Form 1195 is an official document from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that is used as an identity Declaration form that verifies your identity for specific citizenship applications that are used to prevent fraud through third-party endorsement. Navigating the Australian citizenship process is a lot more than just meeting residency requirements and demands precision in identity verification. In the current migration scenes of Australia, the strongest applications are halted due to a single error in the form 1195.
With 2026 in effect, the form 1195 identity declaration remains as a mandatory and strict hurdle in certain citizenship pathways. The introduction of features like advanced biometrics matching and AI driven content updates in the global systems, the scrutiny of Form 1195 has become higher than ever and can cause a halt in your citizenship pathway.
This guide provided by BJay Education & Visa Services is a guide that is created with the latest data against the DHA data to help you assist with your Form 1195 application and help you get your citizenship easily.
Form 1195
Form 1195 is an official document that is specifically used by the Australian government to make sure that your identity that you say you is authentic through a third-party reference. While your identification document like your passport and birth certificate provide evidence, the Form 1195 identity declaration form serves as the human verification for your identity authentication.
Core Purpose of Form 1195
Verification: The document is used to confirm that the person is the same one that they are claiming to be. They are actually the same as they are in the photograph provided in an application form.
Integrity: The purpose of it is to make sure that it acts as an integrity factor as well. It acts as a safeguard against identity fraud.
Endorsement: The application connects a physical declaration made by an Australian citizen working in a reputable field to your digital application.
Who needs to and doesn't need to fill form 1195?
Who Needs to Fill in Form 1195?
With 2026 being a crucial year with the Australian migration scene, the form 1195 is the central document that has become more specialized. With the updates that are provided in September 2024 by the DHA, the requirement for this form depends on your citizenship pathway. The most recent DHA standards state that if you are applying online for any of the following, you must fill out and submit a form 1195 identification declaration:
- Citizenship by Descent: If you are someone who was born outside of Australia to parents who are citizens of Australia then you are required to fill the form mandatorily.
- Proof of Australian Citizenship: If you are currently a citizen who is in need of an original or replacement citizenship document then you are required to fill the form.
- Additional Children: A separate 1195 form is needed for each additional child if you are applying on paper and need to include more children than the basic application permits.
Who Does Not Need Form 1195?
As of late 2024 till now in 2026, there is a major group that has been exempted to simplify the process:
- Citizenship by Conferral: Form 1195 is no longer required for permanent residents who are applying for the citizenship through the regular or the conferral route. For the conferral applications, the DHA uses advanced biometrics and in-person meetings to make sure of the person’s authenticity.
- Face to face Appointments: The identity form is usually not required when you attend a face-to-face interview with the concerned authorities where the accessor takes biometrics in front of them.
Who can Sign Form 1195?
If you are someone that is willing to sign Form 1195 and be an endorser, then you are required to follow certain rules to make sure that the process is not biased or unauthenticated.
Requirements
- The endorser must be an eligible Australian Citizen
- The endorser must personally need to know the individual for at least 1 year.
- Th endorser should not be related to the individual by birth, marriage or a de facto relationship.
- The endorser must be currently working under one of the approved professions listed by DHA.
