Fill Out Home Affairs Form 956A Online

What an authorised recipient is

An authorised recipient is a person appointed to receive documents from the Department on your behalf for matters arising under the Migration Act 1958 or the Migration Regulations 1994. Under most circumstances you will not receive a separate copy of documents sent to them, and those documents can include sensitive information about matters such as your health and character.

Receiving documents is all the role covers. The Department cannot discuss your matter with your authorised recipient unless they are also acting as your registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person, or you have separately consented to the disclosure of your personal information to them. An authorised recipient must not provide immigration assistance unless they are qualified to do so.

When to use Form 956A

Use this form to appoint an authorised recipient, to change to a new one, or to withdraw an existing appointment. You can only have one authorised recipient at a time for a particular application or matter, and the Department sends documents to the most recently appointed one.

• Do not use this form if you are appointing a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person who will provide immigration assistance and also receive your documents; they should complete Form 956 instead.
• All persons listed on the form are treated as appointing the same authorised recipient. A person aged 16 or over who wants a different authorised recipient completes their own Form 956A.
• If you change or end the appointment, you must promptly advise the Department, and this form can be used for that purpose.

How to fill out Form 956A

The form is split into parts for appointment and withdrawal, with declarations from both you and the authorised recipient. Complete it in English and make sure the matter is clearly identified so the Department links the appointment to the right file.

• Your details: name, date of birth, contact details and the application or matter the appointment relates to.
• Authorised recipient details: their name, address and contact details, and whether they agree to receive documents electronically.
• Electronic communication: consent choices, noting the Department's caution that unencrypted electronic communication is not secure.
• Declarations: the authorised recipient acknowledges the appointment or withdrawal, and you declare that you are making or ending the appointment.
• For withdrawals: after the appointment ends, the Department sends future correspondence to the last address you provided, so keep your address details current.

How to lodge Form 956A

Return the completed form to the office where you lodged your application. For other matters, such as a proposed visa cancellation, send it to the office of the Department responsible for that matter, and if you are unsure which office that is, the form may be submitted to the nearest office of the Department. Online applicants can generally attach the form to their application in ImmiAccount.

Keep a copy for your records. Home Affairs forms are version dated, so confirm on the official website that you are using the current version of Form 956A before lodging it.