances or for the current official wording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a police certificate for the 116 Carer visa?
Only if the Department of Home Affairs asks you for one. The official page for this visa instructs applicants not to arrange police certificates until asked, and there is no step in the lodgement checklist that requires them at the time you apply.
My child is 15 — do they have to meet the character requirement?
The character requirement applies to you and to family members aged 16 years and over who apply with you, so a 15-year-old included in the application is not covered by that threshold. The Department can still ask other family members to meet the requirement, so follow whatever the Department requests for your case.
My sister is not migrating with us. Does she need a police check?
The published threshold covers family members who apply for the visa with you. The Department states it might also ask other family members to meet the character requirement, so a relative who is not part of the application is only drawn in if the Department asks.
Should I order police certificates now so my application goes faster?
No. The Department asks for police certificates only when it needs them in the course of processing your application, and it tells you what it requires at the time it makes that request. Certificates obtained earlier do not speed up that step.
How will I be told, and where do I send the police certificate?
The Department contacts you if it needs further information. If you have imported your paper application into ImmiAccount after receiving your acknowledgement letter, you upload additional documents there; otherwise, or if you lodged outside Australia before 25 June 2020, you attach them to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.
Is the character requirement the same as the Australian values statement?
No. The character requirement starts at 16 and covers the assessment of your record, while the Australian values statement applies from 18 and involves reading the Life in Australia material and signing a statement that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.