Adoption visa for Sponsors
Stay
This is a permanent visa. The adopted child can stay in Australia indefinitely.
Cost
Free. There is no cost to apply but you have financial responsibilities if we grant the visa.
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
- study and access Medicare
- apply for Australian citizenship if eligible
See all conditions
Check your eligibility
Things to note
- you must provide adequate accommodation and financial support to meet the child's needs for their first 2 years here
Scope
This visa allows you to sponsor a child to migrate to Australia.
Cost for the sponsor
Free.
There is no cost to apply for sponsorship. However, as a sponsor you will have financial obligations.
Apply for sponsorship from
You don't need to be in Australia when the visa application is submitted. You can still sponsor the child if you:
- have entered Australia before but are outside Australia when the application is submitted
- have been granted an Australian permanent resident visa but have not yet entered Australia
Sponsor obligations
You must agree that for the first 2 years the child is in Australia on this visa you will assist them, and any dependent children who are granted the visa with them, with adequate accommodation and financial support.
Be suitable to sponsor
To sponsor a child for this visa you must be:
- an Australian citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen, or hold an Australian permanent visa
- the child's adoptive parent or their prospective adoptive parent
- aged 18 or older
We must approve the sponsorship. We might not approve sponsorship if the parent, their spouse or their de facto partner has been charged or convicted of offences involving children. Learn more about measures for the protection of children.
Step 1
Before you apply
Make sure the child is eligible for the visa and you are an eligible sponsor.
Step 2
Gather your documents
Provide evidence to support your sponsorship application.
Identity documents
Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
If you have changed your name, provide proof such as:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names you have been known by
Relationship to the applicant documents
Give us, as relevant:
- adoption papers
- an adoption compliance certificate
- evidence from the Australian state or territory central authority that supports the prospective adoption
Police check documents
We might ask you to provide an Australian National Police certificate if you have lived in Australia for any length of time.
If you have lived in an overseas country for at least 12 months, we might ask you to provide a police certificate from that country.
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.
If you have a spouse or de facto partner they must also provide these documents.
For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.
Learn more about measures for the protection of children.
Residence and citizenship documents
Provide evidence that you are an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen such as:
- a birth certificate
- evidence you hold an Australian passport or are a permanent resident
- an Australian citizenship certificate
- if you are a New Zealand citizen, evidence to show how long you have lived in Australia and your continued links to Australia
Financial documents
You might need to give us:
- income records
- tax records
- other evidence you can support the child
If you pay child support or have provided an assurance of support for anyone else, you must provide a statement that shows:
- your relationship with the person you support
- when you submitted any other sponsorship applications or assurances of support
- how much and how often you make any support payments
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.
Step 3
Apply
Complete Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia (544KB PDF). Submit this form with the child's visa application and all supporting documents.
You must complete the form in English.
Step 4
After you apply
The child's application could take longer if:
- they need character or health checks (including X-rays)
- we need more information
- the application is incomplete
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
Withdraw sponsorship
You can withdraw your sponsorship before we grant the visa. You can't withdraw after we grant the visa.
Write to us at the office where the application was sent if you want to withdraw your sponsorship.
Your request must include your:
- full name and date of birth
- file reference number
- client ID or transaction reference number
Step 5
Visa outcome
We will let the visa applicant know our decision in writing.
If we grant the visa, we will advise:
- the visa grant number
- the date the visa starts
- any conditions attached to the visa
- the date by which the child must enter Australia, if they are outside Australia when the visa is granted
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.
Your obligations
For the first 2 years the child is in Australia on this visa, you must provide them and any of their dependent children who come with them with:
- support
- adequate accommodation
- financial assistance
You can' t withdraw as a sponsor after we have granted the visa. But if you don't comply with your sponsorship obligations for 2 years after we grant the visa, we might cancel it.