Your child, your visa status,one applicationto bring them together.
The Child visa gives permanent residence to the dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Subclass 101 is lodged when the child is outside Australia, subclass 802 when the child is here. It turns on dependency, custody and consent, and a sponsoring parent who passes the child-safety checks.
Government charges, Child visa
- Child visa 101, main applicantchild outside Australia$4,040
- Child visa 802, main applicantchild in Australia$4,040
- Each additional adult applicantthe child's own dependants, rare$2,020
- Each additional applicant under 18$1,015
As at 1 July 2026. A child born overseas to an Australian citizen parent may be a citizen by descent and need no visa at all. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
Permanent residence for the dependent child of an Australian parent.
The Child visa, subclass 101 outside Australia and subclass 802 inside, grants permanent residence to a child under 18, a dependent full-time student aged 18 to 25, or an incapacitated adult child, sponsored by a parent who is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The charge is $4,040 for the 101 and $4,040 for the 802, the child must be single, and every person with parental responsibility must consent to the move.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 101 and 802 pages and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Does my child qualify? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Three ways a child qualifies, and one rule for all of them.
Dependency is tested at application and again at decision. The child must be single throughout. These are the categories the Department applies.
- 01
Under 18
The child must not be married, engaged or in a de facto relationship. Age is tested at application. If the child turns 18 before the decision, dependency on the parent must still be shown at that point.
- 02
Aged 18 to 25 and a full-time student
The child must be studying full time and be wholly or substantially dependent on the sponsoring parent for financial support. Full-time work or independent income usually ends dependency.
- 03
Over 18 and incapacitated
An adult child who cannot work because of a total or partial loss of bodily or mental function, and who depends on the parent, can qualify at any age. Medical evidence carries the application.
- 04
Biological, adopted and step-children
Biological and legally adopted children qualify. A step-child of the sponsor can qualify in limited cases, usually where the child is under 18 and the step-parent holds a parenting order.
- 05
The sponsor's checks
The sponsoring parent must be settled in Australia, normally two years of lawful residence. The sponsor and their partner provide police certificates from every country they have lived in for 12 months or more since turning 16. Convictions for offences against children can end the sponsorship.
The part that stops most Child visas: proving the other parent agrees.
The Department must be satisfied that the child's move to Australia is lawful. That means consent from everyone with parental responsibility, or a court order, or proof that the law of the child's country allows it.
Identify everyone with parental responsibility
Usually both parents, unless a court order says otherwise. Guardians and anyone named in a custody order count. The law of the child's home country decides who has responsibility.
Get written consent or a court order
Form 1229 is the Department's consent form, signed by the non-migrating parent with a copy of their identity document. A court order permitting the child to leave, or evidence that the home country's law allows the move, does the same job.
When the other parent cannot be found
A statutory declaration setting out the search, a sole custody order, or a death certificate. This is the slowest part of a Child visa and the part we start first.
The child's best interests
The Department considers the best interests of the child at every stage. Sponsorship by a parent with child-related convictions is refused unless compelling circumstances exist.
The Child visa is not always the right route. This is how we choose.
Citizenship by descent, inclusion in the parent's own application and the adoption visa each cover situations the Child visa does not.
| Situation | Usual route | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Child born overseas while a parent was an Australian citizen | Australian citizenship by descent, not a visa | citizenship fee only |
| Child outside Australia, parent is a permanent resident | Child visa 101 | $4,040 |
| Child in Australia on a valid visa | Child visa 802 | $4,040 |
| Parent is applying for a partner, skilled or employer visa now | Include the child in the parent's application | $2,935 on a partner visa |
| Child adopted overseas by an Australian | Adoption visa 102 | confirmed at consultation |
| Orphan under 18 with no parent able to care for them | Orphan Relative 117 or 837 | confirmed at consultation |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. A child born in Australia to a permanent resident parent usually holds the same visa as the parent from birth, and a child born here to a citizen parent is a citizen.
What a Child visa costs in government charges.
Each child lodges their own application and pays the main applicant charge. Health checks, police certificates and our fixed fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. Two siblings lodging separately pay the main applicant charge each. Including a child in the parent's own visa application is usually cheaper, at $2,935 on a partner visa.
Adopted children, orphan relatives and children born here.
Three situations the Child visa does not cover, and what covers them instead.
All family visas- 01
Adoption visa 102
For a child under 18 adopted, or being adopted, outside Australia by an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The adoption must be arranged through an Australian state or territory central authority, under the Hague Convention, or be an expatriate adoption where the parent lived overseas for more than 12 months.
- 02
Orphan Relative 117 and 837
For a child under 18 whose parents are dead, permanently incapacitated or cannot be found, sponsored by an Australian relative such as a grandparent, aunt or sibling. The 117 is lodged outside Australia, the 837 inside.
- 03
Children born in Australia
A child born here to a citizen or permanent resident parent is an Australian citizen at birth. A child born to temporary visa holders takes the parents' visa, and becomes a citizen on their tenth birthday if they have lived here throughout.
Child visas, answered plainly.
Can my child come to Australia while the 101 is processing?
The child can visit on a visitor visa, but must be outside Australia when the 101 is granted. If the child is in Australia on a valid visa, the onshore 802 is the right application and the child stays on a bridging visa while it is decided.
Does my child get permanent residence straight away?
Yes. Both the 101 and the 802 are permanent visas. The child can live, study and access Medicare from grant, and can apply for citizenship once the residence requirement is met.
What if the other parent will not consent?
The Department needs consent, a court order permitting the move, or evidence that the law of the child's country allows it. Where consent is refused, a parenting order from a court is usually the way through. We start this before anything else is prepared.
Can I include my child in my own visa application instead?
Usually yes, and it is cheaper. A dependent child is added to a partner, skilled or employer-sponsored application as a secondary applicant, at $2,935 on a partner visa. A child born after lodgement can be added by notifying the Department.
My child turns 18 before the decision. Is that a problem?
Not usually. Age is tested at application for the under-18 category, but the child must still be dependent on the parent and single when the decision is made. If the child starts full-time work or a relationship, get advice immediately.
Does my child need health and character checks?
Every applicant has a health examination. Police certificates are required for applicants aged 16 or over. The sponsoring parent and their partner also provide police certificates, which is a rule specific to Child visas.
Bringing a child to join you?
One consultation checks citizenship by descent, custody and dependency, then sets a fixed fee for the right application.