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EnglishWhat is the Immigration and citizenship website (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au)?
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immi.homeaffairs.gov.au is the Australian Department of Home Affairs website for immigration and citizenship. It is the official government portal for visa, citizenship, and border-related information and services — not a commercial migration agency. Use it when you need authoritative answers on Australian visas, citizenship eligibility, entering or leaving Australia, sponsoring overseas workers, or checking an existing application.
Who runs it and what it is for
The site is published by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian government department responsible for immigration and citizenship. Its stated scope is to help people "find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship." Because it is a government source, the information and forms on it are the reference point that commercial agents and advisers also work from.
Main service areas
The homepage groups its content into these areas:
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Explore visa options | Answer a few questions to identify visas that may suit you and your family |
| Become an Australian citizen | Check eligibility and how to apply |
| Entering and leaving Australia | Rules and requirements for crossing the border |
| Employ people from overseas | How to bring someone into Australia to work for you |
| Settling in Australia | Information for people arriving to live in Australia |
| Employing or sponsoring workers | Guidance for employers and sponsors |
It also links to practical situations such as a visa expiring or having expired, changes in your circumstances (moving, a new baby, a new passport, changed plans), and visa conditions — what you can and cannot do on a given visa.
Online tools: ImmiAccount and VEVO
The site's "Our online forms and services" section points to two named tools:
- ImmiAccount — used to apply, notify the department of changes, check status, or withdraw an application.
- VEVO — used to check visa details and conditions.
Both are accessed through the same official portal, so you do not need to find a separate commercial service to lodge or verify most applications.
Other things you will find there
- Reporting — a channel to report suspicious or illegal immigration, citizenship, customs, and trade activity, plus a National Security Hotline.
- News and notices — for example, scheduled systems maintenance windows and warnings such as the reminder that a permanent visa does not by itself allow you to enter Australia without a valid travel facility.
- Support pages — including visa information for people affected by the Hamas-Israel conflict and surrounding areas.
- Contact and feedback — a route to ask a question, give feedback, or make a complaint, alongside a list of popular questions.
When to use it — and when not to
Use immi.homeaffairs.gov.au when you want the official position on a visa, citizenship, or border question, or when you need to lodge or check an application through ImmiAccount or VEVO.
It is an information and services portal, not a decision-making or advisory service. It will tell you the rules and let you apply, but it will not tell you which visa is best for your personal circumstances, and it does not replace professional advice where your situation is complex. For straightforward eligibility questions, the "Explore visa options" tool is a reasonable first step; for anything involving your specific history or risk, treat the site as the source of the rules rather than the answer to your case.