Partner and family · Subclass 101
Subclass 101 Child Visa — Bringing a Child from Overseas to Live in Australia Permanently
The 101 visa lets a dependent child who lives outside Australia join an Australian parent as a permanent resident. It is the offshore child visa. This page covers who qualifies and the 101 vs 802 choice. It also explains the cost, the wait and the mistakes that sink applications.
What is the Subclass 101 Child visa?
The Subclass 101 child visa is a permanent visa for a dependent child living outside Australia. The child's parent must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The child must be under 25 when the application is made, unless incapacitated for work. The child is outside Australia when applying.
Key facts
- Visa type: permanent, with travel to and from Australia for 5 years from grant.
- Where the child must be: outside Australia when the application is made, and generally when it is granted.
- Age: under 25 when the application is made; no age limit if incapacitated for work.
- Over 18: must never have had a spouse or de facto partner, not work full-time, and be studying full-time.
- Sponsor: the Australian parent, or that parent's cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, aged 18 or over.
- Onshore twin: a child already in Australia applies for the Subclass 802 instead.
101 vs 802: which child visa do you need?
The 101 and the 802 are the same idea on two sides of the border. Both give a child permanent residence with an Australian parent. The deciding question is where the child is when you apply. A child offshore applies for the 101. A child in Australia applies for the 802. The 101 visa Australia grants is the child visa offshore families use.
| Question | Subclass 101 (offshore) | Subclass 802 (onshore) |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the child when applying? | Outside Australia | In Australia |
| Where is the child at grant? | Generally outside Australia | In Australia, not in immigration clearance |
| Result | Permanent visa | Permanent visa |
| Place in the processing order | Offshore group, which sits below onshore applications | Onshore group, the higher of the two |
General guide only — the location rule is tested on the day you apply.
A third visa matters here. Is the parent still waiting on their own permanent partner visa? Then the child visa is usually the Subclass 445 instead. Read our Subclass 445 Dependent Child visa guide and the Subclass 802 child visa (onshore) page.
Who can apply for a child visa 101?
The child must be the dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The child must also have one of three relationships with that parent:
- A natural child of the Australian parent.
- A step-child in one narrow case: the child of the step-parent's former partner, under 18. The step-parent must hold a parenting order or similar legal responsibility.
- A child adopted overseas by a parent who was not yet Australian then. That parent became a citizen or permanent resident later.
A step-child of your current partner does not fit the 101. A child you adopted after you became Australian usually belongs under the Adoption visa (subclass 102). A child with no parent able to care for them may fit the Subclass 117 Orphan Relative visa.
What are the rules for children aged 18 to 24?
An adult child can still apply before turning 25, but four extra tests apply. The child must not be engaged, must not have a partner, and must never have had one. The child must not work full-time. The child must have been studying full-time since turning 18, or since shortly after finishing year 12. A child incapacitated for work is exempt from the age limit and the study test.
Who can sponsor a child visa subclass 101?
The sponsor is the Australian parent, or that parent's cohabiting spouse or de facto partner. The sponsor must be at least 18 and an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The Department must approve the sponsorship, and it must still be in force at decision.
Can other family members be included in a 101 application?
Only members of the child's own family unit can be included, such as the child's own dependent child. The child's brothers and sisters are usually not members of the child's family unit. Each sibling who qualifies generally needs a separate application and charge. The child's parents cannot be included in a child visa at all. Parents have their own visa types.
Every person in the child's family unit must still meet health and character requirements, even if not applying. One person failing health can affect the whole application.
Child visa Australia cost: what does a 101 cost?
The Department charges a visa application charge when the application is made. It has a base charge for the child, plus an extra charge for each additional applicant. The amount is set in the Migration Regulations and changes every 1 July. Check the current figure on the Department's fees page before you lodge.
Plan for other costs too. They include medical examinations, police certificates for older applicants, and certified translations of documents not in English. The Department can also ask for an assurance of support, which is a separate financial commitment by an Australian resident.
Child visa Australia processing time: how long does a 101 take?
The Department publishes a current 101 visa processing time, and it is updated regularly. Read the live figure there, not on an agent's page. What you can know in advance is where your application sits in the queue.
Family visas are processed in a set order under a Ministerial Direction. Applications lodged by someone in Australia come first. Offshore applications, including the 101, form the second group. Within each group, a dependent child of a sponsor sits in the top relationship tier. So the 101 is quicker than a parent visa, but slower in order than the onshore 802.
Inside that order, most delays come from the file itself. Common causes are missing consent from the other parent and incomplete identity or relationship evidence. Medical follow-ups and information requests add time too.
How do you apply for a 101 visa?
