Who needs a guarantor?
If you are using the Australian Passport Renewal Application form (PC7), a guarantor is not required.
If you are using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form (PC8) you must provide a guarantor. Your guarantor must complete Section 11 of the application form. He/she must also endorse the back of one photo by writing "This is a true photo of [your full name]" and signing underneath. A guarantor is not optional.
General guarantor criteria
You should ensure that your guarantor:
- is not related to you by birth or marriage
- is not in a de facto relationship with you
- does not live at the same address as you
- is 18 years of age or older
- has known you for at least 12 months
- is willing and available to discuss your application with us during normal business hours
- meets the guarantor qualifications below.
Guarantor qualifications
There are two types of guarantors you can choose from:
1. A current Australian passport holder
OR
2. A non-Australian who is currently employed in one of these occupation groups:
- Bailiffs
- Managers of a bank branch (not senior vice presidents or beyond, but the person in charge of an actual local branch of the bank)
- Certified Public Accountants (CPA)
- Chiropractors (must be licenced)
- Clerks of a court
- Current police officers (including federal, state and local law enforcement officers) with five or more years of continuous service
- Current members of the United States armed forces with five or more years of continuous service (not a reserve)
- Dentists
- Elected Representative in the United States House of Representatives or a state house of representatives or a local or city council
- Elected Senator in the United States Senate or a state Senate
- Teachers - elementary school, middle school, high school, or post-secondary teacher on a college or university faculty, holding a bachelor's degree and employed on a full-time basis with five or more years of service. NOTE: This does NOT include principals unless they teach full-time.
- Engineers licensed by a federal, state or local government authority
- Judges of a court
- Lawyers or attorneys registered with a state bar association
- Marriage celebrants
- Midwives (must be licenced or certified)
- Permanent employees of the Federal Government or a state government or a local government with five or more years of continuous service with their current employer
- Optometrists (Doctor of Optometry)
- Pharmacists (licenced)
- Doctors/Physicians who have earned their doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy degree and are residing and practising in the United States, Guam or the Virgin Islands
- Psychologists (must be licenced)
- Postal Managers of a United States Postal Service post office (ie. the Postmaster or Postmistress)
- Registered Nurses
- Sheriffs
- Tax Agents enrolled or licensed to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service or a state or local government taxing authority
- Veterinary surgeons licensed by a federal, state or local government authority
Note: A Notary Public cannot be a guarantor unless he or she also meets the above criteria.
What if I can't find a guarantor in the USA?
Some applicants find it difficult to obtain a guarantor in the United States. Usually this is because they have recently relocated to the United States and do not know anyone here who has known them for longer than 12 months.
If you are unable to obtain a guarantor in the United States, you should obtain a guarantor from a country where you previously lived - eg. Australia. You will need to send them Section 11 of the PC8 form, together with one of your passport photos, for them to sign. Once they have signed the documents, they must send the originals back to you so that you can submit them when you lodge your application. We cannot accept faxes or emails from your guarantor. They must send the originals back to you for lodgement.