Job Application Form Template (Australia)

Disability questions must tie to the inherent requirements of the role

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), it's unlawful to discriminate against a candidate because of disability, though an employer may lawfully decline a candidate who can't perform the inherent requirements of the specific role — the core duties genuinely necessary for the job — even after reasonable adjustments. This form doesn't ask a general health question; if a role genuinely has a physical or medical inherent requirement, frame it around that specific requirement rather than a candidate's health in general.

Discrimination against a prospective employee is unlawful under the Fair Work Act

Section 351 of the Fair Work Act 2009 makes it unlawful for an employer to take adverse action — including refusing to employ — against a prospective employee because of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer's responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, among other protected grounds, subject to the inherent-requirements exception. This form is built to collect only what's relevant to assessing the candidate for the role.

Spent convictions generally don't need to be disclosed

Under Part VIIC of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), a Commonwealth or territory offence conviction becomes "spent" after the applicable waiting period (broadly 10 years for an adult, 5 for a minor, where the sentence didn't exceed 30 months), and the person generally isn't required to disclose it for any purpose, including a job application, subject to specific exclusions. States and territories run their own separate spent-convictions schemes for state offences. This template only includes a conviction question where a genuine exclusion applies to the role.

Australian compliance checklist

Anti-discrimination and spent-convictions law combines Commonwealth and state/territory schemes — confirm the specific position for your state.

• Disability questions must relate to inherent requirements, not general health

  The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) permits declining a candidate who can't perform the inherent requirements of the specific role, even with reasonable adjustments — it does not permit a general health enquiry unrelated to those requirements.

  JobAccess — What employers can ask as evidence of disability

• Discrimination against a prospective employee is unlawful

  Section 351 of the Fair Work Act 2009 bars adverse action — including refusing to employ — against a prospective employee on a list of protected grounds, subject to the inherent-requirements exception.

  Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), section 351

• Spent Commonwealth convictions generally don't need disclosing

  Part VIIC of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) generally relieves a person from disclosing a spent Commonwealth or territory conviction, subject to statutory exclusions for specific roles. States and territories separately administer their own spent-convictions schemes for state offences — check the relevant state scheme as well.

How to use this template

1. Fill in the applicant and position details. Type into the highlighted blanks: the candidate's contact details, the position applied for, and availability.
2. Add education and employment history. Fill in the education background and prior employment blanks.
3. Decide whether to include a conviction question. Only include it if a genuine exclusion under the Commonwealth or relevant state spent-convictions scheme applies to this role.
4. Keep screening separate. If you also run a police or background check, use a dedicated consent form for that — don't add it to this application.
5. Have the applicant certify and sign, then download. The applicant signs the certification on the signature line at the foot of the form. Download it as a Word or PDF file for your records.

Frequently asked questions

Related templates

• National Police Check Consent Form Template (Australia)