Child Visa (Subclass 101)
Features
A child living outside Australia can live with their parents in Australia with this visa.
Eligibility
The child must be single.
Special age requirements apply.
Length of stay
Permanently
Cost
From AUD 2,665
Highlights
Indefinitely travel to and stay in Australia
Study and work in Australia
Become a Medicare beneficiary, Australia’s health insurance program
If eligible, apply for Australian citizenship
Obtain permanent residency for eligible relatives
Visa holders can enter and leave Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted – after that time, they will need another visa.
Key Eligibility requirements
- Who could get this visa
In order to qualify for this visa, the child must be:
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Sponsored by their parents or their parents’ partners
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Single
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Under the age of 18 or:
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A full-time student between the ages of 18 and 25
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Age 18 or older, disabled, and dependent on a sponsoring parent due to disability.
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The child can include their own dependents in this application.
The sponsoring parent
In order for a child to be sponsored, the sponsoring parent must be an Australian citizen, a holder of an Australian permanent resident visa, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. A child’s spouse or de facto partner can also sponsor the child.
The child’s relationship with the spo
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A child must be at least
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the biological child or adopted child of the sponsoring parent
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a step child who has not turned 18 of a step-parent who is no longer the partner of the child’s parent but has a legal responsibility to care for the child.
Adopted children must have been adopted before their parents became Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
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Best interests of the child
If it is against the best interests of a child younger than 18 years of age, this visa may not be granted.
Age
The child must be under 25 years of age; if over 18 years of age, the child must be a full-time student and dependent on their sponsoring parent. If the child has a disability that prevents them from working, the age limit and full-time student requirement do not apply.
Health
There are certain health requirements for the child. Results are usually valid for 12 months. It also applies to any members of your family unit who are included in your application, regardless of whether they are migrating or not.
Character
Children older than 16 must meet certain character requirements. When they turn 16, they must provide a police certificate from each country they have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years. You should not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to.
Your application applies to all members of your family unit, whether or not they are migrating.
Debts to the Australian Government
A child must not owe any outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts.
The visa
About this visa
An eligible parent can sponsor their child to live in Australia indefinitely with a Child visa (subclass 101). A parent can apply on behalf of a child younger than 18 years old.
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Parents who are eligible are:
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an Australian citizen
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the holder of an Australian permanent resident visa
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an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Other costs
You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.
Location
Other fees may apply, such as health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. It is your responsibility to make the necessary arrangements.
How long your visa lasts
This is a permanent residence visa.
Family
If you apply for a visa, you might be able to include your child.
Applicants wishing to include children in their visa application must meet the requirements for including family members.
Documentary evidence of your relationship with them must be included in the application.
All children included in your family unit must meet health and character requirements.
Each of your siblings will need to submit an application of their own.
The child’s obligations
- entering Australia by a set date
- not getting married or entering into a de facto relationship before arriving in Australia.
If circumstances change in a way that could affect a child’s eligibility for a visa or your eligibility to sponsor the child, you must notify us in writing.
Sponsors
Who can sponsor a child
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the parent (or their partner) or step-parent of the child
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Aged 18 or older
You must also be either:
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an Australian citizen
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the holder of an Australian permanent resident visa
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an eligible New Zealand citizen.
If you meet these criteria, you can sponsor a child:
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Step-parent who is no longer the child’s partner but has a legal responsibility to care for the child and who is younger than 18 years old
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Parents who adopted the child before becoming Australian citizens, holders of Australian permanent residency visas, and eligible New Zealanders.
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At the time of application, you do not need to be in Australia. It is still possible for you to be a sponsoring parent if you:
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When you lodge the application, you are outside Australia but have entered Australia in the past
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Your Australian permanent resident visa has been granted, but you have not yet entered the country.
It may be possible to apply for an Adoption visa (subclass 102) if you adopted a child after becoming an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Parental responsibility
In order to obtain this visa for a child under the age of 18, you must show one of the following documents:
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Each person who has the power to decide where the child should live has given you their written consent
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Removal of the child is permitted by the laws of the child’s home country
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The order is consistent with any Australian child custody order.
Under the Follow these steps tab, you will find a list of documents you need to submit with your application.
Character
You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to.
Assurance of support
We might ask for an assurance of support for the child so that welfare costs for some migrants are not borne by the Australian community.
Do not provide an assurance of support unless we ask for one and tell you what you need to do.
Sponsorship obligation
You must fulfill the following responsibilities as a sponsor:
Be responsible for the payment of the cost to the Australian Government of the child living expenses in Australia
To provide adequate accommodation and financial support for the child’s first two years in Australia
Provide assistance to the child in settling in Australia
Ensure that the child attends any English language classes that are required.
If circumstances change, you must notify us in writing if they might affect the child’s eligibility for a Child visa, or your eligibility to sponsor the child.
The above list is not exhaustive. It should not be construed as immigration advice, but as general information only.