Form 956A (Advice by an immigration assistance provider of providing immigration assistance) is used when a registered migration agent or other authorised immigration assistance provider is formally assisting with your visa application. If you're preparing and lodging your own application without an agent, this form doesn't apply to you.
What it's for
Form 956A notifies the Department of Home Affairs that a migration agent, legal practitioner, or other authorised provider is giving you immigration assistance with your application. It's a more limited notification than a full Form 956 appointment, and doesn't necessarily give the provider exclusive correspondence rights — check the current form instructions for exactly what it authorises in your specific case.
Who needs to lodge it
Your migration agent typically completes and lodges this form on your behalf as part of engaging them, rather than something you fill in yourself. If you're self-preparing your application without an agent, you can skip this form entirely.
Does it affect your document checklist?
No — Form 956A is about who the Department corresponds with, not about which supporting documents your application needs. Your document checklist (identity, relationship, financial, health, and character evidence) is the same whether or not you're using a migration agent. If you're self-preparing, VisaPacks gives you the same personalised visa document checklist an agent would work from.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Form 956A if I'm applying without a migration agent?
No. Form 956A only applies when a registered migration agent or other authorised provider is giving you immigration assistance. If you're preparing and lodging your own application, you can skip it entirely.
Who lodges Form 956A?
Your migration agent or authorised provider typically completes and lodges it on your behalf as part of engaging them — it's not something you fill in yourself.
Does Form 956A change my document checklist?
No. It concerns who the Department corresponds with, not your supporting documents. Your identity, relationship, financial, health and character evidence is the same either way.