A child (including an adopted child) of an Australian citizen or permanent resident may be eligible for a child visa in Australia.

Children born in Australia to Australian citizens and permanent residents automatically acquire Australian citizenship at the time of the child’s birth. However, for children born overseas, the process is a bit more complicated. Unless a parent is an Australian citizen (in which case the child can usually apply for Australian citizenship by descent), the child will need to apply for a visa to travel to Australia.

Although the child can apply for any visa, a Child visa is a permanent visa that can be applied for if one or both of the parents are already Australian permanent residents.

Australia’s Child visas consist of a series of onshore and offshore visas which can lead to temporary and permanent residence:

• Child (Permanent) (Subclass 802 / Subclass 801) when a child’s parent or their parent’s partner sponsors them to live in Australia as a permanent resident (and the child is in Australia);
• Orphan Relative (Permanent) (Subclass 837) when a relative sponsors an orphaned child to live in Australia as a permanent resident (and the child is in Australia);
• Orphan Relative (Permanent) (Subclass 117) when a relative sponsors an orphaned child to live in Australia as a permanent resident (and the child is outside of Australia).
• Adoption Visa (Permanent) (Subclass 102) when a person who is an Australian citizen, holder of a permanent visa or eligible New Zealand citizen sponsors a child that they have adopted overseas to live in Australia as a permanent resident. A child who is in the process of adoption might also be able to apply for this visa.
• Dependent Child Visa (Subclass 445) when a child’s parent holds a temporary partner visa, and the child was not included in the temporary partner visa application

The standard document checklist for all Child visa categories is as follows:

• If the child is applying in Australia, certified copies of the passport or travel document the child used to enter Australia and of any passports held since then.
• 2 recent passport sized photographs (45mm x 35mm) of the child (4 photos if health examinations have not been completed). These should be only of the head and shoulders and should show the child facing the camera and against a plain background. Print the name of the child on the back of each photograph.
• If the child is 16 years of age or over, a police good conduct/character certificate for each country outside Australia where the child has lived for more than 12 months over the past 10 years (since turning 16 years of age).
• Evidence that the child’s sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen, (certified copy of birth certificate, Australian passport or foreign passport containing evidence of permanent visa or Australian citizenship certificate).
• If the child is under 18 years of age, an Australian National Police Check and/or foreign police certificate(s) from the sponsor (unless the child has been adopted with the involvement of an Australian state or territory central adoption authority).
• If the child is under 18 years of age, an Australian National Police Check and/or foreign police certificate(s) from the sponsor’s spouse or de facto partner (unless the child has been adopted with the involvement of an Australian state or territory central adoption authority).

Additional documents will be required depending on the class of visa applied for. Speak to your Hannan Tew representative to obtain a full document checklist.

The child visa application charges depend on whether the child is in or outside of Australia as well as the particular visa category. Speak to your Hannan Tew Immigration representative to determine the charges for your specific matter.

As a brief summary:

• Dependent Child (Subclass 445) = From AUD$2,665
• Child (Subclass 101)  = From AUD$2,665
• Child Onshore (Subclass 802) = From AUD$2,665
• Adoption (Subclass 102) = From AUD$2,665

Temporary visa holders cannot sponsor children on any of the Child visas listed on this page. Instead, they may be able to add the children as subsequent entrants to their existing visas.

In most cases, a 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.

In most cases, a step-children from former relationships can be sponsored if they are under the age of 18 years, and there is either (a) a parenting order in force under the Family Law Act 1975 or (b) guardianship or custody under a Commonwealth, State or Territory law or a law in force in a foreign country.