What you need to do
If you currently hold a Temporary Protection visa (TPV) or a Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV) you must apply for a subsequent TPV or SHEV before your current visa expires.
There are serious consequences if you do not apply in time.
If you do not apply before your current visa expires, you will become unlawful and will lose access to work and study rights and benefits such as Medicare and Centrelink payments.
You may be barred by one or more application bars in the Migration Act and prevented from applying for a subsequent TPV or SHEV.
The Minister has non-delegable, non-compellable public interest powers under the Act to allow a person who would otherwise be barred to make a subsequent application for a TPV or SHEV.
The Minister only intervenes in a small number of cases each year and will only consider requests where a person is making genuine and compelling claims that require consideration.
If your TPV or SHEV has already expired and you are unlawful, see My visa is about to expire or has expired.
TPV holders
TPVs are temporary visas and expire 3 years after the date of grant, unless you apply for a subsequent TPV or SHEV while holding your visa. All TPV holders have been bar lifted to apply for a subsequent TPV or SHEV. We recommend that you apply for subsequent TPV or SHEV at least 3 months before your current TPV expires.
This will give us time to check for any application bars or other issues that may prevent you from lodging a valid subsequent TPV or SHEV application before your current TPV expires.
To see when your visa expires, use VEVO.
SHEV holders
SHEVs are temporary visas and expire 5 years after the date of grant, unless you apply for a subsequent SHEV or TPV while holding your visa.
The Minister has lifted the s46A application bar to enable all unauthorised maritime arrivals holding a SHEV to make a valid subsequent SHEV or TPV application, as long as you apply while holding your SHEV.
We are notifying SHEV holders of the Minister’s bar lift with sufficient time so they can apply for a subsequent SHEV or TPV before their SHEV expires.
We will send you a letter by post to your last known residential address to notify you of the bar lift. If you have chosen to be contacted by email, we may send you the bar lift notification by email instead.
This letter will inform you that the Minister has lifted this application bar for you (and your family members) and that you must apply before your SHEV ceases, so you can stay lawfully in Australia while we assess your subsequent application.
If you do not apply before your visa expires, you will become unlawful and will be barred from applying for a subsequent SHEV or TPV.
We will also write to SHEV holders not affected by the section 46A application bar to remind them to re-apply before their SHEV expires so they can continue holding their SHEV and remain lawful in the community.
If you are subject to any other application bars, we will write to let you know if the Minister has lifted those bars for you too.
We recommend that you apply for a subsequent SHEV or TPV at least 3 months before your current SHEV expires.
This will give us time to check for any application bars or other issues that may prevent you from lodging a valid subsequent SHEV or TPV application before your current SHEV expires.
To see when your visa expires, use VEVO.
Update your contact details
We will send visa cessation reminders via SMS and email to TPV and SHEV holders who have provided us with their email address and mobile phone number.
Make sure that you give us your current contact details, so you can receive the bar lift letter and/or the text and email reminders. It is your responsibility as a visa holder to let us know within 28 days if you change your address and to keep your contact details up to date.
You can update your residential address, mobile or email address in your ImmiAccount or by completing Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details.
