After Lodgement: Importing a Paper Subclass 835 Application into ImmiAccount in 2026

Yes — a paper Subclass 835 (Remaining Relative) application can be brought into ImmiAccount after it has been posted or couriered to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, and the Department of Home Affairs says you can do it once your acknowledgement letter arrives. According to the Department of Home Affairs "Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835)" page, as of the July 2026 official page, the import is done by logging in to ImmiAccount and entering three items: your application ID, your date of birth, and your identity document number. The rest of this article sets out what changes once the import succeeds, how to add documents or fix errors afterwards, and what to use if ImmiAccount is not an option for you. It describes published procedure only — general information rather than advice on an individual case, where the outcome can turn on facts that only a registered migration agent or legal practitioner can assess against the Migration Regulations 1994.

When can a paper 835 application be imported?

The trigger is the acknowledgement letter, not the posting date. The official page states that after you (or someone else) has submitted the paper application, you can import it into your ImmiAccount once you receive that letter — the letter is what supplies the application ID the import screen asks for. There is no separate permission step and no waiting period beyond it.

The same page also says you can import any new and existing applications for this visa into ImmiAccount. That matters for two groups: people who lodged recently, and people whose paper 835 application has been with the Department for some time and was never linked to an online account.

Worth restating the constraint that sits behind this whole topic: this visa must be applied for on paper, and you must be in Australia when you apply. Importing does not convert a paper application into an online one — it gives you an online channel for managing an application that was already validly lodged on paper.

What three details does the import need?

According to the official page, you create a new ImmiAccount or log into an existing one, then import the application by entering:

Field	What it covers
Application ID	The identifier issued for the paper application, shown on the acknowledgement letter
Date of birth	The applicant's own date of birth as recorded in the application
Identity document number	A Passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number

Suppose an applicant holds both a passport and an ImmiCard: the number to enter is the one that matches the identity document recorded on the Form 47OF (Application for migration to Australia by other family members), because the import is a matching exercise against what the Department already holds. If the three fields do not line up with the paper record, the import will simply fail and no online services will attach to the file.

Note also that ImmiAccount is probably not new to you. The official page says the first instalment for this visa must be paid before submission, using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, with evidence of payment included in the paper application — so an account may already exist from the payment step.

What does importing actually change?

Six online services become available for the imported application, per the official page:

attaching supporting documents
viewing messages
updating your details
viewing application status
applying for a Bridging Visa (BV)
withdrawing the application

What it does not change is the assessment itself. The Department states plainly that it cannot provide updates on progress within normal processing times, and that it will contact you if anything further is needed. Importing improves your ability to see messages, upload material and keep your details current; it does not create an entitlement to progress reports or shorten the queue.

How do you add documents after importing?

If you did not include all necessary documents when you applied, provide them as soon as you can. With the application imported, additional documents are uploaded into ImmiAccount. The Department may also request more information on its own initiative.

Two restraints apply to whatever you send. First, do not send originals — only certified copies, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. Second, some items are request-driven: character documents such as police certificates should not be arranged until the Department asks for them, and the same applies to health examinations and to biometrics (fingerprints and photo), which the Department says it will tell you about if they are required.

What if you cannot use ImmiAccount?

There is a fallback. The official page directs applicants who cannot use ImmiAccount to attach additional documents to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form. The same channel covers the notification forms discussed below — Form 1023, Form 956 and Form 956A — when ImmiAccount is unavailable.

How do you correct a mistake on the application?

Tell the Department as soon as you can by completing Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers). If the application has been imported, upload the completed form in ImmiAccount; if you cannot use ImmiAccount, attach it to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form.

The mechanism is the same for representation changes. To appoint or withdraw someone who receives your correspondence, use Form 956A (Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient); to appoint someone who provides immigration assistance, use Form 956 (Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person). Both can be uploaded once the application is imported, or attached to the processing centre online form otherwise.

What changes must you report after lodgement?

The official page lists the changes you need to notify after applying:

changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
changes to your marital or de facto status
the birth of a child
wanting to withdraw the application
experiencing domestic or family violence, which is dealt with under the family violence provisions

This is where importing pays off most, because the same details you would otherwise post in are the ones you can update directly in ImmiAccount.

Can you travel while the application is processed?

You may, but the decision requirement is strict: you must be in Australia when the Department decides the application. The official page asks you to notify it if you want to travel outside Australia during processing, and warns that if you leave you must hold a valid visa to return.

Your lawful status in the meantime is handled by the Bridging visa. The Department states that when you applied for this visa you were granted a Bridging visa; if your current visa expires before the decision, that Bridging visa starts and you remain lawful while the 835 application is processed. Do not cancel your current visa — doing so leaves you in Australia unlawfully and makes you ineligible for a Bridging visa.

What else happens before the decision?

The second instalment is request-driven. The Department sends an invoice for it after you have met all other requirements for the visa, and it states that the instalment must be paid or the visa cannot be granted.

The outcome arrives in writing, and you must be in Australia at that point. If the visa is granted you are told the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and your visa conditions. If it is refused you are told why, and whether you have a right to a review of the decision; the official page also states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import the application before the acknowledgement letter arrives?

The import needs the application ID, and the official page ties the import to receiving your acknowledgement letter. Until that letter arrives you will not have the identifier the import screen requires, so there is nothing practical to attempt before then.

Do I need a new ImmiAccount if I already paid the first instalment online?

No. The official page says you either create a new ImmiAccount or log into your existing one. Since payment of the first instalment is made through the ImmiAccount online portal payment function before submission, most applicants will already have an account to log into.

Can someone else import the application or manage it for me?

The import itself is into your own ImmiAccount. To have another person act for you, the official route is Form 956 for immigration assistance or Form 956A for someone who receives your correspondence; only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person can provide immigration assistance for a fee.

What if I cannot use ImmiAccount at all?

Use the Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form. The official page specifies that additional documents — and completed Form 1023, Form 956 or Form 956A — should be attached to a completed online form when ImmiAccount cannot be used.

How do I fix an error I noticed after lodging?

Complete Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers) as soon as you can, and upload it in ImmiAccount if the application has been imported. Speed matters because the notification duty is ongoing, and unanswered inaccuracies can affect the assessment of the whole application.

Will importing give me progress updates?

Not in the sense of queue position or timing. The Department says it cannot provide updates within normal processing times and will contact you if it needs anything further; what the import gives you is visibility of messages, status and your own details, plus the ability to upload documents and apply for a Bridging Visa.

Can I travel outside Australia and still be granted the visa?

You can travel, but you must be in Australia when the decision is made and you must hold a valid visa to return. Notify the Department if you intend to travel, and rely on the Bridging visa rules described on the official page rather than assuming re-entry is automatic.