Unnecessary Documents in Australia: what actually matters to know
Short answer
Australian visa applications do not require passport photos, flight bookings, or hotel reservations. Submit comprehensive 3-month itemized bank statements and an official employment certificate, while focusing on documents that prove your financial stability and ties to your home country.
From real experience
For Australian visa applications, photos are not required with the initial submission as they will be taken during the biometric collection.
Flight and hotel bookings are also generally not required for the application itself. Focus on providing essential documentation proving ties to your home country and financial stability.
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For Australian visa applications (Subclass 600):
- A police certificate is generally not required unless specifically requested by the immigration authorities.
Check the official visa application guidelines for your specific subclass.
- Old passports (over 10 years old) and expired visas are typically not required unless they are significant to your travel history. Focus on recent and relevant documents.
- Marriage certificates do not require notarization. A translated copy should be submitted along with the scanned original.
- For child applicants (6 years old), a sponsorship letter is not required as it is assumed the parents are financially responsible.
- Vehicle ownership documents: The Certificate of Registration (STS) is usually sufficient; a Vehicle Passport (PTS) may not be necessary.
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For an Australian visa application: Bank statements can be electronic versions from online banking and do not require a bank stamp.
The statement must be itemised and cover a 3-month period, showing detailed transactions, not just a summary of balances, deposits, and withdrawals. A summarized statement (e.g., 'summary' from Alpha-Bank) is insufficient. An employment certificate is required, and a 2-NDFL (Russian income statement) is generally not needed. The employment certificate should be comprehensive and ideally include the company logo.
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For Australian visa applications (subclass 600), internal passports are not required.
Proof of assets such as partial property ownership (e.g., 1/2 share) is accepted as evidence of ties to the home country. Applicants often include photos with pets as supplemental 'proof of home ties', although there are no formal requirements for such photos.
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For Australian visa applications, recent passport-style photos are generally not required anymore, as of 2019. Applicants should refer to the specific instructions for the visa subclass they are applying for.