VEVO and Police Check Documents for New Zealand Citizens and Foreign Passport Holders

Introduction

New Zealand citizens and other foreign passport holders applying for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check may need documents that establish both their identity and their Australian immigration status.

A foreign passport is an important identity document, but it may not satisfy every police-check identity category by itself. Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, a current matching Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) record or another acceptable Australian immigration document may be needed as commencement-of-identity evidence.

This guide focuses on police-check document requirements. For employer or organisation work-rights verification, see AuthNTick’s VEVO work-rights check page.

Documents commonly required

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) states that applicants need four identity documents, including one commencement-of-identity document. The document combination must also link the person to the identity being checked.

The following summary is general guidance only. A listed document is not automatically accepted; its currency, details and identity category must meet the requirements displayed in the application.

For a broader explanation of the categories, read the guide to identity documents for a police check. AuthNTick may also use the Australian Government’s Document Verification Service in supported identity workflows; learn how DVS identity verification works.

What is VEVO?

VEVO stands for Visa Entitlement Verification Online. It is a Department of Home Affairs service that allows visa holders and authorised organisations to check visa information and conditions recorded by Home Affairs.

A VEVO record may display the visa in effect, visa subclass, period of stay, work or study rights and applicable conditions. It only displays information available in Home Affairs’ electronic systems and does not determine the outcome of a police check.

VEVO check vs police check

These checks answer different questions and one does not replace the other.

An employer or applicant may require both checks for different purposes. An AFP Police Check may instead be required for certain Commonwealth, immigration or overseas purposes; follow the instructions of the organisation requesting the check.

Foreign passport holders

Where a current foreign passport is used with a VEVO record, the valid foreign passport associated with that visa record should relate to the same person. The name, date of birth and passport details should be consistent with Home Affairs records and the police-check application.

If a visa is linked to an expired or replaced passport, the applicant may need to update their passport details with Home Affairs before the visa can be linked to the current passport. Applicants should not assume that a foreign passport and VEVO record together satisfy every identity category; proof of address and other identity documents are generally still required.

New Zealand citizens and subclass 444 visas

Eligible New Zealand citizens are generally granted a subclass 444 Special Category Visa when entering Australia on a valid New Zealand passport. The subclass 444 visa is generally temporary and ordinarily ceases when the person leaves Australia.

A New Zealand passport alone may not satisfy every police-check identity category. Depending on the person’s circumstances, a current VEVO record or another acceptable immigration-status document may be required, along with proof of address and additional identity documents.

A historical arrival date does not automatically establish current permanent-resident status. Home Affairs determines a person’s immigration status and eligibility; this article does not provide individual immigration advice.

Alternative immigration documents

Not every applicant has a conventional passport or passport-searchable electronic visa record. Depending on the document, its currency and the applicable police-check identity requirements, an official immigration or travel document may be relevant.

ImmiCard

An ImmiCard is issued to certain visa holders who do not have and cannot obtain a passport recognised by the Australian Government. It can assist an eligible holder to show commencement of identity in Australia, but additional documents may still be required.

Document for Travel to Australia (DFTTA)

A DFTTA may be issued to certain offshore refugee or humanitarian visa holders for their initial journey to Australia. It should not automatically be treated as a current, general-purpose passport substitute after that journey; acceptance depends on its status, details and the applicable identity requirements.

PL056 or M56 Visa Evidence Card

PL056 or M56 cards are historical Visa Evidence Cards that may have been issued to some Protection or Bridging visa holders. Additional current identity or immigration evidence may be needed.

Convention Travel Document

A Convention Travel Document, sometimes called a Titre de Voyage, may be issued to an eligible refugee or other qualifying person who cannot obtain a passport from their country of nationality. It does not automatically establish current Australian visa conditions, so a VEVO record, ImmiCard or another official Home Affairs document may also be needed.

What if VEVO cannot find the visa?

Before seeking help, check:

• the spelling of the applicant’s name;
• the date of birth;
• the passport number;
• the visa grant number or transaction reference number;
• whether the visa is linked to an old passport; and
• whether passport details need to be updated with Home Affairs.

Also consider whether the person has a historical or non-electronic immigration record. Contact the Department of Home Affairs if the record remains unavailable or incorrect.

A failed VEVO search does not, by itself, prove that a person has no lawful immigration status. AuthNTick cannot create, change or link the underlying visa record.

Historical and non-electronic visa records

Some long-term residents may not have a searchable electronic visa record. Home Affairs advises that a person may not have an electronic record if their last arrival was before 1990. An eligible person who already holds a permanent visa may be able to request that the existing permanent visa be recorded electronically.

This process records an existing permanent visa; it does not automatically grant a new visa or create permanent-resident status. Home Affairs may request first-arrival and later travel evidence, old passports, historical visa documents, identity documents and proof of Australian residence.

Resident Return Visas

Home Affairs guidance says a person who arrived before 1 June 1959 and has not left Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen who arrived before 1 September 1994, may in particular circumstances be considered a former permanent resident and eligible to apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV), subclass 155 or 157. Historical arrival alone is not proof of current permanent-resident status.

A person applying for an RRV does not necessarily need a separate electronic visa-record request first. A long-term permanent resident who does not intend to travel but needs electronic evidence may instead be able to request an electronic record of an existing permanent visa. Home Affairs decides which process applies.

Name differences and document mismatches

The documents must consistently link the applicant to the identity being checked. If a passport, VEVO record, ImmiCard or other document shows a different name, the applicant may need an official name-linkage document, such as an Australian marriage certificate, change-of-name certificate, deed poll or another recognised government-issued document.

Enter details exactly as instructed in the application. If a Home Affairs record contains an error, contact Home Affairs; AuthNTick cannot amend the record.

Checklist before applying

Before starting a police-check application, confirm that you have:

• an acceptable commencement-of-identity document;
• a current passport, where applicable;
• a current matching VEVO record or another acceptable immigration document, where required;
• proof of your current residential address;
• the additional identity documents requested in the application;
• clear, readable copies of the documents; and
• official evidence linking any different names.

Follow the document instructions displayed during the AuthNTick application because the exact combination depends on your circumstances and available evidence.

Frequently asked questions