Adoption visa for Applicants
Stay
Permanently
Cost
From AUD3,055.00
Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
With this visa the child can
- migrate to Australia as a permanent resident to live with their adoptive parent
- study and access Medicare
- apply for Australian citizenship if eligible
See all conditions
Check your eligibility
The child must
- have been under 18 years of age when adopted, when they apply and when we make a decision
- be outside Australia when the application is made and when we make a decision
- be adopted or in the process of being adopted by their sponsor parent.
The child may be eligible for COVID-19 visa concessions.
Help with your visa
If you are getting help with your visa, before you pay someone, read information on who can help with your visa application.
Intercountry adoption
We can't help arrange adoptions and we do not issue letters of no objection. Our role is to assess and decide applications for visas.
Learn more about adopting a child overseas from Intercountry Adoptions Australia.
We are unable to accept adoption visa applications for children who have been adopted in Pakistan.
With this visa the child can
- stay in Australia indefinitely with their adoptive parent
- work and study in Australia
- enrol in Australia's public healthcare scheme, Medicare
- sponsor their relatives to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
The child can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.
If the child wants to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:
- they will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) so they can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
- they might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If they become an Australian citizen, they don't require a visa to enter Australia. They will need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements and current processing times for Australian citizenship
To see when the child's travel facility ends, use VEVO.
How long the child can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely.
The child becomes a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa.
Include other children
If the child has siblings who also want to apply for an Adoption visa, submit separate applications for each sibling.
The child's dependent children can be included on their application when they apply or added to their application at any time before we decide the application.
Dependent children of the child who apply for the visa must meet our health requirement.
Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.
Cost
The visa costs AUD3,055.00 for the main applicant.
There is also an additional charge for each of the child's dependent children who apply for the visa.
There might be other costs for health exams, police certificates and biometrics.
To work out what the visa might cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.
Apply from
The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted.
Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
The application might take longer to process if:
- it is not filled in correctly
- it does not include all the documents we need or we need more information
- it takes us time to verify the information
We can't process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid. We will advise if this is the case and if necessary return the application.
Your obligations
The child must enter Australia before the date specified in their grant letter. The first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant.
The child and their family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
See what conditions might be attached to this visa on our visa conditions page.
Visa label
We will digitally link the visa to the child's passport. They will not get a label in their passport.
Be adopted or in the process of being adopted
To be eligible to apply for an Adoption visa (subclass 102), the child must:
- have been or be in the process of being adopted through an intercountry adoption or arrangement with the involvement of an Australian state or territory central authority, or
- have been or be in the process of being adopted through an intercountry adoption between 2 countries (other than Australia) that are parties to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Hague Adoption Convention), or
- have been adopted through an expatriate adoption (with no Australian state or territory central authority being involved). The adoption must be by an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen or the holder of an Australian permanent visa. They must have been residing outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before lodging the visa application.
For further information on adopting a child see Intercountry Adoptions Australia.
Children adopted under the Hague Adoption Convention
A child may be eligible for Australian Citizenship if the intercountry adoption is:
- finalised outside Australia under the Hague Convention, or
- a recognised bilateral arrangement.
If we grant the child Australian citizenship they can enter Australia on an Australian passport and will not need to apply for a visa.
For further information see Become an Australian citizen (by adoption).
Expatriate adoptions
Australian Government has no role
The Australian Government, including the Department of Home Affairs, has no role in the overseas expatriate adoption process.
The Australian Government, including our Department, does not provide documents that support or endorse expatriate adoptions overseas. This includes letters of support or certificates of no objection.
If an overseas authority asks you to obtain a document of support for an expatriate adoption, you can advise them to email info@intercountryadoption.gov.au
We only assess and decide adoption visa applications. A visa will only be granted if all eligibility requirements are met.
Eligibility requirements for expatriate adoptees entering Australia
If the child is adopted through an expatriate adoption, and you (the adoptive parent) are considering bringing them to Australia, then, amongst other criteria, all of the following must be met:
- at least one adoptive parent must have resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before lodging a visa application
- the adoptive parent must not have resided overseas to avoid Australia’s intercountry adoption laws
- the adoptive parent must have full and permanent parental rights (no remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents can exist)
- the adoption must adhere to adoption laws of the home country.
Seek legal advice
If a child has been legally adopted in an overseas country (not Australia) under that country's law, it does not guarantee that the overseas adoption will meet the requirements of an Adoption (Subclass 102) visa.
We recommend you obtain independent legal advice both in Australia and in the child’s country of usual residence before proceeding with an expatriate adoption.
Have a sponsor
The child must be sponsored by an eligible adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent.
