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, so the Department knows who to correspond with alongside (or instead of) you directly. [VERIFY: confirm current guidance on exactly what correspondence rights this grants the agent, since this can vary from a full Form 956 appointment.]
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 checklist an agent would work from.