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1300 188 999Child Visa Australia
Australian family visas are an excellent option for individuals to sponsor their partners, children, and parents to bring them to the country. Among them, child visas are structured to bring children to the country to allow them to live with their parents. This offshore visa for kids and children can be sponsored by eligible parents who fall under the following categories:
- Australian citizens
- Australian permanent residents
- Eligible New Zealand citizens
The sponsor should be at least 18 years old to opt for this visa type.
All the child visa options are accessible for adopted/dependent/orphaned children of eligible parents. The child applicant should be under 25 years of age to be eligible to apply for this visa. However, the applicant must be a full-time student and/or depending on the sponsoring parent if they are 18 years old or over. There is no age limit for an incapacitated child due to physical or mental inabilities. The child must not be married, widowed, or divorced. Applicants can choose from the following visa subclasses based on their suitability:
- Child Visa (subclass 101)
- Child Visa (subclass 802)
- Adoption Visa (subclass 102)
- Dependent Child Visa (subclass 445)
Based on the type of child visa they apply for, the applicant can stay in Australia temporarily or permanently. For permanent residence, the applicant can choose a child visa, an orphan related visa, or an adoption visa based on their eligibility. The dependent child visa only allows a temporary stay for the applicant in the country. The applicant should ensure that they satisfy all the pre-requisites before applying for a particular visa category. The common criteria for these visa subclasses include sponsorship of eligible parents, assurance of support, health assessment, providing evidence of identity, and character test.
Contact the Migration Agent In Melbourne if you have specific questions about any of these child visa subclasses.
To help you understand these child visa classes, we summarise them below:
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Subclass 802 Child Visa (Onshore)
The subclass 802 visa is designed for eligible parents who want to sponsor their children to live permanently in the country. If the child is under 18, the eligible parents can apply for the visa stream on behalf of their child.
While subclass 802 is an onshore visa, subclass 102 is an offshore adoption visa. Importantly, both of these visa categories allow the child to live in Australia permanently. Note that a permanent visa holder has almost the same rights and provisions similar to a citizen. The visa holder should comply with the visa conditions as long as they live in the country under the permanent visa.
Subclass 102 Adoption Visa
The subclass 102 adoption visa is framed to make the overseas adopted children live with their adoptive parents in Australia permanently. This visa class is designed for children who are going to be adopted or already adopted by an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident visa holder. The visa application is usually filed by the adoptive parents for the adopted or to-be-adopted children. While submitting the application, the parent should provide an assurance of support to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). If the adoption is facilitated by a state or territory authority, the parent can lodge the visa application for the child even before the adoption is finalised.
Child Visa 101
The subclass 101 is another child visa category in Australia that is designed for:
- Children who don’t hold any permanent visa in Australia
- Children who would want to enter and live in the country for an indefinite period
The visa is designed for children of a foreign nationality but has an Australian citizen, Australian permanent visa holder, or eligible New Zealand citizen as their parent. The visa allows the children to live with their parents in the country. For visa processing, the child could be:
- Biological child
- Adopted child (adoption procedures must be completed before the child turns 18)
- Stepchild
Subclass 445 Dependent Child Visa
The visa subclass 445 is designed for the dependent children of those eligible parents whose partner’s permanent visa is under process. The visa allows a child to stay in the country temporarily as long as the child’s parents hold a temporary visa in the country to stay, and the child’s name wasn’t included in the application form or until the DHA makes a decision on the parent’s permanent visa application.
Importantly, the child’s name must be included in the permanent partner visa of the parent immediately after being granted a subclass 445 visa. The subclass 445 is a temporary visa, and it is suitable for children who are dependent on a parent who holds either:
- Partner provisional (subclass 309) visa or
- Partner (subclass 820) visa
The processing time of a subclass 445 visa differs based on the applicant’s individual profile and visa conditions. If the DHA asks for additional information from the candidates or external agencies, it can make the visa processing time longer. It is important to note that the processing time for a family visa application is quite long due to the comparatively large number of applications received at the DHA. To minimise the visa processing time, the applicant should:
- Fill the application form completely and accurately
- Attach all the documentary evidence and file along with the application
- Provide every requested information by the DHA as soon as possible
At Southern Stone, we have a team of visa consultants who are up to date with the rules and procedures of various visa categories. Additionally, they have several years of experience in processing visa applications and can help you with the successful approval of your required visa in the best possible way.
