Notarising Immigration Documents for a United States Visa Application from Australia

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. US visa rules and forms change. The Department of State's instructions for your visa category, and its country page for Australia, are the only reliable sources.

There is a common assumption that a US visa application means notarised copies and apostilles. For documents from Australia, the US Department of State asks for neither. It wants original civil documents or copies certified by the office that issued them, translations certified by the translator, and, for immigrant visas, a specific kind of Australian police certificate. The police certificate is where applicants most often go wrong.

Short visits: no documents at all

Australians travelling for tourism or business for short stays usually use the Visa Waiver Program, applying online through ESTA. Nothing is notarised or uploaded. Nonimmigrant visas, such as student, exchange and work visas, are applied for through the US Embassy and consulates in Australia, and they rarely involve an Australian notary either.

The Department of State's page for Australia

The Department of State publishes a "reciprocity" page for each country. It lists which civil documents exist there, who issues them, and which the US accepts. For Australia, it points to the state and territory Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages for birth, marriage and death certificates, and to the federal family courts for divorce records.

This page is the single most useful thing to read before gathering documents. It tells you the issuing office for each document, and that office is where your certified copy comes from.

Originals or certified copies from the registry

For immigrant visas, the Department of State asks for an original birth certificate or a certified copy, and the same for each marriage certificate and each document ending a previous marriage.

"Certified copy" here means a copy certified by the issuing authority, which for an Australian birth certificate is the registry. It does not mean a photocopy certified by a notary. A certificate ordered fresh from the registry is the document the consulate is looking for. A notarised photocopy of an old certificate is not a substitute.

If you do not have an original, order a new one from the registry in the state or territory where the event was registered. For a divorce, get the record from the court that granted it.

The police certificate: name and fingerprint

Immigrant visa applicants aged 16 or over need police certificates from countries they have lived in. For Australia, the Department of State says the certificate is issued by the Australian Federal Police and must be based on a name and fingerprint check.

That is not the standard online AFP check most people order for a job. It is a separate application with fingerprints, lodged with the purpose code the Department of State specifies. A name-only certificate, however recent, does not meet the requirement. Read the Department of State's Australia page for the application route and code, and follow it exactly.

The Department of State also treats police certificates as expiring after a set period. Order yours with the interview in view, not months ahead.

No notary and no apostille is involved. The US Embassy notes that US posts have no power to issue apostilles, and the Department of State does not ask for one on Australian documents for a visa.

Translations: certified by the translator

Documents in English need no translation. For any document in another language, both the Department of State and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require a full English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate.

The translator certifies. There is no requirement that the certification be notarised. A NAATI-credentialled translator in Australia can provide a translation with that certification. Some translators offer a notarised version as well; for US immigration purposes that is optional, not required.

Forms that do not need a notary

Two US forms often arrive in Australia with an assumption that they must be signed before a notary:

• Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support). USCIS states that it does not need to be signed in front of a notary.
• Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support). Despite its name, USCIS's instructions do not require notarisation.

Check the current edition of each form before signing. Editions change, and USCIS accepts only the edition it currently specifies.

Where an Australian notary might still fit

• A US employer, university, bank or court may ask for a document signed before a notary. That is a US transaction requirement, not a visa one, and is covered on the separate page on what the United States requires.
• A document for use in a US state, such as a real estate or estate document, may need notarising and an apostille. Again, that is not a visa matter.

Frequently asked questions

Does my Australian birth certificate need an apostille for a US green card? The Department of State asks for an original or a certified copy from the registry, not an apostille.

Can I use my existing AFP police check? Only if it was a name and fingerprint check lodged for the purpose the Department of State specifies, and is recent enough. A standard name-only check does not qualify.

Does my translator's certification need to be notarised? Not for USCIS or Department of State purposes. The translator's own certification is what is required.

Do I need an Australian notary for my I-864? No. USCIS does not require the I-864 to be notarised.