Filling and Witnessing Form 1257: Australian Undertaking Declaration

Form 1257, the Undertaking Declaration, is the Australian Department of Home Affairs document a nominated adult signs to take responsibility for a child under 18 during their visit to Australia when the child will not be travelling with a parent, legal guardian, or relative. Download the PDF from the Department’s forms page, complete it on screen in Adobe Acrobat Reader or by hand in block letters, sign it in front of an authorised witness, and upload the scanned form to the child’s visa application in ImmiAccount.¹

When the Form Is Required

Form 1257 comes into play when a child under 18 plans to stay in Australia and will not be accompanied by at least one parent or legal guardian, is not staying with a relative, and is not travelling on an organised tour that already provides maintenance and support.¹ The most common trigger is a visitor visa application for a minor: the Department’s visitor visa checklist tells applicants under 18 to supply Form 1257 whenever they will be staying with someone other than a relative or legal guardian.²

One form can cover several children travelling together; the document has space for multiple children’s details, with room to attach an extra page if needed.

Form 1257 is not the same as a formal Assurance of Support. An Assurance of Support involves a financial bond and is linked to social security for certain permanent visa holders. The Undertaking Declaration is about physical care, accommodation, and character suitability for a child’s temporary stay, not financial capacity testing.¹

Who Can Be the Nominee

The person signing Form 1257 must be at least 21 years old and must have been nominated by the child’s parents or legal guardians to provide accommodation and take responsibility for the child during the visit.¹ By signing, the nominee commits to being physically present in Australia for the child’s entire intended stay, so anyone with planned overseas travel during that window should sort those plans out before completing the form.

Filling In Each Part

Part A: The Child’s Details

For each child covered by the undertaking, enter the full family name, given names, date of birth, passport number, and Transaction Reference Number (TRN).¹ The TRN is issued when the visa application is lodged and appears on the application confirmation. Names must match the child’s passport exactly. If more children are travelling than fit on the form, attach a separate page with the same fields for each additional child.

Part B: The Nominee’s Details

Enter your family name, given names, date of birth, current residential address, and telephone numbers.¹ Indicate whether you agree to the Department communicating with you by email or other electronic means, and supply a working email address if you do. Use your name exactly as it appears on your government-issued identification; a mismatch is a common reason for processing delays.

Part C: The Undertaking

Part C is the core commitment. By signing, you declare three things:¹

You will be residing in Australia for the full period of the child’s stay.
You will ensure adequate accommodation is available to the child throughout that time.
You accept responsibility for the support and general welfare of the child.

The Department treats these as binding. Sign only when your housing and presence in Australia are settled for the whole visit.

Answering the Character Questions

Question 17 is the longest and most consequential section. You answer yes or no to roughly 20 questions covering your personal history, including:¹

Criminal charges or convictions in any country, including offences removed from official records.
Domestic or family violence history, including protection orders where you were the respondent.
Sex offences involving a child, including matters where no conviction was recorded and any placement on a sex offender register.
Direct or indirect involvement in activities posing a national security risk, or association with organisations engaged in violence or terrorism.
Service in any military force, police force, militia, or intelligence agency.
Prior deportation, removal, or exclusion from any country, and any visa overstays.
Outstanding debts to the Australian Government or a public authority in Australia.

A “yes” answer does not automatically disqualify you, but you must give full details, including dates, outcomes, and any penalty imposed, and attach supporting documents such as sentencing remarks, transcripts, or copies of protection orders. Leaving a “yes” answer unexplained is treated worse than the underlying issue; the Department can verify your history independently, and an undisclosed matter counts as a false statement.

Getting the Form Witnessed

Form 1257 is a Commonwealth statutory declaration and must be signed in front of an authorised witness. Making a false statement in a statutory declaration carries a penalty of up to four years’ imprisonment under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.³

Inside Australia

The witness must be a prescribed person listed in Schedule 1 of the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023.⁴ Common categories include Justices of the Peace, legal practitioners, medical practitioners, pharmacists, and permanent employees of a Commonwealth or state government authority. Many local courthouses, police stations, and community centres offer free witnessing by a Justice of the Peace.

Outside Australia

If you are overseas, authorised witnesses include:⁴

A notary public appointed overseas. This is the only category that does not require a connection to Australia.
An approved witness with an Australian connection, meaning the person is licensed or registered to practise in Australia, holds Australian membership of a relevant professional organisation, or is appointed in Australia, and resides in the foreign country.
An employee of the Commonwealth or the Australian Trade and Investment Commission authorised under the Consular Fees Act 1955 and exercising their function at that location.

The nearest Australian embassy, high commission, or consulate can usually witness signatures by appointment for a fee. Fees vary by post and by exchange rate, so check the local mission’s notarial services page before booking.⁵

By Video Link

An approved witness located in Australia can witness your signature remotely via video call using a platform like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype, provided both parties have working audio and video.⁴ You sign on camera and then follow the witness’s instructions for getting the original countersigned.

Uploading the Signed Form

Form 1257 is uploaded as a supporting document attached to the child’s visa application in ImmiAccount.⁶ Scan the signed and witnessed form so that every signature and witness stamp is clearly readable. ImmiAccount accepts PDF, JPG, PNG, and several other formats, with a maximum file size of 5 MB per document. Encrypted or password-protected PDFs are not accepted.⁷

Log in to ImmiAccount, open the relevant visa application, select the applicant the document relates to, choose the document category (if “Undertaking declaration” is not listed, select “Other Documents” under additional documents), browse for the file, and click Attach. A green tick next to the document confirms a successful upload.⁷ Keep a copy of the completed form and every attachment for your own records.

What the Undertaking Commits You To

Signing Form 1257 creates real, ongoing responsibilities. You are committing to house the child, look after their day-to-day welfare, and remain in Australia for their entire stay. If your circumstances change during that period, for example a change of address, employment, or the need to leave Australia, those changes can affect the child’s visa conditions and must be notified to the Department of Home Affairs using Form 1022, Notification of Changes in Circumstances.⁸ Failing to report relevant changes can make the associated visa liable to cancellation.

1
Department of Home Affairs. Form 1257 Undertaking Declaration
2
Department of Home Affairs. Applying for a Visitor Visa – Section: If You Are Under 18, You Must Supply Further Documents
3
Federal Register of Legislation. Statutory Declarations Act 1959
4
Attorney-General’s Department. Making a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration Overseas
5
Australia in the USA. Notarial Services
6
Department of Home Affairs. Popular Questions – Section: How to Lodge an Application
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Department of Home Affairs. Attach Documents to Your Application
8
Department of Home Affairs. Notification of Changes in Circumstances