102 Adoption visa - Subclass 102

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Adoption visa (subclass 102)
Purpose	Adopted children live with parents
Stay	Permanent; stay indefinitely
Cost	From AUD4,040
Apply from	Outside Australia
Eligibility timing	Under 18 at adoption, application, decision
Work rights	Work in Australia
Study	Study in Australia
Medicare	Eligible to enrol
Travel facility	Multiple travel for five years
Citizenship	May apply if eligible
Family sponsorship	Can sponsor relatives
Dependants	Dependent children may be included
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Application method	Paper application required
Processing	Acknowledgement approximately one month

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Purpose

The Adoption visa lets a child adopted outside Australia live permanently in Australia with their adoptive parent.

The Department assesses visa applications only. It cannot arrange adoptions or issue letters of no objection.

Applications cannot be accepted for children adopted in Pakistan.

Eligibility

The child must:

• Be adopted, or in the process of being adopted, by an eligible sponsor parent.
• Be under 18 when adopted, when applying, and when the decision is made.
• Be outside Australia when applying and when the visa is decided.
• Have an approved sponsorship from an eligible adoptive or prospective adoptive parent.
• Meet health requirements, including any dependent child applying with them.
• Meet character requirements if aged 16 or over.
• Repay Australian Government debts, or have a formal repayment arrangement.
• Meet the best-interests-of-the-child requirement.

A sponsorship and visa application will be refused if the sponsor or their spouse/de facto partner has a pending registrable offence charge. Sponsorship may only be approved in very limited circumstances where they have a registrable offence conviction.

Adoption pathways

The child must have been, or be being, adopted through one of these pathways:

• An intercountry adoption or arrangement involving an Australian state or territory central authority.
• An intercountry adoption between two Hague Adoption Convention countries other than Australia.
• An expatriate adoption.

For an expatriate adoption:

• At least one adoptive parent must have lived outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before lodgement.
• The parent must not have lived overseas to avoid Australian intercountry adoption laws.
• The parent must have full and permanent parental rights.
• No legal ties with birth parents can remain.
• The adoption must comply with the child’s home-country laws.

An overseas adoption being legal under local law does not guarantee eligibility for this visa. Independent legal advice in Australia and the child’s usual country of residence is recommended.

A child adopted under the Hague Convention or a recognised bilateral arrangement may instead be eligible for Australian citizenship by adoption.

Stay and Rights

This is a permanent visa. The child becomes a permanent resident on the visa grant date and can stay in Australia indefinitely.

The child can:

• Work and study in Australia.
• Enrol in Medicare.
• Sponsor relatives to come to Australia.
• Attend Adult Migrant English Program classes, if eligible.
• Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts when the child enters Australia on this visa.

Family Provisions

Each sibling seeking an Adoption visa must lodge a separate application.

The child’s dependent children may be included when applying or added before a decision is made. They must meet health requirements.

Dependants cannot be added after the visa decision.

Cost

The main applicant charge is AUD4,040. Additional charges apply for each dependent child included.

Other possible costs include:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Biometrics

From 1 July 2026, eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens with a valid passport receive a lower visa charge. This also applies to family members based on the primary applicant’s passport.

Eligible passport countries are:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Documents

Provide certified copies, not originals. Keep copies of the completed application and all supporting documents.

Identity and travel

Provide:

• Current passport pages showing photo, details, issue and expiry dates.
• National identity card, if held.
• Evidence of name changes, if applicable.
• Certified copies of relevant travel documents and passports held.
• Four recent colour photographs for the child and each included dependent child.

Adoption evidence

Provide:

• Adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate.
• Evidence from the child’s country authority that the child can leave for adoption in Australia or leave in the applicant’s custody, where relevant.
• A supporting letter where an Australian state or territory central authority was involved.
• For expatriate adoptions, evidence addressing overseas residence, parental rights, legal ties with birth parents, and compliance with home-country adoption laws.

Character evidence

Applicants aged 16 or over must provide:

• Police certificates from every country where they spent 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16.
• Form 80, Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.
• Military records or discharge papers, if applicable.

Australian police certificates must be National Police Certificates requested under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship.

Included dependent children

For each dependant under 18, provide:

• Identity documents
• Travel documents
• Proof of relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate

Translation and certification

Non-English documents must be translated into English. Include both original-language and translated documents.

Translations completed in Australia must be by a NAATI-accredited translator. Overseas translations must state the translator’s name, address, telephone number, qualifications and experience in English.

How to Apply

Apply on paper using both forms:

1. Form 47CH — Application for migration to Australia by a child
2. Form 40CH — Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia

Complete forms in English. Pay the visa application charge before posting the application and include payment evidence.

Send the application, certified supporting documents, and correct prepaid postage by post or courier.

Post:

Department of Home Affairs
Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Locked Bag 7
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865

Courier:

Department of Home Affairs
Child and Other Family Processing Centre
Wellington Central
836 Wellington Street
WEST PERTH WA 6005

Applications lodged at another office, in another way, or in person are invalid and cannot be considered.

After Applying

The Department should acknowledge the application approximately one month after lodgement.

Processing may take longer if the application is incomplete, documents are missing, information needs verification, or the full charge was not paid at lodgement. An application cannot be processed without the correct visa charge.

The Department may request health examinations, biometrics, or additional information. Do not arrange the child’s travel until the visa has been granted in writing.

Paper applications can be imported into ImmiAccount after receiving the acknowledgement letter. This allows document uploads, messages, status checks, detail updates, bridging visa applications, and withdrawal requests.

New and existing applications made in Australia can be imported. Applications made outside Australia on or after 1 April 2020 can also be imported.

Tell the Department promptly about changes to contact details, passport, marital or de facto status, a child’s birth, mistakes, or withdrawal intentions. Use Form 1023 for incorrect answers.

Decision

The child must be outside Australia when the visa is granted, unless a COVID-19 visa concession applies.

If granted, the Department provides the visa grant number, start date, visa conditions, and first-entry date. If refused, it provides reasons and whether review rights exist.

The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Travel and Obligations

The child must enter Australia before the date in the grant letter. The first-entry date is generally 12 months from visa grant.

The visa allows travel to and from Australia as often as desired for five years from grant, while the travel facility remains valid. After this period, the child needs a Resident Return visa to return as a permanent resident, unless they become an Australian citizen.

The child must have a valid passport or other travel document when travelling.

The child and family members must comply with visa conditions and Australian laws. Visa details, conditions and travel-facility dates can be checked through VEVO.

The visa is digitally linked to the child’s passport; no visa label is issued.