All Australian student visa applicants must meet the character requirement, which assesses whether you are of “good repute” and unlikely to pose a risk to the Australian community. The character requirement typically requires you to provide a police clearance certificate and may assess your criminal history. This guide explains the character requirement and the police clearance process.
What is the character requirement?
The character requirement assesses whether you:
- Have not committed serious crimes.
- Are not a security risk to Australia.
- Are unlikely to breach the law in Australia.
- Are honest and of good standing.
Home Affairs uses police clearance certificates, background checks, and evidence of conduct to assess character.
Who must provide a police clearance certificate?
Mandatory clearance requirement
You must provide a police clearance certificate (also called a “police check” or “background check”) if:
- You are 18 years old or older.
- You have lived in any country for 10 or more continuous years since age 16.
Exemptions from clearance requirement
You may be exempt if:
- You are under 18 years old.
- You have lived in your current country of residence for less than 10 years since age 16 (though you may still need clearance from other countries where you have lived 10+ years).
- You are from a country where police clearance certificates do not exist (rare; check with Home Affairs).
Even if you are exempt from providing a police clearance certificate, Home Affairs may still assess your character based on other information.
Which countries require police clearance?
You must obtain a police clearance certificate from:
- Your country of citizenship (or countries, if you hold dual citizenship).
- Any country where you have lived for 10+ continuous years since age 16.
Examples
Scenario 1: You are 22 years old, a citizen of India, and have lived in India your entire life.
- Clearance required: India only.
Scenario 2: You are 25 years old, a citizen of Philippines. You lived in Philippines for ages 0–16, then in Middle East for ages 16–25.
- Clearance required: Middle East (10 years since age 16) AND Philippines (your citizenship).
Scenario 3: You are 30 years old, a citizen of Australia (naturalised), originally from China. You lived in China for ages 0–20, then in Australia for ages 20–30.
- Clearance required: China (10+ years since age 16) AND Australia (citizenship/current residence).
Types of police clearance certificates
National police clearance (from your home country)
Most countries issue a national police clearance certificate from their federal/national police or justice department.
Examples:
- India: Police Clearance Certificate from the Ministry of External Affairs or Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
- China: Police Clearance Certificate (无犯罪记录) from Public Security Bureau.
- Philippines: Certificate of Good Moral Character from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
- UK: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
- USA: FBI clearance.
- Australia: National Police Clearance from the Australian Federal Police.
Cost: AUD $50–$300 equivalent, depending on country.
Processing time: 1–8 weeks, depending on country (some countries are much slower).
State/regional police clearance (if applicable)
In some federal countries (USA, Australia, Canada), you may need police clearance from the specific state/province where you have lived.
Example: If you have lived in California (USA) for 10+ years, you may need a California State police clearance in addition to FBI clearance.
How to obtain
- Identify the issuing authority: Search “[Your country] police clearance certificate” to find the issuing authority.
- Apply in person or by mail: Most authorities accept applications via post or in-person. Some allow online applications.
- Provide required documents:
- Your passport or national ID.
- Proof of address in that country.
- Application form (usually provided by the authority).
- Pay the fee: Fees vary by country (AUD $50–$300 equivalent).
- Collect the certificate: Collect in person or have it mailed to you. Processing can take weeks or months.
- Certify translation (if not in English): Have it translated into English by a certified translator and certified.
Character assessment process
Home Affairs assesses character using:
1. Police clearance certificates
If your clearance shows:
- No criminal record: Assessment is straightforward; character requirement likely met.
- Minor criminal record (e.g., parking fines, minor theft years ago): Home Affairs assesses whether rehabilitation has occurred. Character requirement may still be met if the offence is old and you have a clean record since.
- Serious criminal record (e.g., violent crime, fraud, drug trafficking): Character requirement likely failed. Visa may be refused.
2. Visa breach history
If you have previously breached an Australian or another country’s visa:
- Overstay of a visitor visa.
- Breach of student visa conditions (work limit, course progress).
- Working illegally on another country’s visa.
These are considered character concerns and may result in character requirement failure.
3. Other character evidence
Home Affairs may consider:
- Evidence of dishonesty in your visa application (e.g., forged documents, false statements).
- Fraud or deception in obtaining visas from other countries.
- Security concerns (e.g., involvement with extremist groups, terrorism financing).
- Pattern of law-breaking or misconduct.
4. Supporting letters
You can provide character references or letters from:
- Employers.
- Teachers or academic advisors.
- Community leaders.
- Organisations you volunteer with.
These letters can help demonstrate your good character if you have a criminal record that you are trying to mitigate.
What criminal convictions result in character failure?
Crimes that almost certainly result in character failure:
- Serious violent crime: Murder, manslaughter, assault causing grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, rape, terrorism.
- Drug trafficking: Selling or trafficking illegal drugs.
- Fraud and theft: Large-scale fraud, identity theft, robbery.
