Activation, cancellation, transfer and expiry of an Assurance of Support (AoS) case 005-03050010

An AoS case can only be activated to current (CUR), cancelled (CAN) or expired (EXP) if the case status is accepted (ACC). See AoS status codes and explanations.

To check if an AoS application has been accepted search the AoS application by:

• any Customer Reference Number (CRN) linked to case (assurer or assuree)
• AoS Case ID, or
• visa application number

Go to the Process Direct landing page. Select:

• Inbox > Work Item Search > Main Category > Assurance of Support:
• key CRN, Case ID or Visa Reference
• Go > AoS Case > Status icon > Accept the most recent status > Parties icon (to view the assurer(s) and assure(s) details)

If the AoS case needs to be:

• current, go to Step 2
• cancelled, go to Step 5
• expired, go to Step 9
• transferred, go to Step 10

AoS start dates are automatically updated on the assuree's record when the:

• assuree arrives in Australia on the AoS visa, or
• assuree’s visa is granted if they are already in Australia

To view AoS start dates within the AoS case:

• select the Parties icon > assuree CRN to open a new session
• in the Super Key field, key AOAE (Assuree Arrival Details)

If the AoS start date is not updated within 13 weeks from the date AoS was accepted, Service Officers action a Commencement Review activity created with the status 'For Manual Action'.

Has the AoS start date populated with the correct date?

• Yes, procedure ends here
• No, and if:
• there is no start date, go to Step 3
• the start date is incorrect, go to Step 4

Manual activation should only be required when the Department of Home Affairs data link has not automatically populated the details. For example:

• there is no information from the datalink
• the visa details from the datalink is different to the visa details coded in the AoS application
• the assuree has a multiple record

Key a start date to activate an AoS, the case status will update to current (CUR). The start date is the later of the date the:

• assuree arrived in Australia on the AoS visa, or
• AoS visa was granted if the assuree is already in Australia

The visa and arrival information are available on the Legal Residence Details (RSLEG) and Immigration Advised Movements (RSIM) screens via the Department of Home Affairs datalink or confirmed with Centrelink International Services.

See Activating the Department of Home Affairs datalink and contingency procedures if datalink is unavailable.

Contact the Data Quality Unit (DQU) if the AOAE screen is locked and the assuree has a multiple record. See Centrelink customer has multiple Customer Reference Numbers (CRN).

AoS duration

The AoS duration is 1, 2, 4 or 10 years depending on the AoS visa subclass and the date the AoS application was lodged.

For assistance to manually calculate the AoS period, see the Resources page in Processing applications to become an assurer for the Assurance of Support checker.

When an AoS has commenced but the start date has not updated on the assuree record, update the start date:

• go to the Process Direct landing page and select Customer Summary
• from the Search Customers screen, key the assuree’s CRN in the CRN field > Go
• from the Search Results field, select the assuree record

On the Start screen, in these fields:

• Super Key, key AOAE > Add
• AoS Start date, key the later of the date the:
• assuree arrived in Australia on the permanent visa requiring AoS, or
• permanent visa requiring AoS was granted while the assuree is in Australia
• Expected Expiry date, check this date is calculated automatically based on the start date that is keyed and the type of visa subclass. If the Expiry Date has not been automatically updated, check:
• the visa subclass for the duration of AoS
• if the visa subclass is onshore, the grant date of the visa subclass
• if the visa subclass is offshore, the initial arrival date of the assuree in Australia on the relevant AoS visa
• the AoS application lodgement date will also determine the applicable AoS period
• key the Expected Expiry date manually. See Examples of offshore and onshore visas or Example of 143 visa (can be granted onshore or offshore)

If there is more than one assuree, key the start date for each assuree on each individual assuree record. By keying this information, the assuree record automatically updates and the case status becomes current (CUR).

Note: a start date must be entered even if the expected expiry date has passed. Once the start date is entered, the case should expire immediately but can take overnight. The relevant expiry letters will be issued:

• key Receipt Date, Channel and Service Reason > Assess
• on the Entitlement (ELD) screen > Finish
• record details in Note template > Finish

Activation letter to assurer

Once the activation to current (CUR) has occurred a letter will be automatically sent to the assurer(s). The letter will contain:

• advice their responsibilities as an assurer have started
• details of the assuree(s) whose support has become active

It may take overnight for the letter to be created. If the letter is not available on the History Summary (HS) screen in Process Direct or in Search Outbound Correspondence in Customer First, check the record again the next day.

