Hamas-Israel Conflict: Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway for Palestinians and Israelis in Australia

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Australian Government is committed to supporting people from significantly affected areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel who have arrived in Australia on temporary visas due to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The Australian Government is offering a temporary humanitarian stay visa pathway to eligible Palestinians and Israelis on a case by case basis. This will afford Palestinians and Israelis impacted by the Hamas-Israel conflict support and stability.

The temporary humanitarian stay pathway is by invitation from the Minister only. You cannot apply for this visa without an invitation.

The temporary humanitarian stay pathway is a two-step process. This involves being granted a Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) (subclass 449) visa, followed by a Temporary Humanitarian Concern (subclass 786) visa. The subclass 786 visa will be granted for three years.

You must meet all visa criteria for us to grant you these visas. This includes health, character and security criteria.

Who is eligible?

All Palestinians and Israelis in Australia who hold a temporary visa are eligible for consideration for an offer of temporary stay. It does not matter when they arrived in Australia. The person must be:

• Palestinian or Israeli
  
• in Australia on a temporary visa, and
• unable to return to their usual place of residence.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria the Minister will not consider you for an offer of temporary stay.

Important information for eligible individuals from the Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Australian Government is making offers of temporary humanitarian stay to all eligible Palestinians in Australia on temporary visas on a case by case basis.

These offers will include people who have already applied for a Protection visa.

You do not need to express interest to receive an offer, however we will prioritise consideration of eligible Palestinians who express interest using the webform at the bottom of this page.

The department will contact you via email if the Minister makes you an offer of temporary humanitarian stay.

You should keep your contact details up to date via the ‘Update us’ tab in ImmiAccount. This will ensure you receive offer information as soon as possible.

If you do not have an ImmiAccount you can use the Update contact details form.

If you have applied, or may apply for a Protection visa

If the Minister offers you a temporary humanitarian stay it may affect your future visa pathway options in Australia.

Under the Migration Regulations 1994, people offered a temporary humanitarian stay cannot meet the criteria for a Protection visa. This applies even if they have already lodged an application before getting an offer.

We recommend that you consult with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before expressing interest in, or accepting an offer for, the temporary humanitarian stay pathway. For more information see Using a migration agent.

Free legal help

Free legal help from a specialist refugee and immigration legal provider is available in your state or territory.

These providers can help you:

• if you are considering expressing interest in or accepting an offer for the temporary humanitarian pathway
• to understand implications of the temporary humanitarian stay pathway on a Protection visa application
• if you are considering travel outside of Australia.​​

You can also get free legal help from legal aid or a community legal centre in your state or territory.

List of legal providers in your state or territory

Benefits of the temporary humanitarian stay pathway

The temporary humanitarian stay pathway enables you to receive a range of social and settlement supports. These include:

• Special Benefit payments
• work and study rights
• Medicare access (for subclass 786 visa holders only)
• support provided under the:
• Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP)
• Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program
  
• Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

You can refer to the Services Australia website for more information about support for 449 or 786 visa holders.

Individuals already in Australia are eligible for HSP services as soon as they accept an offer from the Minister. Clients who are offshore when they receive an offer are eligible for HSP services after they arrive in Australia. 

HSP services are provided on a needs basis, and can include:

• ​support to find long-term accommodation in the private rental market
• a package of basic household goods
• assistance to register with Centrelink (for subclass 449 and 786 holders)
• assistance to register with Medicare (for subclass 786 visa holders)
• help opening a bank account
• help with school enrolment
• support to apply for recognition of pre-arrival skills and qualifications
• support to register with the Adult Migrant English Program and attend English lessons (for subclass 449 and 786 visa holders).
• referrals to support services including health and family support services if your visa entitles you to these services.

HSP service providers can also provide any relevant settlement orientation content.​

E​mployment Assistance

Subclass 786 and subclass 449 visa holders receiving support through the HSP can get help to understand Australia’s employment market and how to implement employment strategies. This can include support to:

• access employment services, such as Workforce Australia, and implement employment strategies identified in their Job Plan
• establish a business​
  
• enrol in relevant education and training opportunities
• obtain recognition of pre-arrival skills and qualifications.

