Offshore resettlement

The offshore component of the Refugee and Humanitarian Program has two categories.

The Refugee category for people subject to persecution in their home country.
The Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) category for people who, while not being refugees, are subject
to substantial discrimination amounting to a gross violation of their human rights in their home country.

People who wish to be considered for an SHP visa must be living outside their home country and be proposed for entry by an Australian citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation operating in Australia.

A person may be eligible if:

they are outside Australia
they have been identified as a refugee or a person subject to persecution or substantial discrimination
amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country and deemed to be in humanitaria
need.

Applicants must also satisfy the decision maker that there are compelling reasons for giving special consideration to the grant of a visa. This criterion is common to all permanent visa subclasses under the offshore Humanitarian Program. It involves an assessment of various factors including:

the degree of persecution or discrimination to which the applicant is subject in their home
country
the extent of the applicant’s connection with Australia
whether or not there is any suitable country available, other than Australia, that can provide for the
applicant’s settlement and protection from discrimination
the capacity of the Australian community to provide for the permanent settlement of persons such as the
applicant in Australia.

Who may propose an applicant?

A proposer must be one of the following:

an Australian citizen
an Australian permanent resident
an Australian organisation
an eligible New Zealand citizen

Refugee Visa (Subclass 200)

This visa is for people who are subject to persecution in their home country and who are in need of resettlement.

To be eligible for this visa a person must:

be living outside their home country; and
be subject to persecution in their home country; and
have compelling reasons for resettlement to Australia.

This visa is a permanent residence visa. A permanent resident is permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely. Initial entry to Australia must be made by the date specified on the visa. This visa also allows the applicant to travel to and from Australia for five years from the day the visa is granted.

In-country Special Humanitarian Program Visa (Subclass 201)

This visa allows the Australian Government to provide a response to the circumstances of people who have suffered persecution in their country of nationality or usual residence and who have not been able to leave that country to seek refuge elsewhere.

Places in this visa subclass are limited

To be eligible for this visa, an applicant must:

be living in their home country; and
be subject to persecution in their home country.

Global Special Humanitarian Program Visa (Subclass 202)

The Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) category is for people who, while not being refugees, are subject to substantial discrimination and human rights abuses in their home country. People who wish to be considered for a SHP visa must be proposed for entry by an Australian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18, an eligible New Zealand citizen or an organisation operating in Australia.

To be eligible for this visa a person must:

be subject to substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of their human rights in their
home country; and
be living outside their home country; and
have their application supported by a ‘proposer’ who is one of the following:
an Australian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18
an eligible New Zealand citizen
an organisation operating in Australia.

Emergency Rescue Visa (Subclass 203)

Places in this visa subclass are limited

To be eligible for this visa:

the applicant must be subject to persecution in their home country; and
there must be urgent and compelling reasons for them to be resettled in Australia.

Woman at Risk Visa (Subclass 204)

To be considered a Woman at Risk, a woman and her dependents must be subject to persecution or be of concern to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), be living outside her home country without the protection of a male relative and be in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because of her gender.

Priority is given to those who have been assessed as women at risk or registered as being of concern by the UNHCR and referred to Australia for resettlement.

To be eligible for this visa, a woman must be:

living outside her home country; and
subject to persecution in her home country or registered as being ‘of concern’ to the UNHCR; and
without the protection of a male relative; and
in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because she is female.

Family Law