Approved Professions Table
If you want to complete the Form 1195 then your identity must be declared by an eligible Australian Citizen who can vouch for you and has known you for at least a year and who is not related by birth, marriage or de facto relationship. If the person wishes to vouch for you then they must be working in one of the approved professions given below:
| S. N | Profession or occupation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer |
| 2 | Bailiff |
| 3 | Bank officer with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 4 | Building society officer with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 5 | Chiropractor (licensed or registered) |
| 6 | Clerk of court |
| 7 | Commissioner for Affidavits |
| 8 | Commissioner for Declarations |
| 9 | Credit union officer with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 10 | Dentist (licensed or registered) |
| 11 | Fellow of the National Tax Accountant’s Association |
| 12 | Finance company officer with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 13 | Judge of a court |
| 14 | Justice of the peace |
| 15 | Legal practitioner (licensed or registered) |
| 16 | Magistrate |
| 17 | Marriage celebrant licensed or registered under Subdivision C of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961 |
| 18 | Master of a court |
| 19 | Medical practitioner (licensed or registered) |
| 20 | Member of Chartered Secretaries Australia |
| 21 | Member of Engineers Australia, other than at the grade of student |
| 22 | Member of the Association of Taxation and Management Accountants |
| 23 | Member of the Australian Defence Force with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 24 | Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Australian Society of Certified Practicing |
| 25 | Accountants or the Institute of Public Accountants ember of the Parliament of the Commonwealth, a state, a territory Legislature, or a local government authority of a state or territory |
| 26 | Minister of religion licensed or registered under Subdivision A of Division 1 of Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961 |
| 27 | Nurse (licensed or registered) |
| 28 | Optometrist (licensed or registered) |
| 29 | Permanent employee of Commonwealth, state or local government authority with at least 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 30 | Permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation with 5 or more years of continuous service |
| 31 | Pharmacist (licensed or registered) |
| 32 | Physiotherapist (licensed or registered) |
| 33 | Police officer |
| 34 | Psychologist (licensed or registered) |
| 35 | Registered migration agent (where registration is not suspended or subject to a caution) |
| 36 | Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, of a court |
| 37 | Sheriff |
| 38 | Teacher employed on a full-time basis at a school or tertiary education institution |
| 39 | Veterinary surgeon (licensed or registered) |
Source: Home Affairs
Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the 1195 Form
As the form 1195 is stringent and can cause your application process to be halted make sure to go through the step-by-step process and meticulously complete the form as directed as per the given steps below:
Step 1: Filling out Details
The first step in the form is to fill out all the application details correctly. In this process make sure that you use BLOCK letters to fill out the application and make sure to use Black ink for the application. Make sure that your name matches the name that is in your passport and also ensure that your Transaction Reference Number (TRN) included.
Step 2: The Photograph Requirements
The second step in the application is to provide your photograph to submit in the application. To be an eligible picture, your photograph should satisfy the following requirements:
- Make sure the dimension of the picture is 35mm-40mm wide and 45-50mm high.
- The photograph must be less than 6 months old.
- The photograph must be professionally printed and not home printed.
- The Endorser must write “This is a true photograph of [Your Name]” and sign under it.
Step 3: Authorized Persons Details
In the third step of filling out Form 1195, your endorser must provide their details to the DHA to make sure the application form is correct and properly authenticated. The details that the endorser is required to provide are:
- The endorser must provide their Australian passport number or citizenship certificate.
- The endorser is required to provide a daytime phone that is available so that DHA can call them to verify the details.
Pitfalls and Solution with Form 1195
One of the main reasons Australian citizenship applications are substantially delayed is not completing form 1195. It is challenging to reverse an Identity Not Verified rejection that can be caused by even a small technological fault.
The most important mistakes and expert fixes to guarantee that your identity declaration is perfect are listed below.
Endorser Eligibility
Pitfall: This pitfall is one of the most common pitfalls where you make a mistake in choosing the correct endorser for your application. If the endorser doesn’t satisfy the 3 requirements given by the DHA, then your application is not moved forward.
Solution: Before you ask anyone to be an endorser for your application, make sure to ask to see the proof of their Australian citizenship and make sure that their profession is eligible for the endorser position.
Relationship Conflict
Pitfall: Using someone as an endorser for your application who is related to you by any relation like family, marriage or a de facto relationship.
Solution: Choose an endorser with whom you have no family connections. The DHA will reject the 1195 form if they detect a personal relationship beyond professional or social acquaintance based on a cross-reference of surnames and residence history.
The 12-Month Rule
Pitfall: This pitfall occurs when you choose an endorser who has known you for less than a year.
Solution: You must wait until the 12-month date is reached before lodging if you haven’t known a qualifying Australian professional for a full year.