- Dishonesty: Forgery, perjury, providing false information to government agencies.
Crimes that may or may not result in character failure (assessed case-by-case):
- Drug possession: Small amounts for personal use (depends on country of conviction and time elapsed; may not result in refusal if old and you have reformed).
- Theft: Small amounts or theft years ago (assessed based on circumstances and rehabilitation).
- Drink-driving: One conviction years ago may not result in failure, but multiple convictions may.
- Domestic violence: Assessed based on severity, circumstances, and evidence of rehabilitation.
- Assault: Minor assault (e.g., single punch in a fight) years ago may not result in failure; serious or repeated assault will.
Age considerations
If you committed an offence as a minor (under 18), it may be treated more leniently:
- Juvenile records in some countries are sealed and may not appear on police clearance.
- Home Affairs may give weight to youth and rehabilitation.
- However, serious crimes as a minor (e.g., violent crime) may still result in character failure.
Rehabilitation and character assessment
If you have a criminal record but have reformed, you can provide evidence of rehabilitation:
- Time passed: How many years since the offence? (More time = more rehabilitation).
- Good behaviour: Evidence of clean record since the offence (e.g., no convictions for 10+ years).
- Character references: Letters from employers, teachers, community leaders attesting to your good conduct.
- Educational/employment progress: Evidence of stable employment, completing studies, or contributing positively to community.
- Psychological/counselling report: If the crime was related to substance abuse or mental health, evidence of successful treatment or counselling.
Police clearance certificate validity
Police clearance certificates are typically valid indefinitely for visa purposes. However:
- Home Affairs may request an updated clearance if more than 12 months have passed since the original certificate.
- If you commit a crime after obtaining clearance, you must declare it to Home Affairs.
Character requirement and dependants
If you are bringing dependants (partner, children):
- Spouse/partner: Must meet character requirement (provide police clearance from countries where they have lived 10+ years since age 16).
- Dependent children: Usually exempt from police clearance requirement if under 18. However, Home Affairs may request a character assessment if there are concerns.
What if you cannot obtain a police clearance certificate?
If you cannot obtain a police clearance certificate from a country where you lived 10+ years (e.g., the country no longer exists, the government does not issue clearances):
- Apply for a waiver or exemption: Contact Home Affairs and explain the circumstance.
- Provide alternative evidence:
- Letter from the issuing authority explaining why a clearance cannot be issued.
- Evidence of your residence in the country (passports, travel documents, utility bills).
- Character references from people who knew you during that period.
- Home Affairs decision: Home Affairs will assess whether the alternative evidence satisfies the character requirement.
Police clearance and visa decision
The character assessment is one component of your visa decision. Even if you pass the character requirement, you can still be refused on other grounds (e.g., GS failure, insufficient financial capacity).
Conversely, even if you meet character, you can be refused if other requirements are not met.
FAQ
Q: If I have a police clearance certificate showing no crimes, is my character requirement automatically met? A: Likely yes, assuming you have disclosed all relevant countries where you have lived 10+ years. However, Home Affairs may still assess other character evidence (e.g., visa breach history, honesty of application).
Q: Do juvenile crimes (committed as a minor) count toward my character assessment? A: Juvenile records may be sealed in some countries and not appear on police clearance. If they do appear, Home Affairs may assess more leniently given your age at the time.
Q: What if I have a conviction but was wrongly convicted and later exonerated? A: You should provide evidence of exoneration and a formal pardon or record expungement from the country. This would normally result in the charge being removed from your police clearance.
Q: If I have a criminal record, should I disclose it in my visa application? A: Yes, always disclose. If you disclose and it is later discovered that you were dishonest, that is considered a serious character concern. Honesty is better than concealment.
Q: How long do I need to wait after a conviction before I can apply for a student visa? A: There is no fixed waiting period. Home Affairs assesses case-by-case. Generally, the longer the time elapsed since the conviction, the better. For serious crimes, many years may be needed to demonstrate rehabilitation.
Q: Can I appeal a character requirement refusal? A: Yes. You can request an ART (Administrative Review Tribunal) review within 28 days of refusal. See au-aat-visa-appeal.md. In your appeal, provide evidence of rehabilitation, character references, and other supporting evidence.
Q: What if I have a crime in my home country but live in another country where the police clearance shows no crimes? A: Home Affairs will likely discover the crime in your home country during their assessment. You must obtain police clearance from your country of citizenship, which should reveal the crime. Failure to disclose known crimes is dishonesty and is a serious character concern.
Q: Can a criminal record be removed from my police clearance? A: In some countries, convictions can be expunged or sealed after a certain period. If this occurs, the crime may not appear on future clearance certificates. Check with the issuing authority in your country.
Sources
- Character requirement: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/character-requirements
- Student visa (Subclass 500): immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-visa-500
- Police clearance: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/police-clearance
Last reviewed: April 2026. Visa rules and charges change frequently — always verify on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.