From the 15th October 2007, all applicants aged 18 years and over are required to sign a values statement when applying for selected visas. The statement requires applicants to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey the laws of Australia before being granted a visa.
Who does it apply to?
For most visa applicants the Australian Values Statement is included in the application form. There are two different values statements. The statement applicants will be required to sign depends on the visa they are applying for. All provisional, permanent and a small number of temporary visa applicants are required to have read or had explained to them information provided by the Australian government before signing the values statement. This information is contained in the Life in Australia book. For all other temporary visa applicants the Australian Values Statement is included in the general declaration section of their application form. There is a small group of visas that do not require the Australian Values Statement. This group includes and is not limited to visitor visas and New Zealand citizens entering Australian on a special category visa
More information about which visas require the Australian Values Statement to be signed is available in the Values Statement Visa Selector.
Life in Australia book
The information that some applicants are required to have read or had explained to them before they sign the values statement is called the Life in Australia book. This book provides information about Australian history, culture, society and the values we share to help applicants understand the values statement. All applicants for a provisional, permanent and a small number of temporary visas are required to have read or had explained to them the contents of the Life in Australia book. Most temporary visa applicants are not required to read the book, but may do so if they wish.
