Information for Ukrainian refugees in Australia

No temporary protection; Ukrainians who arrived before 31 July 2024 get invitations for a 3-year 786 humanitarian visa; 2022 holders are offered permanent residence

Information checked in October–November 2026.

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Important to know

No new special program: Ukrainians who arrived after 31 Jul 2024 get no humanitarian offer and need ordinary visas (visitor, student, skilled, family) or can apply for protection. Eligible people who arrived earlier are contacted by email — keep your ImmiAccount details current. Accepting the offer rules out a Protection visa, so talk to a registered migration agent or a free legal service first. Holders of 786 visas from 2022 are moving to permanent 851 visas (over 4,000 had accepted by Aug 2025); for later arrivals no permanent pathway has been announced, and AFUO keeps lobbying for one. Leaving Australia ends a 786 visa. If your visa has a 'no further stay' condition, you can ask for a waiver. Home Affairs: Ukraine visa support

Useful links

Official information

Getting there

Housing

International hosting platforms (Host4Ukraine)

Work

International job platforms for Ukrainians

Ukrainian communities

Status and documents

How long protection lasts: No temporary protection. Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway: first a Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa (subclass 449), then a Temporary Humanitarian Concern visa (subclass 786) for 3 years. Ukrainians who accepted the 2022 offer are being moved to the permanent Resolution of Status visa (subclass 851). Others stay on visitor, student, work or bridging visas.
Documents: To travel: a valid Ukrainian passport (including one extended by a Ukrainian consulate or the State Migration Service until 29 Oct 2030), a certificate of identity, or an ID card with details in Ukrainian and English, plus an Australian visa; children need both parents' consent. Humanitarian offer: no application, you accept the emailed offer in a web form and pass health, character and identity checks (biometrics).
Where and how to apply: You cannot apply yourself: the Minister invites eligible people by email (Ukrainians in Australia on a temporary visa who arrived before 31 Jul 2024 and cannot return home, and their close family). Keep your contact details up to date in ImmiAccount ('Update us'). Each family member accepts the offer in a separate web form; there is no fee. Other visas: online in ImmiAccount.
Processing time: Home Affairs planned to contact most people who arrived by 31 Jul 2024 in January–March 2026; the time from acceptance to the 449 and 786 grants is not published (—). Permanent 851 visas: over 4,000 people had accepted the offer by Aug 2025.
When protection ends: A 786 visa ends after 3 years and ceases as soon as you leave Australia (send a travel request to Home Affairs before any trip). Holders cannot apply for another visa in Australia unless Home Affairs lifts the bar in exceptional cases, and anyone offered a humanitarian stay can no longer get a Protection visa. The 851 visa is permanent.
Men aged 18–60: Australia sets no conditions related to Ukrainian military obligations, either for visas or for the humanitarian stay offer. Only Ukrainian rules apply: since May 2024 Ukrainian consulates provide passports and most other services to men aged 18–60 only with a valid military registration document (e-VOD in Reserve+).
Trips to Ukraine: Not with a 786 visa: it ceases as soon as you leave Australia and does not allow re-entry; before any trip send Home Affairs the 'Travel request for holders of Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway visas' form and get advice from a registered migration agent. The permanent 851 visa lets you leave and return (5-year travel facility). Centrelink payments generally stop while you are overseas; tell Services Australia before you go.
Children without parents: To grant any visa to a child under 18 travelling without one or both parents, Home Affairs requires Form 1229: consent from each parent with legal custody (or proof of sole custody, e.g. a court order), with certified copies of the birth certificate and the parent's ID. Children living in Australia without their parents fall under state child-protection services.

Travel, pets and language

How to get there: By air only: Ukraine's airspace is closed, so go overland to Poland (or another neighbour) and fly to Australia with one or two connections (usually 24 hours or more). Ukrainians need an Australian visa, usually a visitor visa (subclass 600) applied for online. Men aged 23–60 generally cannot leave Ukraine.
Pets: Very strict: Ukraine is not an approved country, so a cat or dog must first live in an approved country (e.g. Poland or Germany) and complete all steps there: microchip, rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody test taken at least 180 days before export, an import permit and a vet health certificate. On arrival, at least 10 days of quarantine in Mickleham (Melbourne): approx. A$2,300 per animal. Allow at least 6 months.
Driving licence: Rules are set by each state. In NSW, temporary visa holders who arrived after 1 Jul 2023 may drive on a Ukrainian licence with an approved English translation for 6 months, permanent residents (e.g. 851 visa) for 3 months; after that you need an NSW licence. Ukraine is not a 'recognised' licensing country, so you must pass the knowledge test and the driving test.
Languages: English. Free classes in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) for eligible visa holders, including 786: register within 6 months of the visa start, begin within 12 months, finish within 5 years; free childcare during classes. Free interpreting: TIS National, 131 450.

