Department of Home Affairs Edition Design date 03/21 7 pages

Form 956A — Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient

The Department of Home Affairs form that names who receives your immigration documents — or ends that appointment.

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Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A) · Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient
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What is Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A)?

Form 956A tells the Department of Home Affairs that you're appointing an authorised recipient — a person who receives documents from the Department on your behalf for a matter under the Migration Act 1958 or the Migration Regulations 1994 — or that you're withdrawing that appointment. It's most often used in visa applications, visa cancellations, sponsorship processes (including monitoring and sanctions) and ministerial intervention requests.

Documents the Department sends to your authorised recipient count as sent to you, and in most cases you won't get a separate copy. The Department can't discuss your matter with them unless they're also your registered migration agent, Australian legal practitioner or exempt person, or you've separately consented. You can have only one authorised recipient at a time for a particular matter.

FileIt fills the current Form 956A (design date 03/21) in the Department's own PDF. It shows Part A for a new appointment or Part B for a withdrawal, depending on your answer to question 1, prints names with any accents or letters correctly, ticks the matching declarations, and saves the form to your FileIt vault. You and the recipient sign, and you give it to the Department yourself.

Who fills it
You (the person appointing or withdrawing) — the authorised recipient signs Part C
Given to
The Department of Home Affairs office handling your application or matter (or the nearest office if you're unsure)
Parts
Part A new appointment, Part B withdrawal, Part C declarations, question 30 additional details
Signatures
You, the authorised recipient, and any other person 16 or older named on the form
Not for
Appointing a registered migration agent, lawyer or exempt person who gives you immigration assistance — use form 956
Edition
Design date 03/21

Who needs to fill out Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A)?

  • Visa applicants who want a family member or friend to receive the Department's letters for them.
  • Sponsors, nominators and proposers, and their applicants.
  • Visa holders whose visa is being considered for cancellation or has been cancelled.
  • People requesting ministerial intervention.
  • Anyone ending the appointment of an existing authorised recipient.

When to use Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A)

  • When you want someone else to receive the Department's documents about your matter.
  • When you change your authorised recipient or end their appointment — the form says you must promptly tell the Department.
  • When other people 16 or older in the same matter want the same authorised recipient — they're listed and sign on the same form. Someone who wants a different recipient completes their own 956A.
  • Not when a registered migration agent, Australian legal practitioner or exempt person gives you immigration assistance and will also be your authorised recipient — they complete form 956.

What you need before you start

  • Your name, date of birth and HA Client ID (CID) if you have one, and your organisation's name if applicable.
  • Your business or residential address, correspondence address and phone numbers.
  • The authorised recipient's name, date of birth, addresses, phone numbers — and a fax number or email if they agree to electronic communication.
  • The matter: the type of application and date lodged, the visa subclass and grant date for a cancellation, or details of another matter.
  • The HA Request ID (RID) and Transaction Reference Number (TRN), if known.
  • The names of any other persons 16 or older appointing or withdrawing the same recipient.

What’s on Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A)

The 2021 edition has 7 pages. FileIt asks for it in 12 parts, and it is signed by Authorised recipient and You (appointing or withdrawing) and Other person 1 and Other person 2 and Other person 3:

  1. What you're doing (question 1)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  2. Part A — New appointment: your details (questions 2–11)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  3. Part A — Appointment details (questions 12–13)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  4. Part A — Authorised recipient's details (questions 14–19)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  5. Part B — Withdrawing an appointment: your details (questions 20–24)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  6. Part B — The recipient and the matter (questions 25–27)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  7. Part C — Authorised recipient declaration (question 28)Authorised recipient
  8. Part C — Your declaration (question 29)You (appointing or withdrawing)
  9. Part C — Other person 1 signsOther person 1
  10. Part C — Other person 2 signsOther person 2
  11. Part C — Other person 3 signsOther person 3
  12. Additional details (question 30)You (appointing or withdrawing)

How to fill out Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A), step by step

1 Question 1: appointing or withdrawing

Choose whether you're appointing an authorised recipient (Parts A and C) or withdrawing an appointment (Parts B and C). FileIt shows only the part you need.

2 Part A, questions 2–11: your details

Say whether you're a visa applicant, sponsor, nominator, proposer, a visa holder facing cancellation or a person requesting ministerial intervention. Give your CID if you have one, your name, date of birth, organisation (if any), addresses and phone numbers, any other persons 16 or older appointing the same recipient, and whether you have a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.

3 Part A, questions 12–13: the matter

Choose an application process (type and date lodged, or not yet lodged), a cancellation process (visa subclass and date granted) or another matter with details, and give the RID and TRN if known.

4 Part A, questions 14–19: the authorised recipient

Give the recipient's name, date of birth, addresses and phone numbers, and whether they agree to the Department contacting them by fax, email or other electronic means — if so, their fax number and email address.

5 Part B, questions 20–27: withdrawing

Give your details and contact details, any other persons 16 or older withdrawing the same appointment, whether you agree to electronic communication, the recipient whose appointment ends, and the matter it was for.

6 Part C and question 30

The authorised recipient signs question 28 and you sign question 29 — FileIt ticks Appointment or Withdrawal to match question 1. Other persons named on the form sign too. Question 30 is for anything that didn't fit, with the question number it relates to.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using Form 956A when your migration agent, lawyer or exempt person will also receive your documents — they use form 956.
  • Filling in both Part A and Part B — complete only the part matching question 1.
  • Forgetting that everyone listed on the form is taken to have appointed the same recipient.
  • Assuming the Department will discuss your case with your authorised recipient — it won't, unless they're also your agent or you've separately consented.
  • Not telling the Department when you change or end your authorised recipient.

After you fill it out

Sign and date Part C: you, the authorised recipient, and any other persons 16 or older named on the form. Print from FileIt and sign by hand, or send the PDF for e-signature.

Return the form to the Department office where you lodged your application, or the office responsible for your matter — if you're unsure, the nearest office of the Department. FileIt doesn't lodge it for you.

Keep a copy — the form strongly advises it. It stays in your FileIt vault.

Fill out Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A) online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 160 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Department of Home Affairs form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A) now — it’s free

Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient (Form 956A): frequently asked questions

What is an authorised recipient?

A person you appoint to receive documents from the Department of Home Affairs about your matter under the Migration Act 1958 or the Migration Regulations 1994. Documents sent to them are treated as if they were sent to you.

What's the difference between Form 956 and Form 956A?

Form 956A appoints someone only to receive your documents. Form 956 is for appointing a registered migration agent, Australian legal practitioner or exempt person to give you immigration assistance — and they can also be your authorised recipient.

Can I have more than one authorised recipient?

Only one at a time for a particular application or matter. The Department sends documents to the most recently appointed one.

Where do I send Form 956A?

To the office where you lodged your application, or for another matter such as a proposed visa cancellation, the office of the Department responsible for it. If you're unsure, the form says it may go to the nearest office of the Department.

Will the Department email my authorised recipient?

Only if the recipient agrees at question 19 to communication by fax, email or other electronic means and gives their details. The Department warns that unencrypted electronic communication isn't secure.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Department of Home Affairs or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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