Child Visa Subclasses

Overview

A child visa allows children to be sponsored by a parent or step-parent who is an Australian permanent resident or citizen.

The child must be under the age of 25. If they are aged 18 years or over, they must also be:

a full-time student and be financially dependent on their sponsoring parent or
unable to work due to a disability.

The child must be single i.e. not married, in a de facto relationship or engaged to be married.

Offshore Child – SC101 Visa

The Subclass 101 is a permanent visa, for children who are applying from outside of Australia.

No bridging visa is available. If the applicant wishes to visit Australia during the time in which their application is processing, they should apply for a Visitor Visa.

Onshore Child – SC802 Visa

The Subclass 802 is a permanent visa, for children who are already inside of Australia on a visa which permits them to apply for a further visa.

Because it is an onshore application, a Bridging Visa will be granted to the applicant child which will allow them to remain in Australia until their application is processed.

Adoption – SC102 Visa

The Subclass 102 is a permanent visa. The child must be adopted:

with the involvement of an Australian State or Territory adoption authority under the Hague Adoption Convention or another recognised bilateral adoption agreement; or
under the laws of a country where the sponsor and/or their partner has been residing for 12 months prior to the application.

Adoption visas are complex and subject to strict requirements. If you are considering adopting a child you should obtain advice before you make any further arrangements, otherwise your adoption may not be recognised.

This is an offshore application.