- Confirm the right visa. Check the child is offshore, under 25 and in a qualifying relationship.
- Prepare the sponsorship. The parent or their partner completes the sponsorship form and evidence.
- Gather the child's evidence. Birth records, custody or consent documents, identity and study evidence for over-18s.
- Lodge by the method the Department specifies. Use the form and address in force on the day you lodge.
- Complete health and character checks. Medicals, and police certificates where the child is old enough.
- Wait for a decision offshore. Enter Australia before the first entry date on the grant.
Practitioner insight. A legislative instrument sets the method and address for lodging child visa applications. An application sent anywhere else is invalid. It cannot be fixed by forwarding. That instrument was amended on 22 September 2026, and the postal address changed. Any checklist, template or cover letter printed before that date may carry the old address. Check the address against the current instrument or the Department's page on the day you lodge.
Age is tested on the day you lodge. A child who turns 25 before the application is made is out, unless incapacitated for work. A child who turns 18 or 25 after lodging is not refused for that reason alone. If a birthday is close, lodgement date is the decision.
What happens after the 101 visa is granted?
The child becomes a permanent resident of Australia. The visa allows travel to and from Australia for 5 years from grant. The child must make first entry before the date the Department sets on the grant. Conditions 8502 and 8515 may be imposed; your grant notice says whether they apply.
Frequently asked questions about the 101 child visa
What is the difference between the 101 and 802 visas?
Both are permanent child visas for the child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The 101 is for a child outside Australia, and the 802 is for a child in Australia. Location on the day of application decides which one you use. The 101 is generally granted while the child is still offshore. The 802 is granted while the child is in Australia.
How long does a child visa 101 take in 2026?
The Department publishes a current processing time for the 101 and updates it regularly. Read that figure on the day you plan. Family visas are processed in a fixed order: onshore applications first, then offshore ones. Within each group a dependent child sits in the top tier. Most individual delays come from missing consent, incomplete evidence, medicals or information requests, not the queue.
How much does the 101 child visa cost?
The Department charges a visa application charge, paid when you apply. There is a base charge for the child and an extra charge for each additional applicant. The figure is set in the Migration Regulations and changes every 1 July. Check the Department's fees page on the day. Budget separately for medicals, police certificates and translations, and for an assurance of support if the Department asks for one.
Can my child be over 18 and still get a 101 visa?
Yes, if the child is under 25 when the application is made. An adult child must not be engaged, must not have a partner, and must never have had one. The child must not work full-time and must be studying full-time. A child incapacitated for work is exempt from the age limit and the study test. A child who turns 25 after lodging is not refused for that reason alone.
Can I include my child's siblings or my own parents?
Only members of the child's own family unit can join the child's application, such as the child's own dependent child. Siblings are usually not members of that family unit, so each qualifying sibling generally needs a separate application and charge. Parents cannot be included in a child visa at all. If you want your parents in Australia, look at the parent visa options instead.
My fiancé has a child overseas. Can the child get a Subclass 101?
Usually not. The 101 needs the child to be your own child, or a former partner's child under a parenting order. A fiancé's child is neither. The usual route is to include the child in your fiancé's Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) application. The child joins as a dependent child. Get advice on consent from the child's other parent early, because it is often the slowest document.
Can a step-child get a 101 visa?
Only in one narrow case. The child must be your former partner's child and under 18. You must also hold a parenting order or similar legal responsibility. A step-child of your current partner does not qualify for the 101. That child usually joins through the partner's own visa application. Another route is the Subclass 445 while the partner's permanent visa is pending.
What are the requirements for a 101 child visa?
The child must be the dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The child must be under 25 when the application is made, unless incapacitated for work, and outside Australia. The relationship must be a natural child, a narrow type of step-child, or an overseas adoption. Adult children must also be unmarried, never partnered, not working full-time and studying full-time. The sponsor must be approved.
Bringing your child to Australia? Start with a free eligibility check, or book a consultation with a migration agent in Sydney.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW, working with Australian parents and their children overseas.
Sources and last checked dates
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 2 Part 101 (Child), Schedule 1 item 1108, regulation 1.03 (dependent child, step-child), Compilation No. 288, 1 July 2026 (F2026C00667)read 23 Sep 2026open ↗
- Ministerial Direction No. 117 — Order for considering and disposing of Family visa applications, commenced 25 July 2026read 23 Sep 2026open ↗
- Migration Legislation Amendment (Arrangements for Child Visa Applications) Instrument 2026 — LIN 26/100, F2026L01261, lodgement address changeread 22 Sep 2026open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — visa fees and charges (current visa pricing)link checked 8 Sep 2026; no charge is reproduced on this pageopen ↗