Responding to a Subclass 202 interview or further information request in 2026

After you lodge a Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) application, the Department of Home Affairs may ask you to attend an interview, provide more information, or both — and if it receives information that could lead to a refusal, it will usually ask you to comment before deciding. That much is set out on the Department's Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) official page, current as of August 2026, which is the basis for everything below. This article describes the published process only and is general information rather than personalised advice; for your own circumstances, rely on the official page and on a registered migration agent or legal practitioner if you have one appointed.

What can the Department ask for after you lodge?

The official page lists several things that may happen once your application is in: health examinations (you will be told if you need them), biometrics such as fingerprints and a photo, more information, and an interview. None of these is automatic — the Department decides what it needs and contacts you about it.

It also says the Department cannot give updates on applications, so the practical position is that you wait to be contacted rather than chasing progress. Arranging travel before you hold a written grant is specifically discouraged: do not book travel to Australia until the Department tells you in writing that the visa is granted.

What is covered in a Subclass 202 interview?

When you are asked to attend an interview, you must bring your passport or other identification, plus any other documents requested in the interview notice. The published list of topics is short and worth preparing against directly:

• your situation, including why you are applying for a humanitarian visa
• your family
• information you provided in your application

In practice this overlaps with the evidence the visa page asks for at lodgement: a detailed statement in English about why you left your home country, proof of any registration with an organisation dealing with refugees such as UNHCR, identity documents, certified copies of visas or residence permits, relationship documents, and military service or discharge papers if you served in any country's armed forces. If an interview question touches an area where you have no documents, the page's own approach is to provide a statement explaining why the documents do not exist — the same logic applies to interview answers.

The Department may also contact your proposer, to clarify details in the proposal and to assess the kind of help they can give you.

Why were you asked to comment on "information that could result in refusal"?

This is the procedural fairness point, and it is stated plainly on the official page: if the Department receives information that could result in it refusing you a visa, it will usually ask you to comment.

Two things follow from the wording. First, being invited to comment is not a refusal and not a decision — it is a step before the decision. Second, the word used is "usually", so the invitation is a normal part of the process rather than a guarantee that applies in every case.

Suppose an applicant is sent a letter saying that information has been received about the identity documents in the application, and is asked to comment. The response is the applicant's opportunity to explain the discrepancy, correct the record, or supply documents that address the specific point raised — before a decision is made.

How should you structure a written response?

The official page does not prescribe a format for a comment or a further information response, so the sensible structure is the one that mirrors how the request is framed:

1. Quote your file number. The page says that when you send documents you did not attach at lodgement, you send them to the office where you sent the application and quote the file number you have been given. Use the same identifier on every page of a response.
2. Answer the point raised, not the whole application. Deal with each item of adverse information separately and in the same order as the request.
3. Attach what you already hold. Documents already listed for this visa — identity pages of your passport, proof of name change, UNHCR registration, statements, certified visa or permit copies, military records — are the natural evidence base.
4. Explain gaps rather than leaving them. Where a document does not exist, say so and say why, rather than omitting the point.
5. Keep it consistent with what you already lodged. If you discover the application itself contains a wrong answer, the official page says to let the Department know as soon as you can using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.

Who may correspond with the Department on your behalf?

If you want someone to receive your correspondence, the page directs you to Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient. If you want someone to provide immigration assistance, the appointed person must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, appointed using Form 956.

This distinction matters for interview and further information requests: correspondence and assistance are separate appointments, and an authorised recipient receiving a request is not the same as a person being authorised to give you immigration advice about it. The Department's "Who can help you with your application" material is where the eligibility rules for giving that assistance are set out.

What else should you update while a request is open?

Changes in your circumstances still need to be reported, independent of any interview or information request. The listed items are changes to your phone number, email, address or passport; changes to your marital or de facto status; the birth of a child; and whether you want to withdraw your application.

If you need to add certain family members before a decision is made, the mechanism is Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, and the page notes this is possible only in some circumstances.

What happens after you respond?

The Department will let you know its decision in writing, and you must be outside Australia when the decision is made. A grant notice gives your visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any visa conditions. A refusal notice tells you why the visa was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

If a second instalment applies, the Department sends an invoice after you have met all other requirements for the visa; you pay after the invoice arrives and are told not to ask for it. This sits at the end of the process, not alongside an interview or information request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will every Subclass 202 applicant be interviewed?

No. The official page says the Department might ask you to attend an interview, in the same way it might ask for biometrics or more information. There is no requirement that every applicant is interviewed, and the absence of an interview request is not in itself a signal about the outcome.

What do I need to bring to the interview?

You must bring your passport or other identification, and any other documents the Department has requested. The questions may cover your situation and why you are applying for a humanitarian visa, your family, and information you provided in your application.

Does being asked to comment mean my application will be refused?

No. The Department states that where it receives information that could result in a refusal, it will usually ask you to comment — the invitation comes before the decision, so that you can address the information. The official wording is "usually", so it is a standard step rather than an absolute rule.

Do I need to quote my file number when sending extra documents?

Yes. The official page says that if you did not attach all documents when you applied, you send them to the office where you sent the application and quote the file number you have been given. Using the same file number on any response keeps it attached to the right record.

Can someone else handle the Department's correspondence for me?

Yes, if you appoint them. Form 956A covers appointing or withdrawing an authorised recipient for correspondence; Form 956 covers appointing a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to provide immigration assistance.

Is there a deadline to answer a further information request?

The official page does not publish a general response period, so treat the timeframe stated in the Department's own request as the operative one and respond within it. If no timeframe is given, respond as promptly as you can rather than waiting.

Can I travel to Australia while my response is being considered?

No. The Department says not to arrange travel until it has told you in writing that the visa is granted, and it also requires you to be outside Australia when the decision is made.

References

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