AFP Code 33 vs Standard Disclosure: Getting Police Certificates Right for Subclass 117 in 2026

For a Subclass 117 Orphan Relative application, a child aged 16 or over must provide police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years, counting from their 16th birthday. For the Australian leg, only one document is accepted: a National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted, and for immigration purposes a police certificate is valid for 12 months from its date of issue. This is the position set out on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Orphan Relative visa (subclass 117) official page, as of the August 2026 version of that page.

Who actually has to supply a police certificate in a 117 case?

The character requirement bites on age, not on the visa category as a whole. A child only has to meet it if they are 16 years or older; a younger applicant is not caught by this rule, and a 117 applicant must be under 18 at the time of application — so in practice the band that triggers police certificates is 16- and 17-year-olds.

The department can also ask that other dependent children who apply with the child meet the character requirement, so the document set should be planned per person rather than per application. This is separate from the sponsor's own history: a sponsor (or their spouse or de facto partner) with a pending registrable offence charge will have the sponsorship and the visa application refused, and a registrable offence conviction can only be approved in very limited circumstances. That assessment runs through the sponsorship, not through the child's police certificate.

Which countries count, and how is the 12 months counted?

Two filters apply together, and the second one is easier to get wrong:

10-year window — only the last 10 years are looked at.
Since turning 16 — residence time before the child's 16th birthday is not counted.
12 months or more — any country where the child has spent 12 months or more inside that window is in scope.

Suppose an applicant turned 16 two years ago and has lived in one country since birth, with a seven-month school year abroad at age 14. The seven months abroad falls outside the assessment entirely because it happened before they turned 16. The home country is in scope because the time since the 16th birthday exceeds 12 months.

Why does only a Code 33 certificate work for Australia?

The distinction is about the purpose code on the application to the Australian Federal Police, not about the paper the result is printed on. State and territory police forces issue their own checks, but those are not the documents the department accepts for this visa.

Certificate	Who issues it	Accepted for Subclass 117?
National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship	Australian Federal Police	Yes
Standard disclosure certificate	Not specified as acceptable	No
Police certificate issued by an Australian state or territory police force	State or territory police	No

The practical consequence for an agent preparing the file is simple but costly if missed: a certificate that looks complete, carries a police letterhead and lists no convictions can still be rejected outright because it was not obtained under Code 33. There is no route to "upgrade" a standard disclosure certificate after the fact; a fresh application under the correct code is needed.

How long is a certificate valid, and what does that mean for timing?

Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. Because Subclass 117 is a paper application — Form 47CH and Form 40CH lodged together, with the application charge paid before posting — the certificates need to be in date at the point the application is lodged and still in date while the file is being assessed.

Everything in the character set goes with the application. Health examinations are handled differently: the department tells the applicant when to arrange them after lodgement, so front-loading health checks is not part of this step. If a certificate passes its 12-month mark while the application is pending, the department might ask for a current police certificate before it decides the application.

What if someone in the application served in the armed forces?

Military service is a standalone requirement, not a substitute for a police certificate and not conditional on one. If anyone in the application has served in the armed forces of any country, they must provide military service records or discharge papers. Note the scope: it says anyone in the application, so it is not limited to the 16-or-over applicant, and it is not limited to Australian service.

Where does Form 80 fit?

Children over 16 must complete and provide Form 80, Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment. It sits alongside the police certificates rather than replacing them: the certificates are the external evidence from each country, and Form 80 is the applicant's own declared history — addresses, travel, employment and any relevant conduct — that the department uses to assess character. A file with police certificates but no Form 80 is incomplete, and so is the reverse.

What about dependants under 18 and family members who are not migrating?

For every dependant under 18 who applies with the child, the application needs identity documents, proof of the relationship to the child (such as a birth certificate), and character documents where they are applicable. Whether a dependant under 18 is asked for police certificates therefore depends on the department's request, not on an automatic rule. Separately, dependent children who are not applying for the visa might still have to meet the health requirement, and family members who are not coming to Australia may also be assessed against it.

The mistakes that most often hold up character documents

Lodging a state or territory police certificate, or a standard disclosure certificate, in place of an AFP Code 33 certificate.
Counting residence from birth instead of from the 16th birthday, and collecting certificates the rules do not ask for while missing the ones that are in scope.
Letting the 12-month validity lapse between obtaining a certificate and lodging.
Omitting military service records or discharge papers for a person who served in any country's armed forces.
Treating the sponsor's criminal history as something covered by the child's police certificate, when it is assessed through the sponsorship.
Assuming health examinations belong in the same bundle as the character documents, when the department schedules them later.

This article describes published requirements in general terms and is not personalised advice for any individual case; which countries count, how a particular history is assessed and what a decision-maker will ask for depend on the facts, so confirm details against the current official pages or take advice from a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a 15-year-old Subclass 117 applicant need a police certificate?

The character requirement applies to a child aged 16 years or older, so a younger applicant is not caught by the police certificate rule. Dependants under 18 who apply with the child provide character documents where applicable, which the department will specify.

Is a police certificate from a state or territory police force acceptable?

No. For Australia, the department only accepts National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police. Certificates from state or territory police are not accepted.

What is the difference between a Code 33 certificate and a standard disclosure certificate?

Code 33 is the purpose code for immigration and citizenship checks. A standard disclosure certificate is a different product and is expressly not accepted for this visa, even though it is also a criminal record check.

How long does a police certificate stay valid?

For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. If one expires while an application is being processed, the department might ask for a current police certificate.

Do military service records have to be provided even with a clear police certificate?

Yes. If anyone in the application served in the armed forces of any country, they must provide military service records or discharge papers. This is an independent requirement, not something a police certificate covers.

Who has to complete Form 80?

Children over 16 must complete and provide Form 80, Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment. It accompanies the police certificates as part of the character assessment.

When are health examinations arranged?

After the application is lodged, the department tells the applicant when to arrange health examinations. Police certificates and Form 80, by contrast, are gathered and lodged with the application itself.