Procedure ends here.

The 143 visa can be granted onshore or offshore. For visa 143 holders granted onshore before September 2020, the system incorrectly updates the AoS start date using the arrival date instead of the visa grant date.

If the AoS start date shown on the AOAE screen is incorrect, Service Officers must manually update:

• select Edit and in these fields:
• AoS Start Date, key the correct start date
• Expected Expiry Date, key the expiry date if not automatically populated > Save
• Receipt Date, key today’s date
• Channel, Internal
• Service Reason, if the system does not select a default Service Reason, select the most relevant Service Reason for the updates
• select Save > Assess > Success > Updates applied successfully! will display > OK

Procedure ends here.

Check if the AoS can be cancelled.

If the cancellation is not on the non-discretionary list, Service Officers must make a discretionary determination. See Resources page for examples.

Do not cancel or close an AoS relating to the death of an assurer or assuree, see Death of an assurer or assuree.

Go to:

• assuree's record in Process Direct via the Customer Summary and update the Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE) screen to cancel the AoS for the particular assure, or
• AoS Action (AOBA) screen in Customer First at the case level if cancelling the whole AoS case

Confirm if the AoS case should be cancelled, check:

• evidence to confirm the:
• visa application has been withdrawn
• visa application has been refused, by the Department of Home Affairs
• deregistration of the organisation providing the AoS
• the assuree, other than for a CSP entrant, is subsequently granted a refugee visa after arrival in Australia

Before actioning the cancellation, the Service Officer must determine if the cancellation applies to the whole AoS case or for a particular assuree only. If:

• not cancelling, DOC the decision and send a Q999 letter detailing reasons the cancellation is not approved, include the right to a review of a decision. Procedure ends here
• cancelling:
• because an organisation has been deregistered, go to Step 6
• the whole AoS case, go to Step 7
• ending an AoS for one assuree in the multiple assurees case, go to Step 8

Applications to cancel an AoS due to an organisational assurer being deregistered must be escalated to the Level 2 Helpdesk using the request form:

• CSAQuery: Additional Products & Services
• CSAEnquiry: Assurance of Support
• CRN
• Service/Payment Type: Not Specified
• Enquiry Description: AoS cancelling AoS deregistered organisation. Include:
• CRN of organisation
• Name of organisation
• Name of administrator or liquidator
• Date of deregistration
• Evidence provided for deregistration
• Is there a debt - Yes or No
• If yes, amount of debt

Place claim on hold for 5 working days use reason Referred to Policy/Helpdesk. DOC the record 'Referred to Policy/Helpdesk awaiting response'.

Once response received from Level 2 Helpdesk, if:

• eligible to cancel, go to Step 7
• not eligible to cancel, send the AoS - Early release of term deposit funds - insolvent organisation letter

Go to the Process Direct landing page and select Inbox:

• Main Category > Assurance of Support
• key any CRN linked to case, Case ID or Visa Reference
• select Go > Assurance of Support Case > in Task Selector, AOBA - AOS Actions > Next
• Action: CAN - Cancelled
• Reason:
• AAG - Another visa granted before CUR AoS expired
• CLR - Claim withdrawn
• DTH - Death of an Assurer or Assuree
• NLR - No Longer Required
• OTH - Other Reason (No suitable cancellation or rejection reason exists)
• VRJ - Visa withdrawn, cancelled or rejected by the Department of Home Affairs
• XLC - Exceptional Circumstances
• key the Effect Date > Next
• on these screens:
• Errors (SWE), select Assess
• Entitlement (ELD), select Finalise
• record details in a Note template > Finalise

When an AoS case is cancelled, the AoS case and assuree status are updated to Cancelled.

The 'AoS Bank Guarantee Release' letter is set to Do Not Send:

• check the letter content is correct
• email Business Process Migrants and Assurance of Support to ask if the letter can be released or marked as obsolete

The email must contain these details:

• Subject heading: AoS Bank Guarantee Release
• Body:
• Assurer(s) CRN(s)
• Review being actioned: Expiry
• LIR Number
• Letter content correct: Y/N. If N, reason it is not correct
• Letter to be inhibited: Y/N

Business Process Migrants and Assurance of Support will review and advise what action to take.