We must approve the sponsorship. We might not approve sponsorship if the sponsor or their partner has been charged or convicted of offences involving children. Learn more about measures for the protection of children.
Be this age
The child must be under 18 at the time of adoption, when the application is submitted and when we make our decision.
Meet the health requirement
The child and any dependent child who applies for the visa with them must meet our health requirement.
If we can consider a health waiver for an adoption visa applicant, we will examine your circumstances carefully. Learn more about health waivers.
Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.
Meet the character requirement
If the child is aged 16 years or older they must meet our character requirement.
We might also ask that any other dependent child who applies for the visa meet the requirement.
Repay debt to the Australian Government
If the child or any member of the child's family owes the Australian Government money it must be paid back or there must be a formal arrangement to pay it back.
Best interests of the child
We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Step 1
Before you apply
Check the child's passport is valid.
Get help with your application
Only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be:
- a registered migration agent
- a legal practitioner, or
- an exempt person.
You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.
Step 2
Gather documents
Provide documents in support of the visa application.
Provide accurate documents
Provide accurate information. See what happens if the child's identity can't be established or false information is provided.
Identity documents
Provide the pages of the child's current passport showing their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
Also provide:
- a national identity card, if they have one
- proof of change of name
Documents that prove a change of name include:
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names the child has been known by
Travel documents
Provide a certified copy of the passport or travel document the child used to enter Australia and any passports the child has held since then.
Photographs
Provide 4 recent photos (45mm x 35mm) of the child and of any dependent child included in the application.
Photographs must be:
- 45mm x 35mm
- less than 6 months old
- good quality colour. We don't accept laser copies
- a full-face view of the child's head and shoulders
- taken against a plain light-coloured background
The child can wear untinted prescription glasses. If the child wears a head covering for religious reasons, they can show only their face.
Adoption documents
Provide the child's adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate.
Where an Australian state or territory central authority has found you suitable to be an adoptive parent, and you have made a written undertaking to adopt a child, provide evidence from the central authority of the child's country that the child:
- can leave that country for adoption in Australia, or
- can leave that country in your custody
If an Australian state or territory central adoption authority was involved in the adoption, include a letter supporting the adoption.
If the child was adopted through an expatriate adoption process, provide evidence that:
- at least one of the adoptive parents resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before the application was lodged;
- the adoptive parent did not arrange to reside overseas so they could avoid Australia’s intercountry adoption laws;
- the adoptive parent has full and permanent parental rights, with no remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents and
- the child was adopted in line with the adoption laws of their home country
Provide these documents for any other dependent child included in the application.
Character documents
Children over 16 years must provide a police certificate from every country they have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, since turning 16.
For Australia, we only accept National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship. The Australian Federal Police issue these certificates. We don't accept standard disclosure certificates or certificates issued by Australian state or territory police.
For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.
If anyone in the application served in the armed forces of any country, they must provide military service records or discharge papers.
Children over 16 years of age must complete and provide Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment (596KB PDF).
Tell us you are getting help
To nominate someone to:
- receive your correspondence, use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
- provide immigration assistance, use Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).
Send written notification or your forms with your paper application.
Dependants under 18 documents
For every dependant under 18 years old who is applying with the child, provide:
- identity documents
- travel documents
- proof of the child's relationship with them, like a birth or marriage certificate
Prepare the documents
Translate
Have all non-English documents translated into English.
Provide original and translated documents in your application.
Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:
- full name
- address and telephone number
- qualifications and experience in the language they are translating
These details must be in English.
Certify
Have all documents certified. This includes:
- non-English documents
- English translations
Photographs of the child and any of their dependent children included in the application must also be certified.
Keep
Keep a copy of the completed application.
Send us:
- certified copies of all documents
- as much information as possible to help us decide the application
- each document only once, even if it is evidence of more than one thing
- all documents with the application
Step 3
Apply for the visa
You must apply for this visa on paper.
Provide accurate information
Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.
Apply on paper
Complete the following 2 forms and send them together by post (with correct prepaid postage) or by courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth.
You must pay the application charge before you post your application. See how to pay.
We will not process your application until you pay the application charge. Your application should also include evidence of payment of the application charge and all the relevant supporting documentation.
- Form 47CH Application for migration to Australia by a child (564KB PDF)
- Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia (544KB PDF)
If you submit your application at any other office or in any other way, it will not be a valid application and cannot be considered further. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.
The forms must be completed in English.
