Offshore program

The offshore component of Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program is designed for people outside Australia who are in need of humanitarian resettlement. The offshore program has two categories:

• The Refugee category for people subject to persecution in their country of origin and who are refugees as defined by the 1951 Refugee Convention; and
• The Special Humanitarian Program category for people who, while not being refugees, are subject to substantial discrimination amounting to a gross violation of their human rights in their country of origin

Refugee Program

Refugee Program visas are for people who are subject to persecution in their home country and who are in need of resettlement. The majority of applicants who are considered under this category are identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and referred to the Australian Government by the UNHCR. There are four subclasses within the Refugee Program:

• Refugee Visa (Subclass 200), for people who are subject to persecution in their country of origin and are in need of resettlement.
• In-country Special Humanitarian Program Visa (Subclass 201), which offers resettlement to people who have suffered persecution in their country of origin and who have not been able to leave that country to seek refuge elsewhere.
• Emergency Rescue Visa (Subclass 203), which offers an accelerated processing arrangement for people who satisfy refugee criteria and whose lives or freedom depend on urgent resettlement.
• Woman at Risk Visa (Subclass 204), for female applicants and their dependents who are subject to persecution or are of concern to UNHCR, are living outside their home country without the protection of a male relative and are in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because of their gender.

Special Humanitarian Program (SHP)

The SHPcategory (subclass 202) is for people who, while not being refugees according to the definition in the 1951 Refugee Convention, are subject to substantial discrimination amounting to a gross violation of their human rights in their country of origin

People who wish to be considered for a SHP visa must be proposed for entry by an Australian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18, an eligible New Zealand citizen or an organisation operating in Australia. Successful applicants under the SHP or their proposer must pay for the applicant to travel to Australia and the proposer is expected to assist in the settlement of the applicant.

Applying for offshore visas

Information on applying for offshore humanitarian visas, including forms and eligibility requirements, can be found on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's website at www.immi.gov.au/visas/humanitarian

After an application is lodged, an acknowledgment of receipt will be sent to the applicant (and, in the case of 202 visas, the proposer). Applications that are assessed as eligible for further processing are referred for interview and further assessment. All refugee and humanitarian applicants referred for further processing are required to be interviewed by an Australian immigration officer.

Applicants and their dependent family members must meet health and character requirements in order to be granted a visa for Australia.