After a positive family violence finding: health and character documents in 2026

Yes. A positive family violence finding does not close your file. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Family violence provisions – Partner visa applicants page, once the Department is satisfied you have experienced family violence, it may ask you for more information, and that request may include a health examination or character documents such as an Australian or overseas police certificate. The Family violence provisions – Secondary applicants page uses the same wording. The information below reflects those official pages as of October 2026.

Does a positive family violence finding mean my application is finished?

No. The finding answers one question: whether family violence occurred during the relationship with the person identified as the perpetrator. The official pages describe further information requests as the step that follows, not as part of the violence assessment itself.

Note the wording carefully. The Department says it "may" ask for more information. The published pages do not say that every applicant receives a health exam request or a police certificate request, and they do not say when such a request arrives or how long it stays open.

What can Home Affairs ask for after the finding?

The published pages name two categories, and only those two:

a request to undertake a health exam
character documents, given as the example of an Australian or overseas police certificate

The pages do not list forms, fees, validity periods, or how to book these. Treat the request you actually receive as the authority for what is required of you, and treat the Department's current published pages as the reference for anything the request itself does not explain.

Where do these requests sit in the assessment sequence?

The published sequence is relationship first, violence second, then further information. Knowing where you are helps you read the next letter correctly.

Point in the process	What the published pages say happens next
Relationship assessed as genuine	The Department assesses your family violence evidence
Satisfied that family violence occurred	May ask for more information, including a health exam or character documents such as an Australian or overseas police certificate
Not satisfied that family violence occurred	Referral to an independent expert, who contacts you to arrange an interview; the Department must accept that opinion; if the opinion is adverse, you are given an opportunity to comment on it
Independent expert determines family violence occurred	The same further information requests, including a health exam or police certificates

The last row matters for anyone whose claim went to an independent expert. A favourable expert opinion leads back to the same place as a favourable Department assessment: further information may still be requested.

Who can be asked: partner applicants, secondary applicants and dependent children

The same further-information wording appears on both published pathways, so the position is not limited to one visa type.

A Partner visa applicant or holder may be eligible for a permanent visa where the perpetrator was the former sponsor of the visa application and they hold or have applied for a Temporary Partner (subclass 820) visa, or hold or have applied for a Provisional Partner (subclass 309) visa and have entered Australia since applying, or hold or previously held a Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa — and for a subclass 300 visa they must be in Australia and, if that visa has ceased, must currently not hold a substantive visa and must have applied for a Partner (subclasses 820 and 801) visa. A dependent child of a Partner visa-holding parent who has applied under the family violence provisions may be eligible where they have applied for a Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa.

Secondary applicants can claim where they are the former partner or spouse of the primary applicant, the primary applicant was the alleged perpetrator, and when the visa application was made they were in Australia or entered Australia afterwards, on the skilled, business and family visas listed on the Family Violence Provisions page. For family visas, the provisions do not apply to violence perpetrated by an Australian sponsor.

Eligibility is expressed as "may be able to stay in Australia on a permanent visa". It is not a grant, and the further-information step sits before any outcome.

What about the evidence you already gave?

The family violence evidence stage and the post-finding stage are different. The Family violence evidence page sets out what the violence evidence had to show: that at least part of the family violence happened while you were in the relationship with your former partner or spouse, and that this person was the alleged perpetrator. All evidence must be in writing, in English, and in the format and level of detail requested.

Evidence is judicial or non-judicial. Judicial evidence is a court document, and you only need one of the listed options, such as an injunction under the Family Law Act 1975, a state or territory court order, a conviction record, or a recorded finding of guilt. Non-judicial evidence is either a joint undertaking made before the court, or a minimum of two pieces of evidence from separate categories — medical, police, child welfare, family violence support service, social worker, psychologist, family consultant or counsellor, or education professional — each made by a person acting in a professional capacity. Where you give two pieces, you must also complete a Commonwealth statutory declaration form.

Submitting that evidence well does not remove the later step. It moves you past it.

What should you do when the request arrives?

Read the request and list every item named in it.
Check whether it asks for a health exam, a police certificate, or both.
Note any deadline the Department has given you.
Gather each item in the form the request specifies.
Record the date the request arrived, any deadline it sets, and what you have provided.
Upload through your own ImmiAccount, using an email address your former partner cannot access.

The Department states that it understands gathering documents can be difficult and that there are sometimes delays outside your control, and that it will give you more time to submit relationship and family violence documents if you need it.

Does sponsorship withdrawal change anything?

A sponsor can withdraw sponsorship, and privacy law then stops the Department from giving the sponsor details about the application, the applicant, or the outcome. The Information for Partner visa sponsors page states that there may still be grounds to grant the visa applicant a permanent Partner visa, and that when the Department receives information that a relationship has ended it must tell the visa applicant and give them a chance to respond before deciding.

Support is not tied to your visa outcome

The Where to get help page states that support is available regardless of your visa status, covering counselling, housing, finances, food, medical needs and legal matters, with national and state and territory services listed. It also recommends private browsing mode and clearing browsing history, noting that a helpline number will still appear on your phone bill.

This article is general information about how the published process is described, not advice on any individual case, and it is not a substitute for professional advice on your own circumstances; requirements and published instructions can change, so check the Department's current pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a health exam after my family violence claim is accepted?

Not automatically. The Department's published pages say it may ask for more information after a positive finding, and that this may include a request to undertake a health exam. Whether you need one depends on what the Department asks of you.

Which police certificates can be requested?

The pages give the example of an Australian or overseas police certificate as character documents. They do not say which country's certificate applies in a given case, so the request you receive determines that.

Does a positive finding mean my permanent visa is granted?

No. The finding clears the family violence question. The Family Violence Provisions page describes eligibility in terms of being able to stay in Australia on a permanent visa, and the assessment pages describe further information requests after the finding.

What if Home Affairs is not satisfied by my evidence?

Your claim is referred to an independent expert, who contacts you to arrange an interview about your claims. The Department must accept that expert's opinion, and if the opinion is that family violence did not occur, you are given an opportunity to comment on it.

If the independent expert finds in my favour, is that the end?

No. The published pages state that where the independent expert determines you have experienced family violence, the Department may ask for more information, which may include a health exam or character documents such as an Australian or overseas police certificate.

Can I get an extension if I cannot get a document in time?

The Department states that it understands gathering evidence can be difficult and that delays outside your control happen, and that it will give you more time to submit relationship and family violence documents if you need it. The published commitment to more time is expressed for relationship and family violence documents, not for every later request.