Procedure ends here.

To cancel a current AoS for an assuree and the other assurees remain active in the AoS case:

• go to the Process Direct landing page > select Customer Summary
• on the Search Customers screen > CRN field, key the CRN of the assuree to be cancelled > Go
• in the Search Results field, select the assuree record
• in the Super Key field, key AOAE > Edit
• update the Expected Expiry Date and Expiry Reason:
• AAG - Another visa granted before current AoS expired
• CNV - Conversion of heritage codes for migration
• DTH - Assurer/Assuree Deceased
• EXP - AoS Period Ended - Assuree Expired
• FSB - Failed To Supply Bank Guarantee
• GAC - Granted Australian Citizenship
• INV - AoS Invalid
• M2E - More than 2 Assurees
• NLR - No Longer Required
• OTH - Any Other Reason
• REF - Refugee Visa Granted
• VCA - Assuree Outside Australian Government
• VIS - Another AoS Visa Granted
• XLC - Exception Circumstances
• in these fields:
• Receipt Date, key today’s date
• Channel, Internal
• Service Reason, if the system does not select a default Service Reason, select the most relevant Service Reason for the updates
• select Save > Assess > Success > Updates applied successfully! will display > OK
• on Entitlement (ELD) screen > Finish
• record details in Note template > Finish

Contact Local Peer Support (LPS) for all other situations.

Procedure ends here.

Make sure the start and end dates for all assurees are updated on Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE) screen.

When the start date is keyed on the AOAE screen, the Expected Expiry Date field will automatically calculate the expiry date. If this does not occur, manually calculate and key the expiry date. For assistance to manually calculate the AoS period, see the Resources page in Processing applications to become an assurer for the Assurance of Support checker. Once this date is reached, the field automatically becomes the AoS Expiry Date field.

If an AoS period for all assurees in the case has been served in full, the case will expire automatically and the case status will update to (EXP).

A case may only be expired early if another visa requiring an AoS has been granted. The full length of both AoS periods will not exceed the period for which the first AoS was given.

Expiry Letters

Upon expiry of the AoS and where no recoverable payments were made to the assurees, an ‘AoS Ended Assurer’ letter will automatically generate to advise the assurer(s):

• the AoS period has expired, and
• if a bank guarantee secured by a term deposit was provided, the funds can be released by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

Where recoverable payments were made to the assurees, a debt will be raised against the assurers. The AoS case will be put on hold and an AoS expiry review will occur. See Raising Assurance of Support (AoS) debts.

When finalised, an ‘AoS Bank Guarantee Release’ letter will automatically be sent to the CBA advising:

• the AoS case has expired
• the bank guarantee can be cancelled, and
• any remaining term deposit funds can be released to the assurer (account holder(s)) or to Service Australia if an AoS debt is to be recovered

Manual Expiry letter

To create a manual release of bond letter issued to the Assurer(s) when there is no debt (Q386):

• go to Process Direct > Super Key field > key Start
• from the Task Selector, select the Manual Letters workflow > Start
• complete these fields:
• Letter Code: Q386 AOS - to AOR - release of bond - no debt
• Benefit type/Service Reason: AoS
• select Next

Add the Rules

The Q386 letter has 3 options:

• under rule AOEEXP, select one of the following:
• 1 - All AOE expired - (no AoS debt, all assurees expired, full bond released to assurer(s))
• 2 - Remaining AOE CUR - (bond to be retained until AoS has ended for all assurees in the AoS case)
• 3 - AOS Cancelled - (no AoS debt, full bond released to assurer(s))
• Contact officer number: 132 850

Complete the variables

• Assuree name 1:
• Assuree name 2: (if applicable)
• EXPIRED Assuree names: (if applicable)
• select Next

Complete the letter.

If a manual AoS Bank Guarantee Release Q271 letter (for CBA) is required, see Table 5 > Step 5 in Assurance of Support (AoS) bank guarantee and term deposit.

Note: if a bond was not required for the AoS case, a Q271 CBA bank guarantee release letter will not be sent to the CBA.

Procedure ends here.

After making the determination to transfer an AoS case. Do not cancel the existing AoS case until the new assurer has provided all evidence including the lodgement of bank guarantee. The assurees cannot be linked to the new application, and the new application cannot be finalised until the existing AoS case is cancelled.