Work, healthcare and education

Right to work: Yes with a 786 visa (full work rights) and with the permanent 851 visa. Visitor visa (600): no work. Bridging visas: depends on the visa conditions. You need a Tax File Number (TFN).
Jobs in demand: Health (nurses, aged and disability care), education and childcare, construction and other trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters): nearly half of trade roles and 29% of all occupations were in shortage in 2025 (Jobs and Skills Australia). Regulated professions need recognition of qualifications (e.g. AHPRA for health workers).
Healthcare: Medicare (public health insurance) for holders of 786, 851 and bridging E visas (050/051) granted on or after 1 Aug 2022: enrol with Services Australia. No Medicare on a 449 or a visitor visa; Ukraine has no reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.
Kindergarten: Childcare is paid, but 786 holders can get the Child Care Subsidy; since 5 Jan 2026 at least 72 hours a fortnight (3 days a week) are subsidised regardless of work. Most states fund free or low-cost preschool for 15 hours a week before school starts (e.g. Free Kinder in Victoria, Free Kindy in Queensland).
School: Yes, public schools are free; children with a 786 visa enrol at their local school. NSW exempts humanitarian visa holders, including 449 and 786, from temporary-resident fees; the Red Cross says Ukrainian children can attend public schools and Intensive English Centres without fees regardless of visa — check with your state. Parents pay for uniforms and supplies.

Benefits

Housing support: No special housing for Ukrainians. With Special Benefit you can get Rent Assistance: up to A$223.80 a fortnight for a single person, up to A$263.06 with 1–2 children (from 20 Sep 2026). Holders of 449 and 786 visas have been eligible for the Humanitarian Settlement Program, whose case managers help find housing (Red Cross).
One-time payment: No special one-off payment for Ukrainians. A Crisis Payment (a week's worth of your payment) is possible only in extreme circumstances such as family violence or a natural disaster; the crisis payment for humanitarian entrants is only for refugee visas 200–204.
Monthly allowance for adults: Special Benefit for 449 and 786 holders, no waiting period, means-tested: up to A$824.90 a fortnight for a single person (≈A$1,790 a month), A$883.30 with dependent children, A$755.10 each for a couple (from 20 Sep 2026). Not available on a visitor or bridging visa; permanent 851 holders get regular payments such as JobSeeker.
Monthly allowance for children: Family Tax Benefit for 449 and 786 holders, no waiting period, income-tested: Part A up to A$235.48 a fortnight per child aged 0–12 and A$306.46 aged 13–15 (also 16–19 in secondary study), plus Part B for single parents and single-income families.

Cost of living

Average rent: Median asking rent for a flat (unit), Sep 2026 quarter (Domain): Sydney A$780 a week (≈A$3,380 a month), Perth A$700, Brisbane A$660, Darwin A$650, Melbourne A$600, Canberra A$580, Adelaide A$550, Hobart A$525 a week. Rents are quoted per week; a bond of about 4 weeks' rent is usual.
Groceries per person per month: approx. A$245 a week for a family of four (≈A$1,060 a month; Canstar, 2026); a one-person household spends about A$110 a week (Canstar Blue, 2025).
Kindergarten fees: approx. A$14.60 an hour on average in long day care before the subsidy (≈A$146 for a 10-hour day; June quarter 2026). The Child Care Subsidy is calculated on fees up to A$14.63 an hour, so eligible families pay much less.
Private school fees: Public schools are free (voluntary contributions, uniforms and supplies extra). Catholic schools approx. A$2,800 (primary) – A$7,500 (secondary) a year; independent schools on average approx. A$15,500 (primary) and A$27,500 (secondary), top Sydney and Melbourne schools over A$50,000 (2026).
Health insurance cost: Not needed with Medicare (786, 851). On a visitor visa: overseas visitors health cover from approx. A$55–60 a month for basic hospital cover for one person (2026); fuller cover costs several times more.

Documents, consulates, legal helpThe same in every country: e-Consul, Diia, free legal aid, a psychologist.

All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.

If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.