Subclass 400 Document Checklist 2026: What a Complete ImmiAccount Application Looks Like

A complete Subclass 400 (Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist)) application is not one shared folder of PDFs. It is one application charge paid and one set of documents attached for every person included — main applicant, partner and each dependent child. That rule, stated on the Australian Department of Home Affairs page for the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400) as of August 2026, is the single detail most applicants get wrong when they upload documents in ImmiAccount: they upload everything under the main applicant and assume the family is covered. This article is general information about published requirements rather than advice on anyone's individual case, so where a decision turns on your own history or on a fee that has since changed, the official page and anyone lawfully able to give immigration assistance remain the reference points.

What does "complete" actually mean for a subclass 400 application?

The official step-by-step page defines completeness in two moves: you apply online in ImmiAccount, and you pay. It states plainly that the Department will not process the application until the charge is paid, and that each family member included must have their own application charge paid and their own documents attached to their application.

So the practical test before you press submit is not "have I attached every document type somewhere" but "can I open each person's record in the application and see their own identity, relationship, character and support documents, and does each of them show as paid." If a partner appears in the form but has no documents attached to their own record, the application is incomplete in the sense the Department uses, even if the same documents exist elsewhere in the file.

Who counts as family for this purpose?

For the subclass 400 visa, the official page lists family members as:

your partner
your dependent child and stepchild
your partner's dependent children and stepchildren

Family members can be added at any time before a decision is made on the application. That is useful, but it also means the per-person rule applies twice: once at lodgement and again for anyone added later, because an added person is an extra application charge and an extra set of attachments rather than a note on your file.

Assume an applicant adds a partner two weeks after lodging because the partner's passport renewal was delayed. Nothing about the original upload changes, but the application now has a second person who needs their own identity, character and relationship documents, and their own charge paid, before the whole file is considered complete.

What does each person actually need attached?

Person	Identity	Relationship proof	Money	Character	Work evidence
Main applicant	Passport pages; national ID card if held; change-of-name proof if applicable	Not applicable	Evidence of funds for self and accompanying family	Only if and when asked	Required
Partner	Identity documents	Marriage certificate, or 12 months of de facto evidence	Covered by the main applicant's support evidence	Character documents; other-relationship documents if applicable	Not required
Dependant under 18	Child's identity documents	Birth or marriage certificate showing the relationship	Covered by the main applicant's support evidence	Character documents if applicable	Not required

Two things in that table cause most of the trouble. First, partners and children have their own identity and character lines — they are not satisfied by the main applicant's passport. Second, the money line runs through the main applicant: the official page asks for evidence that you can support yourself and any family you bring, so the financial documents sit with the main applicant but are assessed across the whole group.

What identity documents does each person need?

For every person, the official page asks for the pages of their current passport showing their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. On top of that:

a national identity card, if the person has one
proof of change of name, where a name has changed

Change of name can be shown by a marriage or divorce certificate, by change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or by documents showing other names the person has been known by. If any person's documents carry a name that differs from the name in the application form, that gap is a document problem, not a typing problem — and correcting an answer after lodgement is done through Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers, attached in ImmiAccount.

What work documents does the main applicant need?

The core document is a letter of invitation, job offer, employment contract or other document from an Australian organisation confirming they have employed you to work in Australia. The official page lists what it must show:

details of your position, duties, or project of work
the duration of your work
the reason why you are required to work in Australia
support for your visa application
your employment conditions and wages
the Australian workplace standards or Industry Award that applies to your position

A letter that covers the job title and dates but stays silent on why the work has to happen in Australia, or on the applicable award or standards, is missing two of the listed elements. For pay rates, shift calculations, leave and notice entitlements, the official page points to the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT).

Two variations matter. Freelance work may be allowed in some cases — the official example is a freelance journalist or photographer on a media assignment — and in that case you need a copy of your itinerary and the details of the work assignment. And work in the Australian entertainment industry is carved out: the subclass 400 visa does not allow performing as an entertainer, supporting entertainers, or taking part in a production that will be shown, broadcast or performed in Australia. Productions that will not be shown in Australia can still fit, supported by a distribution contract or other evidence; promotional activity such as a red carpet appearance or a promotional tour without performances is given as an example of what may be allowed. Activities that fall on the excluded side are directed to the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) Entertainment stream.

