Submitting a Subclass 202 application in ImmiAccount in 2026: avoiding the 60-day lapse

A Subclass 202 proposal lapses if the visa application is not submitted within 60 days of the proposal, and the only remedy is for the proposer to submit a new proposal so that you can apply using the new transaction reference number (TRN). This is stated on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ official page for the Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202). Missing this fixed deadline is one of the most avoidable errors in the process, because the rule does not bend and the consequence always means returning to the proposer for a fresh proposal rather than continuing with the old one.

When does the 60-day clock start on a Subclass 202 proposal?

The 60 days run from the proposal itself, not from the day you receive the TRN. Your proposer must use ImmiAccount to submit a proposal—unless you are applying under the Community Support Program (CSP)—and then give you the TRN. Because the deadline is measured from the proposal, the date the proposer lodges it is the date you must record; if you count from the day you receive the TRN instead, you will wrongly assume you have more time than the official page allows.

How do you submit the Subclass 202 application in ImmiAccount?

To lodge the application, use these steps on the official page:

1. Log in to ImmiAccount, creating a new account if you do not have one.
2. Click ‘New application’.
3. Click ‘Refugee & Humanitarian’.
4. Click ‘Offshore Humanitarian Visa (200, 201, 202, 203, 204)’.
5. Complete the application.
6. Submit the application.

You must finish this within 60 days of the proposal. Under the Community Support Program (CSP) the path differs: CSP proposers must submit Form 842 Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa and a proposal form specific to Approved Proposing Organisations (APO), and your APO will explain the full process.

Why does gathering documents cause the 60-day deadline to be missed?

Gathering documents is a separate step and it is where most of the preparatory time goes. The official page asks for current passport pages showing your photo, personal details and passport issue and expiry dates; a national identity card and proof of change of name if applicable; proof of registration with an international organisation such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and a detailed statement in English about why you left your home country; certified copies of visas or residence permits; certified copies of marriage or relationship registrations; one scanned photograph per applicant showing the whole face against a plain background; and military service or discharge papers if you served in any country’s armed forces. Partners and dependants applying with you need their own identity, character and relationship evidence, and if someone is helping you, they are nominated with Form 956A (authorised recipient) or Form 956 (registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person).

If you wait for the TRN before starting this collection, the 60 days can pass before the application is ready to submit. If you cannot provide travel or identity documents, you must provide a statement explaining why, which also takes time to prepare.

What should you do if the proposal has already expired?

If the 60 days have passed and you have not submitted, the proposal has expired. The official page is explicit: the proposer must submit a new proposal, and you must use the new TRN for the application. The expired proposal does not carry over, so the practical consequence is a fresh proposal and a new 60-day window starting from the new proposal date; there is no way to lodge using the old TRN.

How should you manage the TRN and the 60-day record?

Treat the proposal date as the anchor: write down the day the proposer submits the proposal, add 60 days, and set your own internal deadline earlier than that date so document collection and form completion are finished in time. Keep the TRN somewhere you can retrieve it quickly, because you need it to submit, and record it alongside the proposal date. When a proposal expires and a new one is made, replace the old record entirely with the new TRN and the new 60-day deadline—mixing the two is how applicants end up submitting against an expired proposal.

What happens once you submit before the deadline?

Once the application is submitted within the 60 days, the Department will let you and your proposer (if authorised) know it has received the application and documents. From that point the official page says the Department cannot give updates on applications and you should wait for it to contact you; you must not arrange travel to Australia until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my Subclass 202 proposal expires after 60 days?

The proposal expires and cannot be used to lodge an application. Your proposer must submit a new proposal in ImmiAccount, and you must use the new TRN when you apply. There is no mechanism described on the official page to revive an expired proposal.

Does the 60-day period run from the proposal or from the TRN?

It runs from the proposal. The proposer submits the proposal and then gives you the TRN, but the deadline is 60 days from the proposal itself. Counting from the day you receive the TRN would give you a later deadline than the official page allows.

Can I reuse the old TRN after a new proposal is submitted?

No. The official page instructs you to use the new TRN for the application when a proposal has expired and a new one is submitted. The old TRN is tied to the expired proposal and should not be used.

Who can be a proposer and give me a TRN?

You must be proposed by an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation in Australia. If you are applying as an immediate family member of a person who was granted this visa, that person must be your proposer; under the Community Support Program the proposing organisation is an Approved Proposing Organisation (APO).

What documents should be ready before the 60-day window starts?

Have your passport bio pages, any name-change evidence, UNHCR or similar registration proof with a detailed English statement, certified visa or residence copies, relationship certificates, one photograph per applicant, and any military or character records ready in advance. Preparing these before the proposer submits the proposal is the most reliable way to avoid the window expiring while you are still collecting papers.

Will the Department update me on my application after I submit?

No, the official page states the Department cannot give updates on applications and you should wait for it to contact you. You must not book travel to Australia until you are told in writing that the visa has been granted.

References

Australian Department of Home Affairs — Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202)