How to link an existing visa to ImmiAccount

Migratio Editorial · Last updated 25 September 2026

TL;DR: ImmiAccount's own function for this is called Import Application, not "linking" — you enter the application ID or TRN, date of birth, and passport number and country. It covers online applications and paper applications that have an online equivalent and are still being processed; it does not cover partner visa applications, applications with an ID starting with 'IRIS', or finalised paper applications. To check the conditions and expiry of a visa that has already been granted, use VEVO instead — a separate system that does not need an ImmiAccount. Long-term residents who arrived before 1990 and have not left Australia since may have no electronic visa record at all, and need to apply to have one created.

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# How to link an existing visa to ImmiAccount

If your current visa application was not submitted through the ImmiAccount you are now using — for example, it was lodged by a migration agent, on paper, or through a different account — it will not automatically appear when you log in. ImmiAccount has a function for bringing that application into your account: Import Application. This is a different process from checking the details of a visa that has already been decided, which is done through VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online), a separate system that does not use ImmiAccount at all. This guide covers how Import Application works, what it cannot import, and what to do if you are a long-term resident with no electronic visa record. If you have not set up ImmiAccount yet, see the ImmiAccount Australia guide first.

What Import Application does

Importing an application brings it into your ImmiAccount so you can view and manage it from the one account, instead of the account, agent portal, or paper file it was originally lodged from. Once imported, you can:

- See the application ID and check its status alongside any other applications in your account.
- Upload documents or respond to a request from Home Affairs.
- Keep a single account for everything you have lodged, going forward.

This is a different function from checking a visa that has already been decided. For a visa's conditions, expiry date and period of stay, Home Affairs' own guidance points to VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) — not to importing anything into ImmiAccount. See the comparison further down.

How Import Application works

1. Log in to ImmiAccount at online.immi.gov.au.
2. Select 'Import Application'.
3. Enter the main applicant's:
- application ID or Transaction Reference Number (TRN)
- date of birth
- passport number and country
4. Select 'Confirm'.

If the details match, the application shows in your ImmiAccount (Department of Home Affairs, Applying online in ImmiAccount).

What Import Application cannot import

Home Affairs' own guidance lists what will not import:

- paper applications that do not have an online equivalent
- partner visa applications, including partner sponsorship applications
- organisation applications or nominations
- applications where the application ID on the acknowledgement letter begins with 'IRIS'
- applications you have not yet submitted
- finalised paper applications

For a paper application specifically, you can only import it if you submitted it, the same type of application is also available online, and Home Affairs is still processing it.

Long-term residents with no electronic record

Home Affairs specifically flags one group as unlikely to have an electronic visa record at all: people who migrated to Australia before 1990 and have not travelled out of the country since. If that describes your situation:

- Import Application and VEVO may both come back with no result, because there is nothing electronic to find.
- This does not mean the visa is invalid — the record was never digitised.
- Home Affairs' fix is to apply to have the visa recorded electronically through the 'Proof of permanent residence' process. Once that record exists, you can use VEVO to confirm your permanent visa status.

If you migrated after 1990, or you have left and re-entered Australia since, an electronic record is far more likely to exist, and the standard Import Application or VEVO checks should work.

What to do if Import Application does not find a match

If you get a 'no matching record found' result and you believe the application should be eligible under the rules above, check:

- The application ID or TRN: a single wrong digit is enough to fail the match. Check it against your acknowledgement or grant letter.
- Date of birth: it must match exactly what is recorded on the application.
- Passport number and country: use the passport that was current when the application was lodged, and make sure the country field matches.

If everything matches and it still fails, the application is likely one of the excluded types above — most often a partner visa application, an application with an 'IRIS' ID, or a finalised paper application.

Import Application versus VEVO

Import Application and VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) solve different problems, and Home Affairs treats them as separate systems:

Feature: Shows visa conditions and expiry; Import Application: No — brings in the application record, not visa conditions; VEVO: Yes
Feature: Requires an ImmiAccount; Import Application: Yes; VEVO: No — checked with passport and visa details
Feature: Covers partner visa applications; Import Application: No — specifically excluded; VEVO: Yes, for the visa itself once it is granted
Feature: Covers pre-1990 arrivals with no electronic record; Import Application: No; VEVO: No, until an electronic record is created
Feature: What it is for; Import Application: Bringing an application you lodged elsewhere into your account; VEVO: Checking the status, conditions and expiry of a visa currently in effect

If you need a visa's conditions or its expiry date, use VEVO. If you need an application that is not showing up in your ImmiAccount, use Import Application, and check first whether it is one of the excluded types.

Removing an application you have imported

You can remove an application from your ImmiAccount at any time: expand it with the '+' icon, select 'Remove', then 'Confirm'. Removing an application from your account view does not withdraw it — the application itself is unaffected; removing it only takes it off your ImmiAccount dashboard (Department of Home Affairs, Applying online in ImmiAccount).

Frequently asked questions

Will importing an application into ImmiAccount affect its outcome?

No. Importing an application only brings it into your ImmiAccount so you can view and manage it. It does not change, withdraw or otherwise affect the application itself.

Can I import an application that was submitted for someone else, like my child?

No. Import Application uses the main applicant's own identity details, and each person needs their own ImmiAccount login. ImmiAccount's Terms of Use say you must not access or use an account created for another person (clause 5).

What if I do not have my application ID or TRN?

Check your acknowledgement letter, grant notification or original confirmation email for the application ID or TRN. If you cannot locate it, contact the Department.

Can I remove an application once I have imported it?

Yes. Expand it with the '+' icon on your ImmiAccount dashboard, select 'Remove', then 'Confirm'. This removes it from your account view — it does not withdraw the application.

Can I import a partner visa application?

No. Partner visa applications, including partner sponsorship applications, are specifically excluded from Import Application.

I arrived in Australia before 1990 and cannot find any record of my visa — what do I do?

If you have not travelled out of Australia since, you may have no electronic visa record at all. Apply to have your permanent visa recorded electronically through the 'Proof of permanent residence' process, then use VEVO to check your status.

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