117 Orphan Relative visa (subclass 117)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Orphan Relative visa (subclass 117)
Purpose	Permanent visa for orphaned children
Stay	Permanently
Cost	From AUD2,475
Apply and decision location	Outside Australia
Age	Under 18 when applying
Sponsor	Eligible settled relative
Work rights	Work under Australian law
Study	Study under Australian law
Medicare	Eligible to enrol
Travel facility	Multiple travel for five years
Citizenship	May apply if eligible
Family sponsorship	Can sponsor relatives
Dependent children	Include before decision
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Processing	Use processing time guide

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Purpose

The Orphan Relative visa lets a single child come to Australia permanently to live with an eligible relative where no parent can care for them.

Eligibility

The child must:

• Be under 18 when applying.
• Be single.
• Be outside Australia when applying and when the decision is made.
• Have no parent able to care for them because both parents are:
  • deceased
  • permanently incapable of care, or
  • unable to be found.
• Have consent to migrate, where required.
• Meet health requirements.
• Meet character requirements if aged 16 or over.
• Have repaid Australian Government debts, or have a formal repayment arrangement.
• Be granted the visa only if this is in their best interests.

The visa will not be granted where parents can care for the child but do not want to.

Sponsor requirements

The child must have an approved sponsor who is an eligible:

• Sibling or step-sibling
• Grandparent or step-grandparent
• Aunt or uncle
• Step-aunt or step-uncle

The sponsor must be a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Sponsorship must be approved before visa grant. A pending registrable offence charge involving the sponsor or their spouse or de facto partner will result in refusal of the sponsorship and visa. A conviction may only be approved in very limited circumstances.

Stay and rights

This is a permanent visa. The child can:

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

For citizenship purposes, permanent residence begins on the day the child enters Australia on this visa.

Newly arrived residents may need to wait before accessing some Australian Government payments and benefits.

Family members

The child’s dependent children may be included in the application when lodged or any time before a decision.

Each sibling seeking this visa must make a separate application.

Dependent children included in the application must meet health requirements. Non-migrating family members may also need to meet health requirements.

Dependants cannot be added after a decision is made.

Cost

The main applicant charge is AUD2,475.

Additional charges apply for each dependent child included in the application. Other possible costs include:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Biometrics

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is based on the primary applicant holding a valid passport from:

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

Eligible family members receive the lower charge based on the primary applicant’s passport.

Required evidence

Provide certified copies of supporting documents, including:

• Current passport identity pages.
• National identity card, if available.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.
• Four recent colour photographs for each applicant.
• Passport or travel document used to enter Australia.
• Evidence the parents are deceased, incapable of care or cannot be found.
• Evidence of the child’s relationship to the sponsor.
• Consent evidence for applicants under 18, where required.
• Health and character documents.
• Evidence of payment of the visa application charge.

Evidence of no parent able to care

Provide, as applicable:

• Death certificates or official documents.
• Medical reports showing permanent inability to provide care.
• Evidence of how long missing parents have been absent.
• Evidence of efforts made to locate or contact missing parents.

Consent for children

For an applicant under 18, provide one of the following:

• Form 1229 completed by each person with legal responsibility who is not migrating.
• A statutory declaration giving consent, with identity evidence.
• An Australian court order allowing migration.
• Evidence that the home country’s laws allow the child to leave.

Character documents

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 service records or discharge papers, if applicable.

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

Police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue.

Document standards

• Translate all non-English documents into English.
• Include both original-language and translated documents.
• Use accredited translators in Australia.
• Send certified copies, not original documents.
• Keep copies of the completed application and documents.

How to apply

Apply on paper while the child is outside Australia.

1. Complete Form 47CH — Application for migration to Australia by a child.
2. Complete Form 40CH — Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia.
3. Pay the application charge before posting.
4. Include payment evidence and all supporting documents.
5. Post or courier the application to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth.

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 submitted elsewhere, in person, or by another method are invalid and cannot be considered.

After applying

The Department generally sends an acknowledgement about one month after lodgement.

After acknowledgement, paper applications may be imported into ImmiAccount. This allows applicants to:

• Upload documents.
• View messages and application status.
• Update details.
• Apply for a Bridging Visa.
• Withdraw the application.

Applications made outside Australia before 1 April 2020 cannot always be imported.

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

Notify the Department of changes to the child’s:

• Passport
• Address or telephone number
• Name
• Relationship status
• Family circumstances
• Application details

Use Form 1023 to report incorrect answers.

Processing

Use the visa processing time guide for an indication of recent processing times. It is not specific to an application.

Processing may take longer if the application is incomplete, documents are missing, information needs verification, or the correct charge is not paid.

The Department cannot process an application without the correct visa application charge. Visa charges are not refunded if the application is refused.

Travel

The child can travel to and from Australia multiple times for five years from visa grant, while the travel facility remains valid.

After the initial five-year travel facility, the child must obtain a Resident Return visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, unless they become an Australian citizen.

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

Obligations and conditions

The child and family members must:

• Obey Australian laws.
• Meet all visa conditions.
• Enter Australia before the required first-entry date.
• Keep the Department informed of relevant changes.

The visa is digitally linked to the child’s passport. The Department does not place a visa label in the passport. The grant letter includes the visa grant number for accessing the digital visa record.