Child Visa Subclass 101

Child Visa Subclass 101

Child Visa Subclass 101: With this visa the child can

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol Australia’s public healthcare scheme known as Medicare
• sponsor relatives to come to Australia
• apply for Australian citizenship when 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 the Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs 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 could consider Australian citizenship. If they become an Australian citizen, they don’t require a visa to re-enter Australia.

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).

Include other children

If the child has siblings who also want to apply, separate applications for each sibling should be submitted.

The child’s dependent children can also be included on their application when they apply or at any time before the Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs decide the application.

Child Visa Subclass 101: Cost

The visa costs A$ 2665 for the main applicant.

There will be additional 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.

Child Visa Subclass 101: Apply from

The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted and when the Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs make a decision.

Child Visa Subclass 101: Processing times

The application might take longer to process if:

• it is not filled in correctly
• it does not include all the documents the Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs need
• it takes The Department of Home Affairs time to verify the information

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs can’t process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid.

The child’s obligations

The child and any dependants must obey all Australian laws.

Child Visa Subclass 101: Visa label

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs 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

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.

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs must approve the sponsorship. They might not approve sponsorship if the parent or their partner has been charged or convicted of offences involving children.

Child Visa Subclass 101: 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

Child Visa Subclass 101: Meet the health requirement

The child and any dependants who apply for the visa with them must meet the Department of Home Affairs health requirement.

Dependent children who are not applying for the visa might also need to meet the Department of Home Affairs health requirement.

Child Visa Subclass 101: Meet the character requirement

If the child is aged 16 years or over they must meet The department of Home Affairs character requirement.

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs 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.

Child Visa Subclass 101: 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

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs 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

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Before you apply

Check the child’s passport is valid. Tell The department of Home Affairs if someone is acting on the child’s behalf.

Get help with your application

You don’t have to use a migration agent to apply for any visa. But if you want to, you can contact our migration agent at Visa Help Australia Pty Ltd or Skilled Migration Consultants Pvt Ltd.

Source: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/child-101#Overview