By post (with correct prepaid postage):
Department of Home Affairs
Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Locked Bag 7
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865
By courier:
Department of Home Affairs
Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Wellington Central
836 Wellington Street
WEST PERTH WA 6005
If any of the above steps are incomplete, your application may be invalid. We do not process invalid applications. We will notify you if this is the case, and if requested, return your application.
Do not send original documents with your application, only send certified copies. Keep a copy of your completed application for your own records, including any supporting documents.
Step 4
After you apply
We will let the applicant know when we have received the application and documents. There may be other things to do and be aware of after applying.
Status updates
We can't provide updates on the progress of the application within global visa processing times. We will tell you if we need anything further.
Travel
Do not arrange for the child to travel to Australia until we tell you, in writing, that we have granted the child the visa.
Health exams
We will tell you when to arrange the child’s health examinations.
Biometrics
We might ask for biometrics. We will tell you if your adopted child needs to provide them.
Send more information
If you lodged the application on or after 1 April 2020:
- You can provide any necessary documents (that you did not provide with the application) to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth by using this online form.
If you lodged the application before April 2020:
- You can provide any necessary documents (that you did not provide with the application) to the processing office using this online form or using the method advised in the acknowledgement letter.
We might also ask you to provide more information.
Add family members
You can add a child's dependent child to their visa application any time before we make a decision.
Newborn children
Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.
Mistakes on your application
Tell us as soon as you can if you have made a mistake on your application.
Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers (168KB PDF).
Help with your application
Let us know if you no longer want someone to:
- receive your correspondence - complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
- provide immigration advice - complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).
Send written notification or your forms to the office your submitted your application.
For more information see Who can help you with your application.
Tell us if things change
Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:
- changes to your phone number, address or passport
- changes to your marital or de facto status
- the birth of a child
- you want to withdraw your application
See how to tell us if your situation changes.
Step 5
Visa outcome
We can grant a visa to any child who is outside Australia and meets the visa grant requirements.
This may not apply if you are eligible for a COVID-19 visa concession.
We will tell you our decision in writing. Keep a copy of the decision.
If we grant the child’s visa, we will tell you:
- the visa grant number
- the date the visa starts
- the visa conditions, if applicable
- the date by which the child must enter Australia, if they are outside Australia when we grant the visa
If we refuse the visa, we will tell you:
- why we refused the visa
- whether there is a right to a review of the decision
We will not refund the application fee if we refuse the application.
Coming to Australia
Before the child travels
Check travel documents
The child must have:
- a valid visa to enter Australia
- a valid passport or other travel document.
Arrive before first entry arrival date
The child must enter Australia before the date specified in their grant letter.
If the child’s visa is still valid and the date specified in their visa grant letter has passed or will pass before they can travel to Australia, they must ensure that:
- they plan to travel to Australia within the next 12 months
- they submit the travel facilitation letter request form.
We may then send the child a travel facilitation letter. This will state that we allow them to enter Australia after the first entry arrival date on their visa.
We will not issue a travel facilitation letter unless there is less than 3 months remaining on the child’s first entry arrival date.
At the border
Complete an Incoming Passenger Card
All people arriving into Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card.
Use the SmartGate
We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. Children aged 16 or over might be able to leave the airport using the SmartGate.
In Australia
The child's obligations
The child and their family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
You can check visa details and conditions in VEVO.
Tell us if things change
Things you need to let us know about include:
- changes to your or your child's phone number, email, address or passport
- changes to your relationship status
- the birth of a child
See how to let us know if there is a change in your situation.
What you can do on your visa
See the visa's conditions and work and study entitlements in VEVO.
See how long you can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets your child and any of their dependent children who are granted the visa stay in Australia indefinitely.
For citizenship purposes, the child's permanent residence starts on the day they enter Australia.
Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
The child can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility of this visa remains valid.
If the child wants to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:
- they will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) visa so they can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
- they might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If they become an Australian citizen, they don't require a visa to re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements and current processing times for Australian citizenship
To see when the child's travel facility ends, use VEVO.
Working and studying
The child can work and study in Australia once they arrive on their visa. See their workplace rights and entitlements.
Bringing a family member
Dependents can't be added to this visa after we have made a decision.
To find a visa for the family member, explore visa options.
Becoming an Australian citizen
After a certain time, your child might be eligible for Australian citizenship. Find out more about becoming a citizen.
For citizenship purposes, the permanent residency starts on the day the child entered Australia on this visa.
Leaving Australia
Before you leave
Check the child's travel documents
The child must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.
Check if the child needs a Resident Return visa to return to Australia as a permanent resident in VEVO.
At the border
Leaving the airport faster
We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.
After you leave
Prove the child has been to Australia
Request the child's international movement records to get proof of their travel in and out of Australia.