Document the AoS transfer in the existing assurer and new assurer records and cross reference.

Making the decision

Consider cancelling the AoS case, see Step 5.

Which of the following categories does the transfer request meet?

Non-discretionary:

• a court ordered transfer of an Assurance of Support, see Step 5

Discretionary:

• a long-term injury or illness (individual)
• liquidation of a company (Body)
• if family and domestic violence is substantiated
• any other reason provided by the assurer

Collect evidence to make the discretionary determination. Including verification from the potential new assurer(s) to ensure they meet the requirements to be an assurer.

Local Peer Support (LPS) can be contacted for assistance. The assessor will have the final decision.

See Resources for possible reasons for a discretionary transfer.

Transfer not approved

If the potential new assurer(s) do not meet the requirements, the transfer cannot proceed. DOC the rejection of the request to transfer. Issue a Q999 letter with the reasons the request to transfer was rejected. Include the right to review of a decision paragraph. Procedure ends here.

Transfer approved, cancel the AoS case.

Go to the Process Direct landing page:

• select Inbox > Main Category > Assurance of Support
• key any CRN linked to the case, Case ID or Visa Reference
• in the AoS case, select Circumstance Data icon
• in Task Selector, select AOBA - AOS Actions > Next
• in these fields:
• Action, key Can - Cancelled
• Reason, key XLC - Exceptional Circumstance
• key the Effect Date > Next
• on these screens:
• Errors (SWE), select Assess
• Entitlement (ELD), select Finalise
• record details in a Note template > Finalise

Once the AoS case is cancelled, re-index the new AoS case. See Processing applications to become an assurer.

Go to Step 11.

In cases involving a bond during a transfer, there are 3 scenarios:

• the court orders the transfer of the bond from the existing assurer to the potential new assurer. Send a copy of the court order to the Level 3 AoS Helpdesk with the request to transfer the name(s) of bond as ordered. Do not action the transfer until confirmation is received from Level 3 AoS Helpdesk
• in discretionary cases, the existing assurer(s) approves the existing bond be transferred in name to the potential new assurer(s). Send evidence (usually a statutory declaration from the existing assurer(s)) to Level 3 AoS Helpdesk with the request to transfer the name(s) of bond. (Do not action the transfer until confirmation is received from Level 3 AoS Helpdesk), or
• the existing assurer(s) will request the release of the existing bond. See Assurance of Support (AoS) bank guarantee and term deposit

When staff reject a case with the same assurer(s) and assuree(s) within 13 weeks, they must:

• use the Re-index AOS case and application functionality to reindex the case
• not create a Social Online application (SOA) shell manually
• follow the process in Table 2 > Step 3 in the Rejecting an application to become an assurer

When processing AoS, staff must make sure the expected outcome shows on the Entitlement (ELD) screen. If the ELD screen does not show the expected outcome, do not finalise the activity.

Staff and Local Peer Support (LPS) must only close the case if the SOA shell was created in error, or as a duplicate.

If an error occurs, staff must not close the case No Longer Required and re-index a new case. This will:

• stop the creation of multiple cases, and
• help to identify the initial problem. For example, Rejecting, Bonding when a different outcome is expected

For any system issues, raise an incident via Digital Assistant Roxy:

• if an error occurs, staff must seek help from Local Peer Support (LPS) before raising an incident in Roxy for ICT escalation
• staff must:
• include the AoS case number
• record the assurer and assuree CRNs and provide all relevant information
• if staff or LPS have attempted any approved workarounds, they must tell ICT exactly what they have done to help with the investigation. ICT can resolve the issue quicker if they have all the details
• staff must not re-index a new case after they raise an incident, and ICT is investigating
• if the creation of multiple cases causes an error, staff must include all case numbers
• if the error relates to a particular assurer or assuree in multiple cases, staff must also include the assurer and/or assuree's CRN. This helps ICT to investigate
• staff must attach screen shots of the error in the ICT ticket. See:
• Table 2 > Step 9 in the Processing applications to become an assurer, and
• Table 4 in the Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct
• if the customer contacts and:
• the incident is still unresolved, staff must update the incident with any additional information to assist the ICT investigation
• would like to lodge a complaint, use mySupport > search Valid reasons to call the Urgent Escalation Channel. The Resources page contains a link to mySupport

See Table 4 in the Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct.