Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers vs Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances
Two forms for two different facts. Form 1023 tells the Department that something in the application was wrong when it was lodged, an answer that was incorrect, a question that was missed, a document that was not what it should have been, and it is the way an applicant corrects the record before the Department finds the error and reads it as false information. Form 1022 tells the Department that something true at lodgement has since changed, a new address, a new passport, a new job, a relationship that has ended or begun, a child born, and it is the way an applicant meets the obligation to keep the application current. Using 1022 to report an error, or 1023 to report a change, confuses the file; using neither is the mistake that costs the visa.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - When
- An answer was incorrect when given · A circumstance has changed since lodgement
- Why it matters
- Correcting before the Department finds the error avoids a finding of false or misleading information · Failing to notify a change is itself a breach and can found a refusal or cancellation
- Examples
- A missed conviction, a wrong date, an omitted previous refusal, a document error · New passport, address, employer, relationship status, a new child, a change of name
- How
- Through the ImmiAccount or the form, before the decision · Through the ImmiAccount or the form, as soon as the change occurs
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers | Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances | |
|---|---|---|
| When | An answer was incorrect when given | A circumstance has changed since lodgement |
| Why it matters | Correcting before the Department finds the error avoids a finding of false or misleading information | Failing to notify a change is itself a breach and can found a refusal or cancellation |
| Examples | A missed conviction, a wrong date, an omitted previous refusal, a document error | New passport, address, employer, relationship status, a new child, a change of name |
| How | Through the ImmiAccount or the form, before the decision | Through the ImmiAccount or the form, as soon as the change occurs |
| Watch out | A correction after the Department has written to you is read differently from one volunteered | A change that affects eligibility, such as a relationship ending, is still notified; silence is worse |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
Two forms for two different facts. Form 1023 tells the Department that something in the application was wrong when it was lodged, an answer that was incorrect, a question that was missed, a document that was not what it should have been, and it is the way an applicant corrects the record before the Department finds the error and reads it as false information. Form 1022 tells the Department that something true at lodgement has since changed, a new address, a new passport, a new job, a relationship that has ended or begun, a child born, and it is the way an applicant meets the obligation to keep the application current. Using 1022 to report an error, or 1023 to report a change, confuses the file; using neither is the mistake that costs the visa.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Free questions are closed: advice on your own case is the consultation.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Questions we get asked first
Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers or Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances — which is better?
Two forms for two different facts. Form 1023 tells the Department that something in the application was wrong when it was lodged, an answer that was incorrect, a question that was missed, a document that was not what it should have been, and it is the way an applicant corrects the record before the Department finds the error and reads it as false information. Form 1022 tells the Department that something true at lodgement has since changed, a new address, a new passport, a new job, a relationship that has ended or begun, a child born, and it is the way an applicant meets the obligation to keep the application current. Using 1022 to report an error, or 1023 to report a change, confuses the file; using neither is the mistake that costs the visa.
What is the main difference between the Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers and the Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances?
When: Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers — An answer was incorrect when given; Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances — A circumstance has changed since lodgement. Why it matters: Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers — Correcting before the Department finds the error avoids a finding of false or misleading information; Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances — Failing to notify a change is itself a breach and can found a refusal or cancellation. Examples: Form 1023: notification of incorrect answers — A missed conviction, a wrong date, an omitted previous refusal, a document error; Form 1022: notification of changes in circumstances — New passport, address, employer, relationship status, a new child, a change of name.
Keep reading