Article by Jason ZHANG

MARA-registered migration agent, CTO of the Newstars Group, Senior Education & Migration Consultant at the Melbourne office, pen name: Not Yet Lost.

With extensive experience handling migration and study-abroad cases, Jason specialises in solving complex visa issues through a thorough understanding of migration law. He is adept at tackling difficult and unusual cases, and is the lead author of nearly one hundred Newstars articles on migration and study abroad — helping applicants understand not just the what, but also the why.

1. Rental agreement – It must be a lease signed through a real estate agency to be of any use!(A lease signed by a sublandlord downloaded from the internet is, in effect, only a form of ‘testimonial evidence’ rather than ‘documentary evidence’ and has no persuasive power for proving a residential address.) Having this lease will also naturally produce the following documents:

1. a)Bond Receipt – a) The receipt for the bond payment — this document is issued by the government (the bond is actually held by the government, not by the real estate agency or the landlord)

2. b) Letters from the agent – for example: inspection notices, etc.

2. Utility bills (electricity, gas, water, internet) – If you rented through a real estate agency, these bills will naturally all be in your name, generally issued monthly or quarterly, generating a continuous stream of bills to serve as evidence of residence.

3. Mobile phone bills – If you did not rent through an agent, the utility bills above are unlikely to be in your name. However, your phone bill will certainly be in your name. As long as you are on a phone plan, a bill will be generated each month showing your residential address. Similarly, remember to update your address when you move.

4. Bank statements – The address on a bank statement itself doesn’t prove much, since it can be changed online at any time. However,the transaction records on a bank statement show the suburb of each transaction, which is the strongest evidence that you are actually living in a regional area.

5. Australian driver’s licence – A driver’s licence is a government-issued identity document bearing your address — it is extremely useful. If you do not have an Australian driver’s licence, it is strongly recommended that you first obtain a Learner’s licence. The Learner’s licence is valid for 10 years, can be used as ID in Australia, and costs only a few dozen dollars. Even if you have an overseas driver’s licence, you should obtain an Australian one as early as possible, as it is very convenient for everyday use.

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2. Once you obtain your licence,the state government will send you a lettercontaining your address, name, and date. This is a highly formal, official document that can be used to prove your residential address.If you move, remember to notify the roads authority promptlyand they will send you another letter with an address sticker — another excellent document proving your residential address.

6. Proof of Age Card – If you really, truly do not want to get a driver’s licence, you can apply for this card, which also contains your name and address and is likewise a government-issued identity document. The fee is low — in Tasmania it is only $29 and it is valid for five years. Again, if you move, remember to contact the state government to update your address.

7. Vehicle registration certificate – If you own a car, you will receive a Registration Certificate from the roads authority each time your annual registration is due — this is also a government document and is very useful. You can even change from annual payment to quarterly payment, meaning you will receive a formal document every quarter, which substantially builds up your volume of residence evidence.

8. Car insurance– If you have a car, you will certainly need car insurance

9. Mechanic invoice – Whenever you have a service done at the mechanic, you will receive an invoice

10. Traffic infringement notices – The author hopes you observe all traffic rules strictly, but if you do happen to receive a fine, keep a copy.

11. Tax File Number – If you do not yet have a Tax File Number, you will certainly need to apply for one — once you do, the Australian Taxation Office will mail your TFN to your address, making it a useful document.

12. Australian Business Number (ABN) – If you register an ABN as a sole trader, the ATO will likewise send you a letter once your application is processed.

13. Tax assessment notice – If you lodge your tax return as an individual, your Notice of Assessment after each return will show your residential address — it is also an ATO document that can effectively prove your residential address.

14. Accountant invoice – If you lodge your tax return through an accountant each year, the accountant will issue you an invoice for their service fee

15. Hospital / GP letter / prescription – If you are unfortunate enough to fall ill, the prescription issued by your doctor will also contain your name and address. Letters from hospitals and GPs can all be collected as evidence.

16. Medicare correspondence – Subclass 491 holders are eligible to apply for Medicare once the visa is granted; if you are not yet eligible for Medicare,you are technically required to apply for a Medicare Entitlement Statement before lodging your annual tax return to avoid paying the Medicare Levy. The Medicare Entitlement Statement is issued by Centrelink and is also very useful.

If you are unsure how to apply for this document, please refer to this article: ‘How to Lodge Your Tax Return to Avoid the Medicare Levy Before Lodging Your PR Application‘

17. Insurance company correspondence – If you hold student insurance or work visa insurance, the receipt for your premium will show your name and address. If you have ever made a claim with your insurance company, you will also have received related correspondence. You can even create an account on your insurer’s website, log in, and download a letter in PDF format containing your residential address.

18.Super Statement – Your superannuation fund may send you letters; if not, you can log in to your super account and download the annual statement, which will also contain your name and address

19. School documents – If you have studied anywhere, the tuition invoice or any other school document may contain your name and address

20. Online purchase invoices – These are very easy to obtain in large quantities. For example, book a flight online, or visit the Woolworths website to purchase an eGift Card — your inbox will immediately receive a tax invoice PDF. Or buy a printer, a towel, or anything else from Officeworks, Target, or eBay and you will receive a PDF invoice.

Therefore, whenever you need to buy anything, consider making the purchase online first — this way you will continuously receive letters with your address.Some websites (such as BigW, Chemist Warehouse, and Harvey Norman) may provide invoices as emails rather than PDFs — you can print the email to a PDF file. For guidance on how to convert an email to a PDF, please refer to this guide: ‘How to Print an Email as a PDF File‘.

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It should be emphasised that preparing only this item alone is insufficient.State governments and the Department of Home Affairs actually prefer government-issued documents the most,for example, your driver’s licence, vehicle registration certificate, tax assessment notice, and so on.

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21. Other cards you can apply for– for example, a Coles Flybuys card or a Woolworths Everyday Rewards card — both are free to apply for

22. Other address correspondence– for example, NAATI correspondence if you have passed the NAATI exam, CPA correspondence if you are an accountant, AHPRA correspondence if you are a registered nurse, or a Council Rate notice if you own property, and so on

23. Junk mail / advertising mail – Your letterbox may occasionally receive junk mail or advertising materials. If these show a date and your name and address, do not throw them away — keeping them as evidence of regional area residence can be very useful.

What should you do if your visa is about to expire but you still haven’t received an invitation?Click ‘Read the original article’to explore your options!