---
title: "FIRB application information checklist and cover letter"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/mergers-and-acquisitions-private-equity/firb-application-checklist"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a2-firb-application-checklist"
area_id: "A2"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "red"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17"
---

# FIRB application information checklist and cover letter

> Screening questions, an information checklist for a foreign investment application, and a cover letter template to the Treasury’s Foreign Investment Division, with prompts for national security and tax issues.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/mergers-and-acquisitions-private-equity/firb-application-checklist  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-17

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [Mergers & Acquisitions / Private Equity](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/mergers-and-acquisitions-private-equity.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia
- AI level: Red. Keep AI out of the decisive steps. A lawyer does the work.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-17
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 3 authorities it cites, for Australia.

## When to use it

Use when a foreign person, including a foreign government investor, proposes to acquire interests in Australian entities, businesses or land. Treasury guidance and thresholds change; check the current guidance notes before relying on any screening answer.

## How AI may be used

Lawyer-led. AI may organise the investor’s ownership information and pre-fill factual fields. Foreign person, national security and tax judgements stay with the lawyer.

**AI may:**

- Build an ownership chain table from structure charts and registers, with sources for each entry
- Pre-fill factual application fields and list facts with no source document
- Draft the cover letter’s factual description from the transaction documents

**AI must not:**

- Must not decide whether the investor is a foreign person or foreign government investor
- Must not decide whether the target carries on a national security business or whether thresholds are met
- Must not process sensitive information about the investor’s government links or security matters in an unapproved tool

**The lawyer checks:**

- Ownership chain traced to ultimate controllers, including government interests, with evidence
- Current monetary thresholds and fee schedule applied
- Proposed conditions and undertakings are ones the client has authorised

## Authorities

- [Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (Cth)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A01402/latest/text)
- [Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulation 2015 (Cth)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L01854/latest/text)
- [Foreign Investment Review Board, guidance notes (including Guidance Note 1: Overview, updated 28 May 2025)](https://foreigninvestment.gov.au/guidance)

## Official form

[Official form](https://foreigninvestment.gov.au/guidance)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/mergers-and-acquisitions-private-equity/firb-application-checklist and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*