Permanent residence requirements: connect each document to what it must prove

Before you start

If you have not identified the ground, read the permanent-residence overview first. This guide focuses on organising proof once there is a specific ground to investigate; it is not a finding that you qualify.

Begin with the correct form and source list

DHA’s permanent-residence guidance identifies BI-947 and additional documents for the different categories. Obtain the current form and the receiving office’s current instructions. Record the category, office, date and version you are using rather than collecting documents from several unrelated online lists. [B05C10]

Separate the common personal records from evidence specific to the proposed ground. Examples in DHA’s guidance include identity and civil records, applicable police clearance, relationship documents, and current passport/visa information for an in-country application. These records serve different purposes and do not by themselves prove the chosen ground. [B05C11]

Build a ground-specific index

This table describes evidence jobs, not the full conditions for every ground. Use the relevant work-based, family-based, retirement-based or investment-related guide to investigate the proposed basis.

For each actual requirement, create an index row with: the condition, the document, the relevant page, who issued it, its date and the gap still open. Keep copies in the same order as the index so someone can trace the answer without reconstructing your history.

Check what the document does and does not establish

A passport can establish identity details but not explain every period of permission. A marriage record can establish that a marriage was recorded but may not answer every condition of the ground. A bank statement can show a receipt but may not establish who is legally entitled to a lifelong payment.

Use a short explanation where records need to be read together. For example, a name-change record may connect an earlier qualification or civil certificate to the name on your current passport. Do not change a source document to remove a discrepancy. Identify the issue and obtain appropriate evidence to explain it.

Review format separately from substance

For every required record, check:

• whether the receiving office needs the original or an accepted form of copy;
• whether certification, apostille, legalisation or a sworn translation is applicable;
• whether a stated validity or issue-date requirement applies to that document;
• whether the names, dates and identifying details agree with the application;
• whether you can retain a copy of exactly what is submitted.

Do not treat these as interchangeable formalities. A translation does not correct an inaccurate underlying record, and certification does not make the contents prove something they do not say.

Resolve an obsolete checklist item explicitly

Ministerial Directive 10 of 2026 waived the medical-report requirements prescribed by regulations 9(1)(c) and 23(1)(f) for future and pending visa and permanent-residence applications, effective from its signature on 8 July 2026. Older official pages and checklists may still list a medical report. [B05C12]

If your receiving office’s instructions conflict with that later notice, identify the exact item and request clarification. Do not silently expand this specific waiver into removal of every health, identity or supporting-document requirement.

Worked example: “present” is not the same as “proved”

Fictional preparation example, not a client case or eligibility finding. A work-based applicant marks an employer letter and several visa copies as “complete”. The index exercise shows that the letter describes only the current role and one earlier permission period has no supporting record.

The applicant marks that period as a gap, obtains the available record and writes a factual chronology. He links each date to the relevant document rather than asking a reviewer to infer continuous history from an assortment of copies. He then checks the proposed ground and the file’s sufficiency before calling it ready to submit.

Common questions

Can one family member’s documents cover everyone?

Identify each applicant and which record proves what for that person. A shared relationship document may be relevant to several files, but each person’s identity, circumstances and applicable requirements still need to be clear.

Should I submit every document I have?

Follow the applicable instructions and organise relevant evidence. More pages do not necessarily answer the condition more clearly. Keep supporting history available without obscuring the core explanation.

How do I know whether the pack is ready?

Each applicable condition should have evidence, the format should meet current instructions, and unresolved discrepancies should be visible. That is preparation for a sufficiency review, not a guarantee of acceptance or approval.

Your next useful step

Build the index and mark each row “supported”, “needs clarification” or “missing”. Take the unresolved rows into a focused discussion using prepare your first immigration conversation. Use permanent-residence processing times for the separate submission and waiting record.

Official sources for this guide

These official pages are research starting points. Read the geographical scope and current notices before relying on them. No individual determination is made by this information.

• B05C10 — official primary source

  Research checked 17 October 2026. Read the exact notice, date and receiving-channel scope with later instruments. Confirm individual applicability before relying on this information.

• B05C11 — official primary source

  Research checked 17 October 2026. Read the exact notice, date and receiving-channel scope with later instruments. Confirm individual applicability before relying on this information.

• B05C12 — official primary source

  Research checked 17 October 2026. Read the exact notice, date and receiving-channel scope with later instruments. Confirm individual applicability before relying on this information.