If you have accepted the offer of temporary humanitarian stay, a HSP service provider will contact you to discuss your settlement support needs.

You can register your interest in being considered for the offer by filling out the webform at the bottom of this page.

Individuals who were in Australia when they accepted the offer

If you have accepted the offer of temporary humanitarian stay in Australia, a HSP service provider will contact you to discuss your settlement support needs.

Individuals who were outside Australia when they accepted the offer and arrived on a subclass 449 visa

If you have accepted the offer of temporary humanitarian stay while overseas and arrived in Australia on a subclass 449 visa, contact your local HSP service provider directly once you are in Australia. Refer to the table below for HSP service provider contact details.

​Medicare access

You can access Medicare if you hold a Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) (subclass 786) visa.

You cannot access Medicare while you hold a Temporary Humanitarian Stay (subclass 449) visa.

If you have access to Medicare on your current visa, you will again have access when you hold a subclass 786 visa. We will work to minimise any gap in your coverage.

How to register your interest

Eligible individuals in Australia can register interest in being considered for the offer by filling out the web form at the bottom of this page. Please note that registering your interest is not a requirement for you to be made an offer of temporary humanitarian stay, but we will prioritise consideration of those who have expressed interest.

You can submit one web form for you and your immediate family members who wish to be considered for the offer.

The web form will ask you to answer some questions and ask you to provide some personal information.​

Health checks

If you have accepted the offer you will need to undertake mandatory health checks. This is part of the subclass 786 visa assessment process. The checks will include a chest x-ray for most people.

HSP can cover the costs of these health checks for people in financial hardship. Individuals can contact their HSP service provider to help organise their health checks. This includes paying for the checks if they are in financial hardship. Individuals must note their ‘HAP ID’ number. This is in the letter requesting they complete an immigration medical examination.

We will re-use health checks you have had for prior visa applications where possible. We can do this if you had the health checks in the last 12 months. We will request new health checks where required.​

Travel

If you hold a subclass 786 visa, it does not permit you to travel to and re-enter Australia. Your visa will cease when you leave Australia. 

If you hold a subclass 786 visa and want to travel outside Australia please contact us before you depart at 449.786.travel.requests@homeaffairs.gov.au.​​​

If you are considering travel outside of Australia, you should consult a registered migration agent or legal practitioner. Travel may delay your offer of permanent stay.​

Babies born in Australia to subclass 449 and 786 visa holders

If you hold a subclass 449 or 786 visa and have given birth to a child in Australia you must tell us as soon as possible. You must provide details and a copy of your child’s full Australian birth certificate using Form 1022 - Notification of changes in circumstances (Section 104 of the Migration Act 1958)​.

We will tell you if there is any action you need to take.

Find more information at You had a child.​​

Stages of the Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway

The guide below shows the stages in the visa process for the Temporary Humanitarian Stay pathway.

Stage 1

Register your interest in being considered for the Australian Government offer of temporary humanitarian stay by completing all the details on the webform.

You can submit one webform for you and your immediate family members. You can do this yourself or have someone else do it on your behalf. This could be a legal representative or migration agent.

Stage 2

The department will consider the information in the webform. We will refer eligible cases to the Minister.

Stage 3

The Minister will consider your case and may decide to make you an offer of temporary humanitarian stay.

We will contact you via email notifying you of the offer. This will also ask if you wish to accept the offer.

If you accept the offer we will assess you against the visa criteria for the subclass 449 and the subclass 786 visas​. 

If you do not accept the offer you can consider other visas. For more information see Explore visa options.

Stage 4

The department will send a subclass 449 visa grant letter/email to each person granted a visa. We will tell you if we need any further information to grant you a subclass 786 visa. This will include a request to complete:

• mandatory health checks. A HSP service provider will contact you to help you make an appointment.
• security checks, including collection of your biometric information (if we don’t already have it).
• a character declaration.

Stage 5

We can process and grant the subclass 786 visa once you have:

• met all requirements
• completed the relevant health checks
• provided your biometrics.

Any health issues identified as part of your health check will not result in a visa refusal. We may ask you to provide other health related information if you have health issues. 

Expression of interest webform​