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Child visa (Subclass 802)

AustraliaFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Australia Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

The qualifying family relationship is that of a dependent child (biological, adopted, or stepchild from a former partner) of a parent who is an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or a holder of an Australian permanent visa. The child must be under 18, or aged 18-24 and a full-time student financially dependent on the parent, or over 18 and unable to work full time due to a disability, and must be single and in Australia both when the application is made and when the decision is made.

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Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The child must be sponsored by the eligible parent (an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen or a holder of an Australian permanent visa) or that parent's spouse or de facto partner, and the Department must approve the sponsorship before the visa can be granted. A pending registrable-offence charge against the sponsor (or their spouse/de facto partner) results in refusal of the sponsorship and visa application; a registrable-offence conviction allows approval only in very limited circumstances.

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What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

Proof depends on how the child relates to the parent. An adopted child's adoption must have been finalised before the child turned 18, and if it happened after the parent already held Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizenship, it must have gone through an intercountry adoption involving an Australian central authority, a Hague Convention adoption between two other countries, or a compliant expatriate adoption. A stepchild must be the child of the step-parent's former partner and under 18, with the step-parent holding an Australian parenting order or guardianship/custody. A step-parent who is the current spouse or de facto partner of the child's parent does not satisfy the dependency requirement, and a child over 18 must never have been married or had a de facto partner.

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What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The child and any dependent children applying with them must meet Australia's health requirement (dependent children not applying may also need to meet it), and the child must meet the character requirement if aged 16 or over. Any debt owed to the Australian Government by the child or a family member must be repaid or subject to a formal repayment arrangement, and children aged 18 or older must sign the Australian Values Statement. The official source does not state an income, accommodation or insurance requirement.

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How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

This is a permanent visa: once granted, the child can stay in Australia indefinitely with their parent, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor their own relatives, attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. There is no temporary-to-permanent progression built into this onshore pathway. The visa cost is from AUD4,040.00 (concessions apply in limited circumstances).

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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