Temporary protection: Australia
🛰️ Varta monitors 9 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Australian national humanitarian programme • there is no single national date — your visa (449 or 786) sets the period
Steps
- 1
Apply for a visa online
The temporary humanitarian visa is filed online via ImmiAccount (Home Affairs). You need a passport, possibly a health exam. Processing — several weeks.
📍 ImmiAccount (online)💳 Visa fee - 2
Arrival and registration
After entry, register with Centrelink for social services and get a Medicare card for healthcare.
📍 Centrelink / Medicare💳 Free - 3
Work and education
The visa grants work rights. Children attend school free. Aid via Services Australia.
📍 Services Australia💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredHealth examination
if availableMay be required for the visa.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Name in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD/MM/YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
A health exam at a designated clinic may be required.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Skipped health exam (delays the visa)
As in the passport.
The granted visa number.
Address in Australia.
❌ Without a visa (visa first) ❌ Wrong visa grant number
Benefits
Work rights
Visa holders.
How to apply: Automatic
Medicare (healthcare)
Visa holders.
How to apply: Medicare card via Services Australia
Wise — transfers without hidden fees
A multi-currency account and transfers between Ukraine and Europe at the real exchange rate. Handy for receiving salary and sending money to family.
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Where to apply
What happens after protection ends
After the temporary visa: switch to other categories (work visa, family); the path to permanent residence depends on the ground.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Subclass 786 / other visas
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Home Affairs (ImmiAccount).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Home Affairs (ImmiAccount)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🎓 Study — Australia
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Home Affairs (ImmiAccount)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Australia
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
Home Affairs (ImmiAccount)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Australia
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
Home Affairs (ImmiAccount)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏠 Permanent residence — Australia
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
Home Affairs (ImmiAccount)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
6 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
Australia has no temporary protection under the EU directive. For Ukrainians already in the country there is the Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway — and you CANNOT apply for it yourself: the Minister must invite you, and the department contacts you by email. You do not need to express interest. Who the Minister may consider: you are Ukrainian, are in Australia holding a temporary visa, arrived before 31 July 2024, and are unable to return to your usual place of residence. Or someone in Australia with an immediate family member who is eligible for the offer. The department expected to contact most of them between January and March 2026 — that window has passed. Keep your contact details current: the "Update us" tab in ImmiAccount, or the Update contact details form. If you believe you are eligible but no letter has come, phone the Global Service Centre: 131 881 in Australia, +61 2 6196 0196 from overseas. THE MAIN POINT: no offer is guaranteed to anyone, and your current temporary visa is running out meanwhile. Check its expiry date. Home Affairs states that Ukrainians who wish to extend their stay can also use standard visa pathways: skilled, family, student and visitor. If a "no further stay" condition (8503, 8534, 8535 or 8540) applies to your visa, you can request a No Further Stay waiver. When the letter arrives: open the link in it and complete the offer acceptance and information request form. That form is the application — no separate one is needed, and there is no visa application charge. Each person must accept individually; you cannot accept for another adult, and only a parent or guardian may accept for a child. The pathway has two steps: first a subclass 449 visa, then a 786 for 3 years — subject to health, character and security criteria. Weigh this before accepting: under the Migration Regulations 1994, a person offered a Temporary Humanitarian Stay cannot meet the criteria for a Protection visa — even if a protection application has already been lodged. Home Affairs advises consulting a registered migration agent or legal practitioner first. If you already hold a 786 visa. Permanent Resolution of Status (subclass 851) is offered only to those who accepted the temporary humanitarian stay offer before 31 July 2022, and again only by invitation. Offers are made in order of 786 visa expiry dates; in urgent or compassionate circumstances there is a request-for-priority form. A 786 visa ceases as soon as you leave Australia and does not let you re-enter — submit a Travel request before any trip. And to lodge an application for another visa in Australia you need a bar lift, granted only in exceptional circumstances, via Online forms. Source: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/ukraine-visa-support/australian-government-offer-for-temporary-humanitarian-stay-in-australia (checked 03.09.2026).
Do I need a visa before entry?
Yes, mandatory. Apply online via ImmiAccount.
Can I work?
Yes, the visa grants work rights.
Is there Medicare?
Yes, visa holders get public healthcare access.
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.