Form 1022: Notification of Changes in Circumstances — Complete Guide
Form 1022 is one of the most important forms in the Australian immigration system, yet it is frequently overlooked. Under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958, visa applicants and visa holders have a legal obligation to notify the Department of Home Affairs of any changes in their circumstances that affect answers given on their visa application. Failure to notify the Department of a material change can be treated as providing false or misleading information under Public Interest Criteria 4020 (PIC 4020), which can result in visa refusal and a three-year ban on future applications. I see PIC 4020 cases regularly in my practice, and many of them could have been avoided entirely if the applicant had lodged a Form 1022 in time.
When must you lodge Form 1022?
You must lodge Form 1022 whenever there is a change in your circumstances that affects any answer you gave on your visa application or any related form (including Form 80). Common changes that must be reported include: a change in your relationship status (marriage, separation, divorce, new de facto relationship), a change in employment or occupation, a change in your residential address, the birth or adoption of a child, a change in your health status, a new criminal charge or conviction, a change in your passport details, and a change in your financial circumstances. The obligation applies both while your application is being processed and, in some cases, after your visa has been granted.
How to submit Form 1022
Form 1022 can be submitted through ImmiAccount by attaching it to your existing visa application. If you applied on paper or cannot access ImmiAccount, you can email the completed form to the processing centre that is handling your application. The form requires you to identify the application or visa it relates to, describe the change in circumstances, and provide any supporting evidence. I strongly recommend having your immigration lawyer review the form before submission — the way you describe the change can significantly affect how the Department treats it.
The connection between Form 1022 and PIC 4020
Public Interest Criteria 4020 allows the Department to refuse a visa application if the applicant has provided information that is false or misleading in a material particular, or has provided a bogus document. If your circumstances change after you lodge your application and you do not notify the Department, the information on your original application becomes inaccurate. The Department may then treat this as a failure to provide accurate information, triggering PIC 4020. The consequences are severe: a three-year ban on being granted any visa that requires PIC 4020 to be satisfied (which includes most visa subclasses). Lodging Form 1022 promptly is your protection against this outcome.
What if the change is unfavourable?
Many applicants hesitate to notify the Department of changes that they believe will harm their application — for example, a relationship breakdown during a partner visa application, or a new criminal charge. This is understandable but dangerous. The Department will almost certainly discover the change through its own checks (data matching, character checks, interviews), and discovering that you failed to disclose it will make the situation significantly worse. It is always better to disclose proactively and manage the narrative than to be caught having concealed a material fact. I advise clients on how to frame unfavourable changes in the most constructive way possible.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to lodge Form 1022 at all — hoping the Department will not notice the change
- Lodging the form too late — the obligation is to notify as soon as practicable after the change occurs
- Describing the change in a way that raises more questions than it answers
- Not providing supporting evidence for the change (e.g., marriage certificate, police clearance)
- Forgetting to notify of changes that seem minor but are material (e.g., a new address, a short period of unemployment)
- Not seeking legal advice before notifying of an unfavourable change
Frequently Asked Questions
What changes must I report on Form 1022?
You must report any change that affects an answer you gave on your visa application or related forms. This includes changes to your relationship status, employment, address, dependants, health, criminal history, passport details, and financial circumstances. When in doubt, report it — it is always safer to over-disclose than to under-disclose.
What happens if I do not lodge Form 1022?
If the Department discovers that your circumstances have changed and you did not notify them, they may treat the original information on your application as false or misleading under PIC 4020. This can result in visa refusal and a three-year ban on future visa applications. In serious cases involving identity fraud, the ban can extend to ten years.
Can I lodge Form 1022 after my visa has been granted?
Yes. The obligation to notify changes continues after visa grant in some circumstances. If a change occurred before the visa was granted but you only became aware of it afterwards, or if the change affects a condition of your visa, you should still lodge Form 1022. Seek legal advice if you are unsure.
Need help with Form 1022?
Book a consultation and I will review your form before you submit.