Request For Information! The Department need more evidence!

What does it mean when you receive an email from the Department with “s56 Request for More Information” in the Subject Line?

You will then read an email that starts like this:

Request for more information for a Partner (Temporary) (subclass

820) / Partner (Residence) (subclass 801) visa application

We need more information to help us assess your application.

The attached checklist tells you what we need you to give us for each applicant.

When do you need to give us the information

You have 28 days starting on the day after we emailed this request to give us the information

we have asked for.

Is this a small matter or a large one?

It depends! It can be either. 

A small request for an updated police clearance? Straight forward. Anyone can do it, and I can’t see any reason in the world where you would need to consult a professional. 

But something complicated? Something that isn’t so obvious, or a request that means you got it wrong and you will worry if you can get it right this time!

Here are some examples we’ve seen (and dealt-with):

1. Evidence of your continuing relationship with your spouse from December 2025 to present.

2. Evidence that relationship has ended with former spouse/de facto partner

3. Court documents (including sentencing remarks, police fact sheets, and copies of AVO/IVO/DVO)

4. Please provide the copies of the sentencing remarks and court transcripts for the offences outlined below, and any comments relevant to your conduct and rehabilitation.

5. Evidence of applicant’s relationship with parent - at the time of birth/Evidence of Parents Relationship 

6. Certificate of Finality (duly certified by the Clerk of Court) for all criminal cases listed in your National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Certificate

7. Evidence of relationship from the time the application was lodged up to present

8. CAV - Please provide a Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from the Philippine Department of Education with details of your Elementary School Records with Apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

These are difficult for the inexperienced. And you probably thought you had addressed those matters in the application and wonder why they are asking again? What did you get wrong, and how can you be sure you won’t short-change them again?

What happens if the Department doesn’t get what they ask for?

What if you send them what you think they want, and they remain unsatisfied?

They will do one of two things:

1. They may ask again, and give another deadline
2. They may just refuse the application without warning

Are you wondering if your application is at risk at this stage?

If you don’t satisfy them, then yes. Not trying to be scary. Again, if they ask for the marriage certificate you forget, then you can breathe easily (as long as you send it!).

But if they are stuck at a quandry where they have a lack of convincing evidence of your relationship being genuine, or your identify being clear, or your character or your health meeting the standards required? If they are not convinced, yes they will probably refuse. It happens! It probably happens every day!

What should you do when you receive a Request for Information (RFI)?

If it’s easy and you’re confident?

Just do it, and do it within the 28 days (or 14 days, or 7 days)!

If it’s hard and confusing?

Get the professionals to manage it for you! Not taking over your whole application! Managing the requests to see that they match what they need to see. We have been doing this for many years, and this is never confusing for us. We know what they need, and we know how to guide you into supplying what they need.

What will we do to help you?

First, we will look at your RFI and advise you:

• Cost per hour
• Estimate of how long it will take

If it’s easy, we will suggest that you just do it yourself. We have ethics, and we will do work where we know you will get value for money only.

Secondly? If you would like to go ahead, we will:

• Get your RFI documents
• Get access to your IMMI Account so we can see your application and what you’ve already sent, so we understand clearly what we are working with.
• Advise you what we need from you, and how to organise it
• Collect and check what you send us for suitability. We will advise you if OK, or if not OK.
• Upload the additional requirements to your IMMI Account

Payment?

• We will give you an estimate on how many hours work, plus our professional fee per hour.
• Get you to sign an Agreement and Letter of Advice outlining what we will do for you
• Collect a payment for the estimated hours

What if it takes longer?

We will advise you and we will need additional funds

What if it takes less?

We will refund what is not used

The funds will sit in our Client Account, and we will not access them until the job is done.

Please fill in the form HERE  and upload your s56 Request for Information request and checklist.

I will get back to you shortly after. No obligation or payment due at this point.

Now, let’s see if we can solve your problem for you!