Health Exams for Subclass 102 in 2026: When They're Requested and What Health Waivers Mean
How health exams are requested for the Subclass 102 adoption visa in 2026, who is assessed, and how health waivers work.
The child applying for an Adoption visa (subclass 102) must meet Australia's health requirement, but the examination is not something you arrange before lodging. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Adoption visa (subclass 102) official page as at August 2026, "We will tell you when to arrange the child's health examinations" — the instruction comes after the application is lodged, not before. Families who pay for examinations in advance can end up paying twice, because the timing of that request is set by the Department, not by the applicant. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice about any child's medical situation or any application; the details that govern a specific case should be confirmed against the Department's current guidance or with a qualified professional.
Does the adopted child have to meet the health requirement?
Yes. Meeting the health requirement is one of the eligibility criteria listed on the Department's subclass 102 page. It applies to the child being adopted, and it also applies to any dependent child who applies for the visa with them.
The health requirement exists alongside other mandatory criteria — sponsorship, age (under 18 at adoption, at application and at decision), character for children aged 16 or over, and repayment of any debt owed to the Australian Government. Failing any one of them can prevent a grant, so health is one part of a larger assessment rather than a single hurdle.
When does the health examination actually happen?
After lodgement, when the Department asks for it. The subclass 102 application is a paper application — Form 47CH and Form 40CH, posted or couriered to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth — and the health examination request is one of the steps in the "after you apply" stage.
The sequence on the Department's page runs like this: you lodge, the Department acknowledges receipt (generally within about one month of lodgement), and it then contacts you if anything further is needed. The Department states it cannot provide progress updates within global visa processing times, and that it will tell you if it needs anything more. Booking examinations before that request means paying for tests that may fall outside the window the Department recognises.
Who else can be asked to undergo a health assessment?
Two groups beyond the main applicant:
- A dependent child of the adopted child, if that child is included in the application. The dependent child must meet the health requirement as well.
- Family members who are not coming to Australia. The Department's page states these family members "might also have to meet our health requirement" — so a non-migrating family member is not automatically outside the assessment.
For the same application, children over 16 must also meet the character requirement, which brings police certificates and Form 80 into the document set. Health and character are assessed separately.
What if the child has a medical condition?
This is where health waivers matter. A health waiver is a decision to grant the visa even though the health requirement has not been met in the usual way; it is not something an applicant applies for as a separate product, and no outcome can be promised.
The subclass 102 page addresses adoption cases in a specific sentence: "If we can consider a health waiver for an adoption visa applicant, we will examine your circumstances carefully." That is a stronger statement than generic processing language, and it reflects the fact that adoption cases are weighed with the child's situation in view.
Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the health criteria sit in Schedule 4 as Public Interest Criterion 4007, and the criteria apply to both the main applicant and secondary applicants. The considerations used when a waiver is contemplated are set out in the Department's health waiver guidance rather than in the subclass 102 page itself, and because legislative and policy detail can change, the current wording should be checked against the Department's latest published guidance.
How does "examined carefully" read in practice for an adoption case?
Assume a family lodges a subclass 102 application for a child with a documented chronic condition, and the Department's assessment identifies a health issue that would otherwise block the grant. The file does not stop there. Because the applicant is an adopted child, the Department's stated approach is to examine the circumstances carefully before deciding whether a waiver can be considered.
What families can prepare for, without paying for anything prematurely, is documentation: a clear medical history, treating clinicians' reports, and any records that show the child's current condition and likely needs. When the examination request arrives, that material is already assembled; if the Department later asks for more information, it can be supplied quickly. The Department's page allows dependent children to be added any time before a decision, so additions late in the process can also trigger their own health requirement.
One adjacent point worth understanding: the same eligibility framework states the visa might not be granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18. That is a separate criterion from health, but it signals that decisions affecting a child are made on the child's circumstances as a whole, not on a single checklist item.
What do health exams cost, and do they change the visa fee?
Health examinations are an additional cost, separate from the visa application charge. The Department's page lists health exams, police certificates and biometrics as examples of "other costs" that sit outside the visa charge itself, and notes that the Visa Pricing Estimator does not account for those other costs.
The visa application charge should be paid before posting the application; the Department will not process the application until it is paid. Check the Visa Pricing Estimator for the visa application charge that applies to the child's circumstances. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
What happens after the examinations are done?
The results are assessed as part of the application, and the Department contacts you if it needs anything further.
If you imported the paper application into ImmiAccount after receiving your acknowledgement letter, additional documents can be uploaded there. If you cannot use ImmiAccount, or the application was lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020, additional documents can be attached using the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form.
Two things are worth holding onto at this stage:
- Do not arrange travel for the child until the Department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted.
- Wait for the written decision. The Department will advise the outcome in writing, including the reason for any refusal and whether there is a right to review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I book the child's health examination before lodging the application?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states it will tell you when to arrange the child's health examinations, and that request comes after the application is lodged. Examinations booked earlier may not be accepted, which means paying for them twice.
Does a chronic illness mean the subclass 102 application will be refused?
Not automatically. The health requirement must be met, but the Department's subclass 102 page states that if a health waiver can be considered for an adoption visa applicant, the circumstances are examined carefully. The outcome depends on the individual assessment, and no result can be guaranteed.
Do family members who are not migrating to Australia need health exams?
They might. The Department's page states that family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement, so a non-migrating family member is not automatically excluded from assessment.
Does the adopted child's own dependent child also need to be examined?
Yes. Any dependent child who applies for the visa with the main applicant must meet the health requirement, and dependent children can be added to the application any time before a decision is made.
Who decides whether a health waiver applies?
The Department of Home Affairs. A waiver is a decision made within the health assessment of the application under the health criteria in Schedule 4 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Public Interest Criterion 4007) and the Department's health waiver guidance — it is not a separate application the family controls.
Are health examination fees included in the visa application charge?
No. The Department lists health exams as one of the additional costs outside the visa application charge, and notes the Visa Pricing Estimator does not take those other costs into account.