Child Onshore Visa (Subclass 802)
Stay
Permanently
Cost
Processing times
- 75% of applications: 10 months
- 90% of applications: 12 months
With this visa the child can
- migrate to Australia as a permanent resident
- study and access Medicare
- apply for Australian citizenship if eligible
The child must
You must be a dependent child of a citizen of Australia, a citizen of New Zealand, or a permanent resident of Australia.
You must be under 18 years of age, a full-time student between the ages of 18 and 25, or over 18 with a disability that prevents you from working
Single and dependent on parents
Be in Australia when the application is made and when the decision is made
Highlights
- Indefinitely stay in Australia
- Study and work in Australia
- enrol in Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare scheme).
- sponsor relatives to come to Australia
- if eligible,apply for Australian citizenship
Key Eligibility requirements
Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
From the date this visa is granted, the child can travel to and from Australia as many times as they wish. As long as the travel facility remains in place, the visa remains valid.
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After the initial 5-year travel facility, if the child wishes to travel:
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To re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, they must obtain a Resident Return (RRV) visa
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It might be a good idea for them to consider Australian citizenship as well. As soon as they become Australian citizens, they won’t need a visa to re-enter the country. Learn more about Australian citizenship eligibility requirements and current processing times
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Find out when a child’s travel facility ends using VEVO.
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HOW LONG THE CHILD CAN STAY
This is a permanent visa and It allows the child stay in Australia indefinite period of time.
The child becomes a permanent resident the day the visa is granted.
INCLUDE OTHER CHILDREN
The child’s siblings should submit separate applications if they would also like to apply.
Children who are dependent on the child can be included in their application at any time before the application is decided.
Children who are dependent on the child who applies for the visa must meet our health requirements.
Health requirements might also apply to family members who are not coming to Australia.
COST
For the main applicant, the visa cost is AUD2,470.
A fee is also charged for each dependent child who applies for the visa with you.
Health exams, police certificates, and biometrics may incur additional costs.
You can use the Visa Pricing Estimator to find out how much your visa will cost. Other costs are not taken into account by the estimator.
APPLY FROM
When the application is submitted and when we make a decision, the child must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance.
If the child is in Australia on another visa with a no further stay condition, they cannot apply for this visa.
PROCESSING TIMES
The application might take longer to process if:
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Incorrectly filled out
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The document does not include all the information we need or does not include all the documents we need
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Verifying the information takes time
The application cannot be processed if the correct visa application fee is not paid. In this case, we will notify you and return your application if necessary.
THE CHILD’S OBLIGATIONS
All Australian laws must be obyed by the child and any dependants.
BE THEIR PARENT’S DEPENDENT CHILD
The child must be dependent on their parent. They can be their parent’s:
- biological child
- adopted child
- stepchild
Adopted children
In the event that the child was adopted after their parent became an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent visa holder or an eligible New Zealand citizen, they must have followed the following steps:
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Through an intercountry adoption involving a state or territory central authority in Australia.
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Throughgh an intercountry adoption by arrangement between two countries (other than Australia) that are parties to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Hague Adoption Convention), or
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if no Australian state or territory central authority was involved, through an expatriate adoption by an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen or the holder of an Australian permanent visa who has been living outside Australia for more than 12 months before the adoption was finalized
Stepchildren
A stepchild must meet the following requirements to qualify for this visa:
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be the child of their parent’s former partner
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Under 18 years of age
Stepparents must also have either of the following:
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Having a parenting order in place in Australia that states the child should live with them and be looked after by them
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Guardianship or custody of the child under Australian law or another country’s law
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 sponsor or their partner has been charged or convicted of offences involving children. Learn more about measures for the protection of children.
BE THIS AGE
The child must be either:
- under 18 years old, or
- 18 to 25 years and studying full time, or
- over 18 years with a disability
If the child is over 18 years
If the child is 18 years or older, they:
- can’t be engaged to be married; and
- can’t be or ever have been in a de facto relationship
If the child is 18 to 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
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
- must be financially dependent on their parent
HAVE NO PARTNER
The child:
- can’t be married or in a de facto relationship
- can’t be engaged to be married
If the child is over 18, they must never have been married or had a de facto partner.
NOT HAVE HAD A VISA CANCELLED OR A PREVIOUS APPLICATION REFUSED
The child might not be eligible for this visa if, since they last arrived in Australia, we have:
- refused a visa application, or
- cancelled a visa
Check if visa cancellation or refusal affects your eligibility..
If the child does not have a substantive visa when they apply for this visa, and we have cancelled a visa or refused a visa application since they last arrived in Australia, they must show us they have become the dependent child of an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or holder of an Australian permanent visa. They must also show us that they have not been refused a visa or had their visa cancelled on character grounds.
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
The above list is not exhaustive. It should not be construed as immigration advice, but as general information only.