Coming into Australia, on any sort of visa, you will be required to show that your character and police record is good. A police clearance is issued by the police in your overseas country and states that you have no criminal record. All migrants over 16 years of age will be asked to obtain a police clearance from each country they have lived in for more than 12 months over the last 10 years.

However, not all countries issue police clearances. Check the list below to see if the country, or countries, you need are listed. When you apply for your visa, apply ahead of time for the police clearance because it can take up to three months in some countries. If you are able to send in the police clearance with the visa application it will speed up the processing of your character assessment.

If a country is not listed, you will not be able to get a police clearance. Send in your visa application, including Personal Particulars for Character Assessment Form 80, without a police clearance. The Australian immigration authorities will contact the overseas police for you.

How to apply for a Police Clearance

Send in all personal details about yourself — your name, address, date of birth, passport number (if you have one), details about your parents and you may also have to send photographs and fingerprints. The procedure varies from country to country. It is best to telephone or write first to find out what details the police want. A self-addressed envelope is a good idea if you write. In many countries you will also have to pay a fee.

If you are no longer living in a country, and you are required to send original documents such as passports and birth certificates overseas for your police clearance, you can very often take the documents to the nearest embassy or consulate of that country. For example, suppose you are now living in Norway, but you spent several years on Swamp Island (mythological) before moving to Norway two years ago. The Swampian police want your original documents sent to them, but you hesitate to do that because you know what the mail service is like on Swamp (much of the mail is delivered by bicycle across wet-land areas inhabited by snakes). Australian Visas is suggesting you contact the Swampian Consulate in Norway and get them to certify your originals.