ImmiAccount: How to Link an Existing Application (TRN or Application ID)

ImmiAccount: How to Link an Existing Application (TRN or Application ID)

Updated: 23 September 2026

Linking an existing application to your ImmiAccount covers a single, specific task: pulling a visa application that was lodged outside your ImmiAccount — usually by a MARA-registered migration agent, sometimes by you before you created an account — into your own ImmiAccount so you can see its status and act on the file directly. The Department of Home Affairs calls this "importing" or "linking" the application, and the two terms refer to the same flow. For general portal use and account setup, see the ImmiAccount Guide: Create and Manage. To complete the link you need the main applicant's application ID or TRN (Transaction Reference Number), their date of birth, and their passport number and country — a payment receipt number is not one of the fields the import screen asks for.

What information you need before you start

• Your TRN (Transaction Reference Number). Find it on the lodgement confirmation email from the Department, or in your agent's correspondence.
• OR your application ID — the identifier printed on the acknowledgement letter issued when the application was lodged. The import screen accepts either.
• Your date of birth as recorded on the application.
• Your passport number and the country that issued it, as used at the time of application — not necessarily your current passport.
• A working ImmiAccount login. If you don't have one yet, create it at https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login first.

If any of these fields disagree with what was actually submitted, the link will fail with a message similar to "details cannot be verified." The system does not tell you which field is wrong — you'll need to check each one.

Step-by-step: Link an application using your TRN

1. Log in to ImmiAccount at https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login.
2. From the home screen, look for the option labelled similar to "Import Application" or "Link Application" — wording can change, so confirm against the live UI.
3. Enter the main applicant's application ID or TRN, exactly as it appears on the lodgement confirmation or acknowledgement letter. Copy and paste where possible to avoid typos.
4. Enter their date of birth, as recorded on the lodged application.
5. Enter their passport number and passport country, as they were at lodgement.
6. Confirm. The application should appear under "My Applications" within a few minutes.

If the link fails, the most common cause is a typo in the application ID or TRN (zero vs the letter O, lowercase L vs the digit 1), or a passport number taken from your current passport rather than the one recorded on the application. Recheck the identifier character by character, and enter passport numbers exactly as they appear in the machine-readable zone at the bottom of the passport page.

Can you link an application using a payment receipt number?

There is no Receipt Number route. The official import screen asks for the main applicant's application ID or TRN, date of birth, and passport number and country — the receipt for the Visa Application Charge (VAC) is not one of the fields.

If the payment receipt is all you have in front of you, use the application ID printed on the acknowledgement letter the Department issued at lodgement, in place of the TRN:

1. Log in to ImmiAccount.
2. Open the import/link flow.
3. Enter the main applicant's application ID.
4. Enter their date of birth.
5. Enter their passport number and passport country, then confirm.

Who paid makes no difference. If your migration agent paid the VAC from their own card, the import fields are still about the applicant's identity, not about the payment. The real obstacle with agent-lodged files is covered in the next section.

Linking an application lodged by your migration agent

When a MARA-registered agent lodges your visa, their ImmiAccount holds the master record of the application. The official route to your own view of it is for the agent to share the application with you — Home Affairs says it encourages registered migration agents to do exactly that. For some applications sharing is the only route, because partner visa applications, including partner sponsorship applications, cannot be imported at all.

• Ask your agent to share the application, and to give you your TRN. They must provide it. Giving the applicant their own TRN is industry norm and is consistent with the MARA Code of Conduct, which requires agents to keep clients informed about their application.
• Sharing has a status window. An application can only be shared once its status is Received, Initial Assessment, Further Assessment or Finalised. Before it has been submitted, an agent can send an incomplete application to another account instead.
• You won't displace your agent. Sharing or importing the application does not remove the agent's access. Both accounts retain visibility. The Department treats the agent's ImmiAccount as the primary contact unless you formally change representation.
• Red flag if your agent refuses. A registered migration agent withholding the TRN is a reason to escalate. Verify your agent's registration at https://www.mara.gov.au and use the same site to lodge a complaint if needed.

If the application was lodged before you had your own ImmiAccount, the same TRN-based flow works once you've created your account.

Common reasons the link fails

After linking — what you can do

Once the application appears under "My Applications," you gain direct, applicant-side control over the file:

• View the application status — Received, Initial assessment, Further assessment, Finalised and the rest of ImmiAccount's eleven statuses. There is no "Information requested" status: when the Department needs something from you it shows as "Actions required" next to your application.
• See the application record and what is outstanding. Note that Home Affairs says you will not be able to access your supporting documents from ImmiAccount after uploading them, so keep your own copies — a linked application is not a document library.
• Upload additional documents, subject to the permissions configured on the file by your agent.
• Receive correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs directly to the email registered on your ImmiAccount.
• Update your address, contact details, and passport if the application is still open. Form 929 (change of address) and Form 1022 (change of circumstances) flows are available within ImmiAccount.
• Pay outstanding charges — for example, the second instalment of the Visa Application Charge (VAC2) for English language tuition on some partner and skilled streams.

A linked application gives you read and limited-write access. Strategy decisions and substantive submissions should still be coordinated with your agent while they remain on record.

Unlinking an application

There is no self-service "unlink" button. You generally cannot detach an application from your ImmiAccount yourself. If you need to do this — for example, you're switching migration agents, transferring management to a family member, or you linked the wrong file by mistake — submit the Department's Technical Support Form and explain the situation. Provide your TRN, your ImmiAccount username, and the reason you need the link removed. Allow several business days for the Department to action it.

Switching agents is a separate process and is handled through Form 956 (Appointment of a registered migration agent) or Form 956A (Appointment of an authorised recipient) lodged through ImmiAccount.

FAQ

Where do I find my TRN?

On your lodgement confirmation email from the Department of Home Affairs, sent the moment the application is submitted and paid. The subject line typically references the visa subclass and includes the TRN in the body. If your migration agent lodged on your behalf, ask them for a copy of the lodgement confirmation, or for the TRN by itself. The TRN is also printed on the acknowledgement PDF that ImmiAccount generates at lodgement.

Can I link multiple applications to one ImmiAccount?

Yes. Each application has its own TRN and its own status, and all of them appear under "My Applications." (The limit that does exist is per application: any one application can only be imported up to three times.) This is normal for applicants with a student visa history followed by a graduate visa, then a skilled visa, for example. Use one ImmiAccount across your full visa history.

Will linking remove my agent's access to my application?

No. Linking is additive. Your agent's ImmiAccount keeps full access to the application. The Department continues to treat the agent's account as the registered representative unless you formally change representation through Form 956. Linking gives you a parallel view, not an exclusive one.

What if the application was lodged before I had an ImmiAccount?

Create your ImmiAccount, then run the TRN link. The TRN is permanent and stays valid regardless of when the ImmiAccount is created. If you originally applied on paper, you may still be able to import it: the import service covers certain visa subclasses that have an online equivalent. Paper applications with no online equivalent, and finalised paper applications, cannot be imported — in that case, contact the Department's Technical Support.

Can I link an application that was refused or withdrawn?

Usually yes, for record-keeping purposes. Finalised applications — including refusals, withdrawals, and grants — generally remain visible in ImmiAccount and can be imported using the same flow. The exception is a finalised paper application, which cannot be imported. You won't be able to act on a refused or withdrawn file (there's nothing to do), but you can view the history and the decision record. This is useful when you're appealing through the Administrative Review Tribunal or preparing a fresh application.

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