Form 1023: Notification of Incorrect Answer(s)

What Form 1023 is for

Form 1023, titled 'Notification of incorrect answer(s)', is used to tell the Department of Home Affairs that an answer you (or someone included in your application) gave was incorrect at the time it was given. It applies to answers provided in a visa application, on an incoming or outgoing passenger card, or in response to a formal notice from the Department requesting information.

Common reasons people lodge Form 1023: a travel history date that was recorded wrong, a previous visa refusal or cancellation that wasn't disclosed because the applicant didn't realise it needed to be, a question about a criminal matter that was answered incorrectly, or a simple transcription error carried over from a passport or another document. The common thread is that the answer was factually inaccurate when it was submitted — the applicant either didn't know the correct information at the time, misunderstood the question, or made a genuine mistake.

Several provisions of the Migration Act 1958 create an obligation to correct information that turns out to have been wrong, and Form 1023 is the Department's designated mechanism for doing so.

Form 1023 vs Form 1022 — the distinction that actually matters

This is the single most common point of confusion, and it's worth being precise about because the two forms cover genuinely different situations.

Form 1023 is for an answer that was already wrong when you gave it — the true facts existed at the time, and either you didn't know them, misunderstood the question, or made an error recording them. Example: you answered 'no' to a previous visa refusal question, then later remembered (or were reminded by documentation) that a visa had in fact been refused years earlier. The refusal existed at the time you answered — the answer was simply incorrect.

Form 1022 (Notification of changes in circumstances) is for the opposite situation — an answer that was correct and honest at the time you gave it, but circumstances have genuinely changed since. Example: you truthfully answered that you were single, and you've since married. Nothing about the original answer was wrong; the facts on the ground have moved on.

Getting this distinction right matters because the two forms carry different implications — Form 1023 is a correction of a past error, while Form 1022 is a notice of a subsequent, legitimate change. If you're not sure which situation applies to you, a MARA-registered agent can advise on your specific facts — Migratio matches you with one free.

Why disclosing proactively matters

Under Public Interest Criterion 4020, the Department can refuse a visa application where the applicant, or a member of their family unit, has provided a bogus document or information that is false or misleading in a material particular. Where PIC 4020 is engaged, the consequences can extend beyond a single refusal — an applicant found to have given false or misleading information can, in some circumstances, be barred from applying for most Australian visa subclasses for a period of years.

The key distinction the Department draws is between information that was knowingly false and an honest mistake that's disclosed once discovered. Correcting an error proactively, before the Department identifies the discrepancy itself (for example through document checks, biometric matching, or a data-sharing arrangement with another country), is treated as materially different from being caught out. It demonstrates the applicant is dealing with the Department in good faith, which is directly relevant to any later assessment of whether an error was innocent or deliberate.

This doesn't mean every correction is risk-free — some errors touch on matters (like undisclosed refusals or character issues) that warrant a more careful approach, discussed below. But as a general principle, volunteering a genuine mistake as soon as you become aware of it is almost always the better path than letting it sit uncorrected.

How to complete and lodge Form 1023

Form 1023 is free and downloaded directly from the Department of Home Affairs form-listing page. Always use the current version rather than a copy saved from a previous application, since Home Affairs periodically updates its forms.

The form asks you to identify the application or reference number the incorrect answer relates to, the specific question that was answered incorrectly, what was originally stated, and what the correct information actually is. Be precise about which question and which document the correction relates to — vague or incomplete corrections can generate follow-up queries that slow things down rather than resolve them.

If you have an application on foot in ImmiAccount, the completed form is typically uploaded as an attached document to that application, in the same way other supporting documents are lodged. If you're applying on paper, or your matter isn't linked to an active ImmiAccount application, Form 1023 can be lodged by post to the address shown on the form. Keep a copy of what you submit and note the date you lodged it — that record is itself evidence of when you disclosed the correction.

Does lodging Form 1023 delay processing?

It can, though not automatically or always. A straightforward correction — a wrong date, a minor detail — is often absorbed into normal processing without materially affecting the timeline. A correction that touches on something more significant, such as a previously undisclosed refusal, cancellation, or character-relevant matter, is more likely to prompt the case officer to seek further information or documentation before continuing the assessment, which can add time.

Home Affairs doesn't publish a specific processing-time impact for Form 1023 lodgements, and the honest answer is that it depends heavily on what the correction actually concerns and how the rest of the file looks. What's consistently true across migration practice is that an undisclosed error discovered by the Department itself, rather than disclosed by the applicant, tends to cause more disruption and more serious scrutiny than the same error corrected proactively.

When a MARA agent is worth involving

Many Form 1023 corrections — a wrong date, a misremembered detail with no bearing on eligibility or character — are genuinely straightforward and applicants handle them without professional help. Where it's worth getting advice first is when the correction touches on something that could affect the outcome of the application: an undisclosed prior visa refusal or cancellation, a character or criminal-history question, or any answer where the correct version of events might itself raise a new issue for the Department to consider.

In those situations, how the correction is framed and what supporting context is provided alongside it can matter. A MARA-registered agent can review the situation, advise on what the form should say, and help ensure the correction is presented clearly and completely the first time — rather than triggering a round of Department follow-up questions. Migratio matches you with a MARA-registered agent free of charge.

What is Form 1023 used for?

Form 1023 ('Notification of incorrect answer(s)') is used to tell the Department of Home Affairs that an answer you gave in a visa application, on a passenger card, or in response to a Department notice was factually wrong at the time you gave it.

What's the difference between Form 1023 and Form 1022?

Form 1023 corrects an answer that was already wrong when you gave it. Form 1022 (Notification of changes in circumstances) notifies the Department of something that was true and correctly answered at the time, but has since genuinely changed — like a new address, a new baby, or a change in marital status.

Will correcting an error with Form 1023 get my visa refused?

Not automatically. The Department distinguishes between information that was knowingly false or misleading (which engages Public Interest Criterion 4020) and a genuine mistake disclosed proactively. Correcting an honest error as soon as you become aware of it is generally treated far more favourably than the Department discovering the same discrepancy itself.

Is Form 1023 free?

Yes. It's downloaded free from the Department of Home Affairs form-listing page and there's no fee to lodge it.

How do I lodge Form 1023?

If you have an application on foot in ImmiAccount, upload the completed form as an attached document to that application. If you're applying on paper or don't have an active linked application, it can be lodged by post to the address shown on the form.

Does lodging Form 1023 delay my visa?

It can, depending on what the correction concerns. Minor corrections are often absorbed into normal processing; corrections touching on character, prior refusals, or other significant matters are more likely to prompt the Department to request further information, which can add time.