Form 681: Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal

What Form 681 is

Form 681, "Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal", is completed by a proposer in Australia to support an applicant's Global Special Humanitarian (subclass 202) visa application. It's lodged together with the applicant's own Form 842 (see our Form 842 guide) — the two forms are assessed as part of the same application, one covering the applicant's circumstances and the other covering the proposer's commitment and eligibility to support them.

There is no charge to lodge or process Form 681 itself, outside the separate Community Support Program fee structure described below.

Who can propose

Eligible proposers under the standard subclass 202 pathway are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, eligible New Zealand citizens, or an organisation based in Australia. Specific restrictions apply — for example, a person who arrived in Australia by boat may not be eligible to propose under this program even if they otherwise hold citizenship or permanent residence, and there are character and other eligibility requirements a proposer needs to meet.

A separate split-family provision exists for people already in Australia holding a humanitarian visa (subclasses 200, 201, 202, 203, 204), a Protection visa (subclass 866), or a Resolution of Status visa (subclass 851), who were separated from immediate family members when their own visa was granted — they may be able to propose those family members under these provisions. This is a specific and technical eligibility pathway; anyone in this situation should get advice from a free community legal service rather than relying on a general description.

The Community Support Program (CSP)

Separately from the standard 202 pathway, the Community Support Program (CSP) lets Approved Proposing Organisations (APOs) — community groups, businesses or other authorised bodies — propose applicants under a distinct settlement-support model, generally involving a pathway to employment for the applicant and a defined support commitment from Australian supporters. The CSP has its own fee structure, separate from the fee-free standard 202 pathway, reflecting the additional settlement-support obligations involved. If a proposal is being made through an APO rather than as an individual or family proposer, the APO manages that specific process.

Proposer obligations

Completing Form 681 is a genuine, ongoing commitment, not a formality. A proposer's role generally includes meeting the applicant on arrival, providing or arranging initial housing, and offering financial and social support during early settlement, alongside completing and signing the form to confirm these undertakings. Importantly, the Australian Government is not responsible for the travel costs of a subclass 202 applicant — arranging or funding that travel is generally the proposer's or applicant's own responsibility, which is a significant practical commitment worth understanding clearly before proposing.

Anyone considering becoming a proposer should think through the realistic, sustained nature of this support — it isn't a one-off administrative step.

Processing expectations and where to get real answers

Processing under the humanitarian program varies significantly by subclass, individual circumstances, and program capacity in a given year — general estimates aren't reliable and this page won't offer one. For a realistic understanding of current timeframes and next steps for a specific proposal, contact Home Affairs directly, or a specialist community legal service such as the Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) or the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre (IARC), both of which provide free assistance with humanitarian matters in their service areas. UNHCR Australia (help.unhcr.org) also maintains a directory of free legal help.

As with the rest of this humanitarian forms cluster, free official and community-legal help should be the first stop for anyone with a live proposal or application, not this page and not a paid service.

Who completes Form 681 — the applicant or the proposer?

The proposer, who is based in Australia. It's a separate form from the applicant's own Form 842, and both are assessed together as part of a Global Special Humanitarian (subclass 202) visa application.

Who is eligible to be a proposer under Form 681?

Generally an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation based in Australia, subject to specific restrictions (for example, some boat-arrival history can affect eligibility). A separate split-family provision exists for people already holding certain humanitarian or protection visas in Australia.

Is there a fee to lodge Form 681?

No standard charge applies to lodging or processing Form 681 itself. A separate fee structure applies specifically to proposals made through the Community Support Program by an Approved Proposing Organisation.

What does a proposer actually have to do?

Generally meet the applicant on arrival, help arrange initial housing, and provide financial and social support during early settlement. The Australian Government does not fund the applicant's travel to Australia — that's typically the proposer's or applicant's own responsibility.

How long does the subclass 202 process take?

This varies significantly and general estimates aren't reliable. For a realistic timeframe on a specific proposal, contact Home Affairs directly or a specialist free legal service such as RACS or IARC.