Child Visa 101
101 Visa Australia
Child Visa 101 Australia
This visa lets a child outside Australia move to Australia to live with their parents.
- the child must be a dependent child of a parent who is an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or holder of an Australian permanent visa
- the child must be under 18 years, a full-time student aged over 18 and under 25 and financially dependent on the parent, or over 18 and unable to work due to a disability
- the child must be single and dependent on the parent
- the child must be outside Australia when the application is made and when we make a decision on the application
With this visa the child can
- stay in Australia indefinitely
- work and study in Australia
- enrol Australia’s public healthcare scheme, Medicare
- sponsor relatives to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
The child can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility of this visa remains valid.
If the child wants to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:
- they will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) visa so they can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
- they might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If they become an Australian citizen, they don’t require a visa to re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements and current processing times for Australian citizenship
To see when the child’s travel facility ends, use VEVO.
Adopted children
To be granted this visa, an adopted child must have been adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was not an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption.
A child adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was already an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption might be eligible for an Adoption visa (subclass 102).
How long the child can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely.
Include other children
If the child has siblings who also want to apply, submit separate applications for each sibling.
The child’s dependent children can be included on their application when they apply or at any time before we decide the application.
Dependent children of the child who apply for the visa must meet our health requirement.
Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.
Cost
The visa costs AU2,665 for the main applicant.
There is also a charge for each of the child’s dependent children who apply for the visa.
There might be other costs for health exams, police certificates and biometrics.
To work out what the visa might cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.
Apply from
The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted and when we make a decision.
Processing times
The application might take longer to process if:
- it is not filled in correctly
- it does not include all the documents we need or we need more information
- it takes us time to verify the information
We can’t process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid. We will let the applicant know if this is the case and if necessary return the application.
The child’s obligations
The child and any dependants must obey all Australian laws.
Visa label
We will digitally link the child’s visa to their passport. They will not get a label in their passport.
With this visa the child can
- stay in Australia indefinitely
- work and study in Australia
- enrol Australia’s public healthcare scheme, Medicare
- sponsor relatives to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
The child can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility of this visa remains valid.
If the child wants to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:
- they will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) visa so they can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
- they might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If they become an Australian citizen, they don’t require a visa to re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements and current processing times for Australian citizenship
To see when the child’s travel facility ends, use VEVO.
Adopted children
To be granted this visa, an adopted child must have been adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was not an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption.
A child adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was already an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption might be eligible for an Adoption visa (subclass 102).
How long the child can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely.
Include other children
If the child has siblings who also want to apply, submit separate applications for each sibling.
The child’s dependent children can be included on their application when they apply or at any time before we decide the application.
Dependent children of the child who apply for the visa must meet our health requirement.
Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.
Apply from
The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted and when we make a decision.
Processing times
The application might take longer to process if:
- it is not filled in correctly
- it does not include all the documents we need or we need more information
- it takes us time to verify the information
We can’t process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid. We will let the applicant know if this is the case and if necessary return the application.
The child’s obligations
The child and any dependants must obey all Australian laws.
Visa label
We will digitally link the child’s visa to their passport. They will not get a label in their passport.
Be dependent on their parent who is an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent visa holder
The child must be dependent on a parent who is:
- Australian citizen
- Eligible New Zealand citizen
- Australian permanent visa holder
They can be their parent’s:
- biological child
- adopted child
- stepchild
Adopted children
To be eligible for this visa, an adopted child must have been adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was not an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption.
A child adopted before they turned 18 by a parent who was already an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of adoption might be eligible for an Adoption visa (subclass 102).
Stepchildren
To be eligible for this visa, a stepchild must:
- be the child of their step-parent’s former partner
- be aged under 18
The step-parent must also have either:
- an Australian parenting order in force that says the child is to live with them and be looked after by them, or
- guardianship or custody of the child under an Australian law or the law of another country
Have a sponsor
The child must be sponsored by an eligible parent or their parent’s spouse or de facto partner.
We must approve the sponsorship. We might not approve sponsorship if the parent or their partner has been charged or convicted of offences involving children.
Be this age
The child must be either:
- under 18 years old, or
- over 18 and under 25 years and studying full time, or
- over 18 years with a disability
If the child is over 18 and under 25 years and studying full time
If the child is over 18 and under 25 years old they:
- must be a full-time student when they apply and when the visa application is decided
- can’t work full time
- must be financially dependent on their parent more than any other person
The child is a full-time student if they are:
- enrolled in a full-time course that leads to a professional, trade or vocational qualification
- attending classes
The child should have started study since turning 18 years of age or within 6 months (or a reasonable time) of finishing school. Any gaps of more than 6 months between their final year of school and the start of their further studies must be explained.
If the child is over 18 years with a disability
If the child is 18 years or older with a disability, they:
- must have totally or partially lost their bodily or mental functions
- can’t work full time
Have no partner
The child can’t be or ever have been:
- married or engaged to be married
- in a de facto relationship
Meet the health requirement
The child and any dependants who apply for the visa with them must meet our health requirement.
Dependent children who are not applying for the visa might also need to meet our health requirement.
Meet the character requirement
If the child is aged 16 years or over they must meet our character requirement.
We might also ask that other family members meet the requirement.
Have paid back debt to the Australian Government
If the child or any member of their family owes the Australian Government money it must be paid back or there must be a formal arrangement to pay it back.
Sign the Australian values statement
Children aged 18 or older must:
- have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet
- sign the Australian Values Statement confirming they will obey Australian laws and respect the Australian way of life
Have consent to migrate to Australia
We will only grant this visa to a child younger than 18 years if either:
- the child has the written consent of everyone who can legally decide where they live, or
- the laws of the child’s home country allow them to leave their home country, or
- it is consistent with any Australian child order about the child
Best interests of the child
We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Read And Associates offer Professional Guidance
Here at Read and Associates our team of migration agents can provide you with the appropriate guidance and advice which will help you put forth the best visa application possible. Specialising in applications for medical professionals, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work with you. Book a consultation to find out more.