Photograph Endorsement
Pitfall: The endorser fails to sign the front corner of the picture or writes their own version of the declaration on the back.
Solution: Make sure that you provide your endorser with the exact script you want them to apply “This is a true photograph of [Your Name]” make sure that they sign both the back and bottom edge of the front without your face being covered in it.
Endorser Reachability
Pitfall: An endorser who is regularly abroad or who does not take calls from private or unknown numbers is a potential hazard that can cost you your Form 1195.
Solution: Let your endorser know that they will be contacted by the DHA. Your identity declaration can be considered unverifiable, which could result in the application being rejected if the Case Officer is unable to contact the referee after two or three tries.
Final Checklist for Form 1195
Before you apply for Form 1195 make sure to go through this checklist and make sure every box on the checklist is satisfied:
Application Form:
- Make sure it is the latest form
- Make sure the TRN is written accurately on top of section A
- Make sure your full name matches that of your passport
- Make sure that the form is filled with block letters and with black ink
- Make sure that you provide a phone number of the endorser that is available.
Endorser:
- Make sure that the person is an eligible Australian citizen
- Make sure that you have known the Endorser for at least 12 months
- Make sure that the endorser’s profession is on the 39 occupations that is approved by the DHA.
- Make sure that the endorser is not related to you by birth, marriage or a de facto status.
Photograph:
- Make sure that the picture is taken within the last 6 months
- Make sure the dimensions of the picture are 35-40mm wide and 45-50mm high
- Make sure the endorser writes the exact script and signs
Digital Upload:
- Make sure that the scanned pages 3 & 4 of the form together as one PDF
- Scanned front and back of the photograph as separate high-resolution images.
- Attached photo with glue and not staples or clips
- All texts and signs are clearly visible.
FAQs
If you are someone who is applying for Australian citizenship by descent or Evidence of Citizenship and doing it through online, then it is mandatory that you submit a separate Form 1195. In case that you are applying as a family then every family member needs their own form and endorsed photograph.
Yes, partially correct. 1195 is no longer required only for the Conferral process only. From late 2024 till 2026, applicants for Citizenship by Conferral usually don’t need to provide the Form when applying online. The DHA now uses biometric data captured during your citizenship appointment instead to verify your authenticity.
No. Your Endorser (referee) can’t be related to you or be your family member in any way be it birth, marriage or a de facto relationship. Additionally, they need not reside at the same address as you. Selecting a relative is a big mistake that will result in your application being rejected right away.
The identification declaration form 1195 is normally required, along with:
- A complete birth certificate that includes the names of the parents.
- passports from the past and present.
- proof of address or a driver’s license issued in Australia.
- Certificate of National Identity (if appropriate).
- police clearances in Australia and any other nation where you have lived for more than 12 months.
A citizen of your current country of residence may sign your 1195 identity declaration form if you are not in Australia. They still need to be employed in one of the 39 authorized professions and have known you for a full year, though.
If you are someone that is having problems with filling out Form 1195 application, then the Visa Refusal Australia process requires you for strategic collaboration and knowledge of immigration regulations. With more than ten years of experience, BJay Education & Visa Services, led by Jaya Prakash Oli (Registered Migration Agent, MARN: 1570827), can help you combine legal knowledge with empathy as a former foreign student to succeed with your applications.
Why BJay?
- Proven Track Record: Since 2011, we here at BJay education & visa Services have assisted over numerous clients from various countries in securing university enrolments, work visas, and Permanent Residency.
- Dual-Shore Support: With physical offices in Sydney, Kathmandu, and Birtamod, we provide seamless end-to-end support—from your initial visa in Nepal to your PR grant in Australia.
- Integrity-First Approach: We operate under a strict professional code of conduct. Our “Forensic Document Audit” ensures your Genuine Student (GS) statement is 100% compliant with 2026 DHA standards, minimizing your risk of rejection.
Confused in filling out Form 1195? Don’t worry! Let us help you to turn the application into a positive outcome. Book a Free Consultation with BJay!
