Adoption (Subclass 102) Visa
The visa allows children adopted outside Australia to live with their adoptive parents in Australia. It is a permanent visa.
The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted.
- The child must:
- have been or be in the process of being adopted through an intercountry adoption or arrangement with the involvement of an Australian state or territory central authority, or
- have been or be in the process of being adopted through an intercountry adoption between 2 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
- have been adopted through an expatriate adoption (with no Australian state or territory central authority being involved). The adoption must be by an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen or the holder of an Australian permanent visa. They must have been residing outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before lodging the visa application.
- The child must be sponsored by an eligible adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent
- The child must be under 18 at the time of adoption, when the application is submitted and time of decision
- Must meet health and character requirements
Dependent Child (Subclass 445) Visa
This visa allows a child to stay in Australia temporarily until their parent’s Permanent Partner visa application is approved.
The child can be in or outside Australia when the visa application is submitted.
- The child must be dependent on a parent who holds a Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) or Partner visa (subclass 820)
- The child must be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated their parent’s permanent Partner visa application
- The child must be either under 18 years or over 18 years and financially dependent on the parent who has the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa
- Meet health and character requirements
Child (Subclass 802) Visa (Onshore)
This visa allows a child to stay in Australia permanently and live with their parents.
The child must be in Australia when the application is submitted.
An adopted child can be sponsored under this visa, however the adoption must have been finalised before the child turned 18. The adoption can have happened either before or after the parent became an Australian citizen, Australian permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen.
If the child was adopted after their parent became an Australian citizen, Australian permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen, they must have been adopted.
- The child must be dependent on a parent who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- The child must be sponsored by an eligible parent or their parent’s spouse or de facto partner
- The child must be either under 18 years old, or over 18 and under 25 years and studying full time and is financially dependent on their parent, or over 18 years with a disability
- The child can’t be or have been married or engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship
- Meet health and character requirements
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
Child (Subclass 101) Visa (Offshore)
This visa allows a child who is outside Australia to come to Australia to live with their parents. permanently.
The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted.
An adopted child can be sponsored under this visa, however the 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.
- The child must be dependent on a parent who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- The child must be sponsored by an eligible parent or their parent’s spouse or de facto partner
- The child must be either under 18 years old, or over 18 and under 25 years and studying full time and is financially dependent on their parent, or over 18 years with a disability
- The child can’t be or have been married or engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship
- Meet health and character requirements
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