Character and Health Documents for NIV 858 (2026): AFP, Form 80 and Form 1221

For a Subclass 858 (National Innovation visa) application, the character package is narrower than most applicants assume: an Australian Federal Police complete disclosure National Police Certificate if you have spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, an overseas police certificate for every other country that meets the same 12-month test, military service records where relevant — and Form 80 and Form 1221 only if the Department asks for them. Health examinations sit on the other side of the line: the Department's own instruction is to wait rather than book early. The following reflects the Department of Home Affairs' National Innovation visa (Subclass 858) official page, as of the August 2026 version of the official page.

What character evidence does Subclass 858 actually require?

The Department lists three categories of character evidence, and the trigger for two of them is the same residence test: 12 months or more in the last 10 years, counted from the day you turned 16.

Australian police certificate — required if you have spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16. Only a complete disclosure National Police Certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police is accepted. Standard disclosure certificates, and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police, are not accepted.
Overseas police certificates — required from every country, including your home country, where you spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16.
Military service records or discharge papers — if you served in the armed forces of any country.

Suppose an applicant spent 18 months in one country on a research contract and 14 months in another on a posting, both inside the last decade and both after age 16. That is two overseas police certificates plus the AFP certificate if the Australian residence test is also met. The test is applied per country, not per trip, so short visits that add up over ten years still count.

Where do Form 80 and Form 1221 fit?

They are not part of the baseline list. The Department's wording is that you may be required to complete and provide them:

Form 80 — Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment, which collects a continuous personal history.
Form 1221 — Additional personal particulars information, which goes further into background detail.

Treat them as on-request documents rather than something to attach unprompted on day one. That said, the practical work behind them — a clean chronology of addresses, employment, travel and any recorded incidents — is worth assembling before you lodge, because the request, when it comes, arrives inside a processing timeline you do not control. Nothing in the published guidance suggests the request will be repeated.

Who else in the family has to supply character documents?

Character documents are not limited to the main applicant. On the Department's page:

You and any family member above 16 years of age who applies for the visa with you must meet the character requirement.
Family members not coming to Australia must also meet the character requirement.
Partner documents explicitly include character documents.
A dependant over 18 who is included in the application must supply identity documents, relationship documents and character documents.

The Migration Regulations 1994 attach these requirements as public interest criteria that apply to each person in the application rather than being averaged across the family — a point worth confirming against the current wording on the Department's character requirement page before you rely on it.

What if a police certificate cannot be obtained in time?

Two mechanisms matter here, and both run through the application itself rather than before it.

First, some countries require a letter from the Department before they will issue a police certificate. The Department provides these letters after you have made an application — so no amount of pre-lodgement effort will produce that certificate early.

Second, if there are delays getting character documents, the instruction is to upload evidence showing your attempts to get them to your ImmiAccount. A receipt, an application acknowledgement, a booking confirmation or correspondence with the issuing authority is the kind of record that serves this purpose. The point is to show the document is genuinely in progress, not that it has been abandoned.

Should you book health examinations before you apply?

No — unless you already completed them before applying, in which case there is nothing to revisit. The Department's instruction is direct: if you did not complete health examinations before you apply, wait for a request from the Department before completing them.

The reason is sequencing rather than preference. Health examinations are tied to a request that carries its own reference details and validity window; an examination done on your own initiative may not line up with what the Department needs, and you may end up repeating it. The same logic applies to biometrics: the Department will tell you if they are required.

Health is also broader than the people travelling. You and any family members who apply with you must meet the health requirement, and family members not coming to Australia may also need to meet it.

How does the timing work end to end?

Stage	You can act	You have to wait
Before invitation	Build the residence timeline; identify which countries meet the 12-month test; gather military records	—
After invitation	Must apply within 60 days of the invitation; applications without an invitation or outside the timeframe are not accepted	—
At lodgement	Attach AFP certificate (if required), overseas certificates already obtainable, military records	Certificates needing a Department letter; Form 80 / Form 1221 unless requested
After lodgement	Upload evidence of attempts where documents are delayed; attach anything missing via ImmiAccount	Health examinations (unless already done), biometrics, any request for further information

Two features of the post-lodgement phase shape how you plan. The Department does not give status updates and asks applicants to check ImmiAccount for requests. And while the Department may ask for more information, it is not obliged to do so and may decide the application without requesting further documents — so a missing character document is not automatically followed by a reminder.

This is general information about how the published requirements are structured, not an assessment of any individual case; where a person's own record or a family member's circumstances raise a question, the official pages and up-to-date guidance are the controlling reference, and personalised advice should come from a qualified professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Form 80 mandatory for every Subclass 858 application?

No. The Department states that you may be required to complete and provide Form 80 and Form 1221, which places them in the requested-document category rather than the baseline checklist. Preparing the underlying personal history in advance is still sensible, because the request arrives during processing.

Which police certificate does the Department accept for time spent in Australia?

Only a complete disclosure National Police Certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted, so a state-issued check cannot substitute for the AFP document.

Do I need an AFP check if I lived in Australia years ago?

The trigger is residence, not recency: 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years, counted since you turned 16. Time spent in Australia as a student or on a previous visa counts toward the 12 months if it falls inside that window.

Can I book my health examination as soon as I am invited?

The Department asks you to wait. If you did not complete health examinations before you apply, you should wait for a request from the Department before completing them; biometrics follow the same pattern, with the Department telling you if they are needed.

Do family members who are not moving to Australia need checks?

Yes for character — family members not coming to Australia must also meet the character requirement. For health, the wording is that family members not coming with you may also need to meet the health requirement, so the position is assessed rather than automatic.

What should I do if a country will not issue a police certificate quickly?

Lodge, then document the attempt. Some countries need a letter from the Department, which is provided only after you have applied, and where there are delays you should upload evidence showing your attempts to obtain the document to your ImmiAccount.