The visa is also built around non-ongoing work. The official page describes non-ongoing work as work likely to be completed within 6 months or less, with no expectation or arrangement to stay in Australia afterwards for any reason related to that work.

How do you document financial support?

The official page gives two routes and one supplement:

evidence of funds, such as an employment contract or bank statements, or
a letter from your bank or financial institution stating your financial position

Allowances, accommodation and other help from your employer can also be considered. Because the requirement is framed around supporting yourself and any family you bring, the documents should be readable in that light: a bank letter that shows a balance but no period, or statements that stop weeks before lodgement, leave the case officer to guess.

What does a partner need to prove the relationship?

A partner needs identity documents, character documents, and documents about other relationships if applicable. For the relationship itself, the official page sets out an either/or:

a current marriage certificate, or
enough documents to prove a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply

The examples given for de facto evidence are joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing your partner has lived at the same address as you. Twelve months is a period to be covered by documents, so a single recent joint statement does not do the work; a married couple does not need to build that twelve-month record, because the marriage certificate is the alternative.

What does a dependant under 18 need?

For every dependant under 18 applying with you, the official page asks for the child's identity documents, proof of your relationship with them such as a birth or marriage certificate, and the child's character documents if applicable.

How do translations, colour scans and multi-page files fit in?

These are format requirements that attach to the whole file, not to any one person. All non-English documents must be translated into English, and both the original and the translated document go into the application.

Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited, but each translation must include their full name, address and telephone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language they are translating — in English.

Every document, English and non-English, must be scanned or photographed in colour and must be clear. If a document runs to more than one page, all of it is saved as one file. Multi-page documents split across several uploads are the classic cause of a file that looks complete in the list but is partial when opened.

Where do police certificates and health exams come in?

Neither is a lodgement item by default. The official page says the Department will tell you if and when you need to provide police certificates. Health examinations can be done before you apply or you can wait until you are told to have them; if you did not have them before applying, you will be told if they are needed. Biometrics — fingerprints and photo — may also be requested, and you will be told if so.

The character requirement itself is broader than the paperwork: family members aged 16 and over who apply with you must meet the character requirement, and everyone in the application must meet the health requirement.

What happens after the upload?

Once the application is in, you track and manage it through ImmiAccount. The official page notes that no updates are given within the standard processing time, and that you can check in ImmiAccount whether more information is needed from you.

If you did not attach everything at lodgement, attach the missing documents as soon as you can in ImmiAccount. The Department can also ask for more information. And a structural constraint runs underneath all of it: you and anyone included must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the application is decided, which is why the page warns against arranging travel until you have written notice of a grant, and why no bridging visa is available to someone who travels to Australia on a different visa that then ends.

If granted, the email tells you the visa grant number, the start date and your visa conditions, and you should keep a copy with you in Australia. If refused, you are told why, and the application charge is not refunded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every family member on a subclass 400 application pay a separate application charge?

Yes. The official page states that each family member must have their application charge paid and documents attached to their application, and that the Department will not process the application until the charge is paid. Treat every included person as an application in its own right, not as a line on yours.

Do I need to attach police certificates when I lodge?

No, not unless and until you are asked. The official page says the Department will tell you if and when police certificates are needed, and the same applies to health examinations and biometrics.

Can I upload documents in a language other than English?

Only alongside an English translation. Non-English documents must be translated, and both the original and the translation go into the application. Australian translators must be NAATI accredited; overseas translators must include their name, address, phone number and their qualifications and experience in English on each translation.

Can I add documents, or family members, after I have submitted?

Yes to both. Missing documents should be attached in ImmiAccount as soon as you can, and family members can be added at any time before a decision is made. Adding a person means their own charge and their own documents, so the per-person completeness test applies again.

Do I need 12 months of de facto evidence if we are married?

No. The official page sets an either/or: a current marriage certificate, or enough documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. Married couples rely on the certificate; de facto couples have to build the twelve-month record with documents such as joint accounts, joint billing, joint leases or shared-address evidence.

Does my partner or child have to be outside Australia too?

Yes. The official page states that you and anyone included in the application must be outside Australia when you apply and when the application is decided. This is also why no bridging visa is available if you travel to Australia on a different visa and that visa ends.

What should I do if I spot a mistake in an answer after lodging?

Tell the Department as soon as you can. The official page directs applicants to complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and attach it in ImmiAccount, which covers the same ground as change-of-name and identity gaps that surface after submission.