Our family visa immigration experts provide goal oriented immigration consultation to help overseas children unite with their parents in Australia. Our consultants have in-depth knowledge in all types of parent, partner, and child visas to give tailored services to our clients. They are also trained to handle and process various types of culturally sensitive, ethical, and person-based information.
At Southern Stone, we work on the best possible ways to have your family together. We also support and give guidance on your cultural expectation is being cared for and take care of your children. Our immigration consultants are extremely cautious and thoroughly analyse the family visa immigration from our clients. We meticulously check individual profiles and file them to the DHA with proper documentation. Other than this we also offer student visa 500, 491 visa, TSS 482 visa, partner visa, skilled independent visa, subclass 190 and more.
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Call us on 1300 188 999 or use our contact form to book an appointment with our consultants.
FAQs
1. How much is a child visa to Australia?
There are many visa subclasses allowing children of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to come and stay in Australia with their parents. The cost for applying for most child visas is AUD2,790. However, there may be additional charges for a dependent child applying with the main applicant. Besides the application cost, candidates may have to pay for health checks, police certificates, and biometrics. To know the exact cost of applying for a child visa, speak to our child visa migration agent. Our visa experts will analyse your case and provide details on the exact cost of applying for a child visa.
2. What are the requirements for a child visa to Australia?
The requirements for a child visa include:
Sponsorship – The candidate must be sponsored by an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. 
Identity – The candidate and their sponsor must submit evidence of their identity.
Health Assessment – The candidate must complete a health assessment to show they are fit enough to come to the country and not incur high costs to Australian taxpayers through public health care. 
Dependency – The candidate must either be below the age of 18 or between 18 and 25 and dependent on sponsoring the parent.
Character Test – Candidates above the age of 16 and the sponsor must prove that they are of good character. This requires them to submit police clearances for any country they have lived in for one year or more within the past 10 years (from the age of 16 onwards). 
Assurance of Support – An assurance of support (AoS) may be needed for a Child Visa. This is a financial bond paid by an assurer to offer financial support to your migrating child.
3. How long is a child visa for Australia?
The Dependent Child Visa 445 is a temporary visa, allowing candidates to stay in Australia until a decision is made on their permanent visa application. Subclass 101 and subclass 102 are permanent visas, allowing the visa holders to remain in Australia indefinitely. Most permanent visas allow candidates to migrate to Australia as permanent residents, study and access Medicare, and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. If you want your child to live in Australia permanently, apply for a child visa 101 or 102. To know the requirements for applying for these visas, speak to our child visa migrations agents.
4. How do I apply for a visa for my child?
To apply for a child visa, check if your child’s passport is valid. Only valid passport holders can apply for visas in Australia. The next step is to gather the required documents like identity documents, photographs, travel documents, financial documents, and more. After you have collected all the documents, apply for the visa. Once the application is received, the Department will inform you. If there’s a need to submit additional documents, you will be notified about it. Once the submission is made, candidates must wait patiently for the application to be processed and a decision to be made. Once the Department decides, they will inform you about the same.
5. Who can sponsor a child for a visa?
To sponsor a child for a child visa, you must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen of 18 years or above. For applying for the Adoption Visa Subclass 102, the candidate must be adopted or be in the process of getting adopted by the sponsor. Child visas permit candidates to stay in the country temporarily or permanently depending on their visa type, work and study and Australia, enrol on Medicare, sponsor relatives to visit Australia and apply for Australian citizenship, depending on their eligibility. To know more about offshore visas for kids, speak to our experts.
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