Child visas
Child visas are a category of Australian visas that allow Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to bring their biological, step, or adopted children to Australia.
While children are often included in their parents’ visa applications, a separate child visa may be required in specific circumstances. This includes situations where a child is born overseas to a parent who is a permanent resident but not yet an Australian citizen; where a child was adopted before the adoptive parent obtained permanent residency; or when a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, wishes to adopt a child from overseas or bring an orphaned child of a relative to live with them in Australia.
A child visa allows the child to remain in Australia permanently, with full access to public education, healthcare under Medicare, and the opportunity to become an Australian citizen in the future.
To be eligible, the child must be under 18 years of age. Some visas are available for children over 18 but additional requirements will apply.
The child must be sponsored by a parent who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, or by that parent’s spouse or de facto partner who also meets these criteria. The sponsor must be at least 18 years old and satisfy character requirements.
There is also a temporary child visa (subclass 445), intended for children of applicants holding a temporary Partner visa. In this case, the child must be sponsored by the same individual who sponsors the parent. Once granted a subclass 445 visa, the child can then be added to the parent’s permanent Partner visa application.
We merged major features of the Child visa subclasses in the below chart for your convenience
Eligibility of a child and a sponsor for a child visa can be tricky to understand. Our professional guidance will help your family reunite sooner.
Expert Advice
Australia’s migration system has strong mechanisms in place to protect the safety and wellbeing of children. When a visa application involves the interests of a child, the sponsors and their spouses or partners must meet specific character requirements. While not all charges or convictions will lead to a refusal of sponsorship, certain offences require the Department to refuse both the sponsorship and the visa application. However, there may still be a possibility of a positive outcome.
We strongly recommend seeking professional advice if your case involves any character concerns.
Consulting an experienced migration agent before applying for a child visa can significantly improve your chances of a successful outcome.
Dependent Child and Dependency
Under Australian migration law, a child who has not yet turned 18 and is not engaged to be married, nor has a spouse or de facto partner, is considered a dependent child. A child who has turned 18 but is incapacitated for work due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions is also regarded as a dependent child.
A child who has turned 18 but remains substantially reliant on a parent for financial support to meet their basic needs may also be considered a dependent child. Generally, children who have not yet turned 25, who are studying full-time after finishing school, who are not working full-time, and who are financially dependent on a parent, may be eligible for a child visa.
What is Assurance of Support?
For some Child visas an assurance of support may be requested. This involves depositing money with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for a specified period (the period of assurance) - for Child visas this can be 2-4 years. During this time, if the Australian Government pays certain social benefits to the migrant, these payments must be refunded to the Government. The bond ensures that the refund will be made. Assurance of support also applies to some other family visas. The duration and amount of the assurance of support depend on the visa class and the number of assurees.