Official form guide
Form 956A: Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient
Form 956A lets you tell the Department of Home Affairs that you are adding or removing an authorised recipient who can receive your immigration documents. Use it whenever you need to change who gets those papers.
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Form Overview
Home Affairs Form 956A - Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient
Form 956A lets you tell the Department of Home Affairs that you are adding or removing an authorised recipient who can receive your immigration documents. Use it whenever you need to change who gets those papers.
Risk Radar
Scan points- 1Common mistake: selecting the wrong part (A vs B).
- 2Using the form for a registered migration agent instead of Form 956
- 3Sending it to the wrong Department office
- 4Leaving the electronic‑communication consent box blank
- 5Missing a required signature
Plain English
If you want someone else – like a family member or sponsor – to get your visa paperwork, fill this form. You can also use it to stop that person from receiving future documents.
Submission Date
- Filing date: Submit the form as soon as you decide to appoint or withdraw a recipient. Not confirmed in official source for a specific deadline.
- Preparation window: collect IDs, supporting records, and signatures in advance.
- Final review: verify names, dates, and required fields before submission.
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What this form is for
- You are adding an authorised recipient to receive your immigration documents.
- You are removing an existing authorised recipient.
- The matter relates to a visa application, cancellation, sponsorship, monitoring, sanction or ministerial intervention request.
- You are not appointing a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person who will also act as your authorised recipient.
Form selector
Use this form or another form?
Appointing a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person
This form covers both the assistance role and the authorised‑recipient role
✓ Verify you need the agent‑specific form before using 956A
Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person
Changing personal details (address, phone) unrelated to an authorised recipient
Those updates are handled through your online ImmiAccount, not 956A
✓ Check the ImmiAccount portal first
ImmiAccount update or relevant change‑of‑details form
Requesting a new visa or lodging a fresh application
956A only deals with who receives documents, not the visa itself
✓ Ensure you have the correct visa application form
Standard visa application form (e.g., 1419, 1245)
Deadline or filing window
File the form promptly after the decision to change a recipient; there is no set statutory deadline.
Before you submit
- 1Read and understand Form 1442i privacy notice.
- 2Select the correct part (A for appointment, B for withdrawal).
- 3Enter your role (visa applicant, sponsor, nominator, etc.) and visa details if applicable.
- 4Provide accurate contact details and, if different, a separate correspondence address.
- 5Include HA Request ID (RID) or Transaction Reference Number (TRN) when withdrawing.
- 6Answer the electronic‑communication consent question.
- 7Sign the form in the appropriate signature boxes.
- 8Keep a copy of the completed form for your records.
- 9Send the form to the office that processed the original matter or the nearest Home Affairs office.
How to file this form
- 1Download Form 956A from www.homeaffairs.gov.au/allforms.
- 2Read Form 1442i privacy notice (available on the same website).
- 3Complete either Part A (new appointment) or Part B (withdrawal) – do not fill both.
- 4Provide all required details: personal information, visa or matter details, HA ID/RID/TRN, contact preferences.
- 5Obtain the required signatures from yourself and the authorised recipient.
- 6Make a photocopy for your files.
- 7Deliver the original to the appropriate Department of Home Affairs office (or nearest office if unsure).
Known limitations
- 1The form cannot be used to appoint a registered migration agent, Australian legal practitioner or exempt person who will also act as the authorised recipient.
- 2It only changes who receives documents; it does not alter visa conditions or eligibility.
- 3If you do not know which office to send the form to, you may send it to the nearest Home Affairs office, but the department will route it as needed.
- 4The form does not replace the privacy notice – you must still read Form 1442i.
Field map
Compact field-by-field guide
Applicant
3 items
Your name exactly as shown in your passport.
Your date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY).
Passport number, country of issue, and expiry date.
Contact
1 items
Current residential address, postal address, email, and phone number.
Request
1 items
The visa, citizenship, or sponsorship request this form relates to.
Evidence
1 items
Certified copies of identity and other documents required for the request.
Declaration
1 items
Declare that the information is true and correct, then sign and date.
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Fillable formOpen in Editor->Form 956A was designed in March 2021 and remains the current version available on the Department of Home Affairs website.
What changed or needs a fresh check
- Confirm the form shows design date 03/21 (March 2021).
- Read the linked privacy notice Form 1442i before completing any field.
- Check you have the correct HA ID, RID or TRN if known.
- Verify you are completing Part A for a new appointment or Part B for a withdrawal – not both.
- Ensure the fax/email consent question is answered if you want electronic communication.
- Make sure the authorised recipient’s signature is included where required.
Quick Facts
Downloads & source
Sources
- SRCForm number, name and design date (03/21) verified on page 1.
- SRCPurpose of the form (appoint or withdraw authorised recipient) confirmed on page 1.
- SRCExclusion of registered migration agents, legal practitioners or exempt persons stated on page 1.
- SRCDefinition of ‘authorised recipient’ and typical scenarios listed on page 1.
- SRCReference to privacy notice Form 1442i and its location on the website noted on page 2.
- SRCInstructions to complete Part A for new appointment and Part B for withdrawal found on page 3.
- SRCContact details fields, HA ID/RID/TRN requirement, and electronic communication consent question shown on page 5.
- SRCSignature requirements for applicant and authorised recipient described on page 6.
Common confusion points
Filling both Part A and Part B on the same form – only one part should be completed.
Using Form 956A to appoint a registered migration agent or exempt person; a different Form 956 is required.
Leaving the HA Request ID / Transaction Reference Number blank when withdrawing an appointment.
Forgetting to answer the fax/email consent question, which can delay electronic communication.
Sending the form to the wrong Department office instead of the one that handled the original matter.
Not signing the form or missing the authorised recipient’s signature.
Overlooking the requirement to read Form 1442i privacy notice before signing.
Source transparency
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