Form · Immigration & Migration Law
Form 956: appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (completion guide)
Link to the Department of Home Affairs' current Form 956, with a guide to who may use it, one form per matter, authorised recipient choices, ending an appointment, and the separate Tribunal notifications.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- Australia
- AI use
- Yellow AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use.
- Law stated as at
- 17 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked against the cited sources on 17 October 2026.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Link to the official form
Where this comes from
The official form is published by immi.homeaffairs.gov.au; this page is a completion guide. Last checked on 2026-10-17.
When to use it
Use when a registered migration agent, Australian legal practitioner or exempt person is appointed to give immigration assistance on a Department matter, or when that appointment ends. Use Form 956A instead if the person is appointed only to receive documents.
How AI may be used
AI may pre-fill Form 956 from verified client records, after the client's written consent to that use. The current departmental version must be used, and the client must check and sign it.
AI may
- Pre-fill names, dates of birth and client numbers from verified identity documents for checking
- Check that every applicant on the matter is listed consistently with the visa application
- Draft the covering email or ImmiAccount note
AI must not
- Must not be used with client identity documents unless the client has given written consent to AI use (OMARA guidance)
- Must not choose the authorised recipient option without instructions
- Must not submit or sign the form
The lawyer checks
- The current form version from the Department's website is used
- The adviser is a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or an exempt person
- Authorised recipient choice reflects the client's instructions
- Separate notification to the ART is made for any review (MR1 for agents; MR5 or the character-review authority form)
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Official form
Open the official form. Always use the current version from the issuer.
Read the full text
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- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
More in Immigration & Migration Law
- Application to the Administrative Review Tribunal for review of a migration decision (forms M1, M2, R1): guide
- Response to an invitation to comment on adverse information (Migration Act s 57)
- Representations on a character notice under section 501 or a revocation request under section 501CA (Direction no. 123)
- Client services agreement and costs disclosure for immigration assistance (with AI-use clause)
- Client notice: AI translation and AI-drafted statements in visa applications
All precedents for Immigration & Migration Law · Tasks and AI use in this area