Health and Character Checks for Subclass 117 in 2026: Who Gets Tested
Who must sit health exams and police checks for the Orphan Relative (subclass 117) visa, and when the Department asks for them.
Three groups can be pulled into health and character checks on an Orphan Relative (subclass 117) application: the child who is applying, any dependent children included in that application, and — for health at least — certain family members who are not migrating. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Orphan Relative visa (subclass 117) official page, as of the August 2026 official page, the child and any dependent children applying with them must meet the health requirement, and dependent children who are not applying might also have to meet it. The character requirement bites only when the child is 16 or older, although the Department may also ask other dependent children in the application to meet it. In Public Interest Criteria terms, health is PIC 4005 and character is PIC 4001.
This article is general information about how the rules are framed, not personalised advice about a particular family's circumstances; the criteria that apply to you and the current wording of the legislation should be confirmed against the official published material or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before you rely on it.
Who has to meet the health requirement?
The starting point is the child. The official page states the child and any of their dependent children who apply for the visa with them must meet the health requirement.
The second group is dependent children included in the application. A subclass 117 applicant is by definition under 18, but the applicant may themselves have dependent children, and those children travel on the same application. They are assessed in their own right, not simply carried along by the main applicant.
The third group is the one most families overlook: family members who are not coming to Australia. The Department's visa overview states that family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement, and the eligibility page repeats that dependent children who are not applying might also have to meet it. Because the applicant is a child, "family members" can reach well beyond the person holding the pen on the form.
Who has to meet the character requirement?
The official page sets a clear age line: if the child is aged 16 years or older, they must meet the character requirement. A child of 15 or younger is not swept into the police certificate and Form 80 obligations by the character criterion itself.
The Department also reserves a discretion: it might ask that other dependent children who apply for the visa meet the character requirement. So "under 16" is not an absolute shield for everyone on the application — it is a shield for the main applicant's own position under that criterion as stated on the page.
What does a 16- or 17-year-old actually have to provide?
The document list on the subclass 117 step-by-step page sets out three concrete obligations for children over 16:
- Police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years, since turning 16.
- Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment), completed and provided with the application.
- Military service records or discharge papers, for anyone in the application who served in the armed forces of any country.
For Australia, the page is specific: only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted, and these are issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted. For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so a certificate obtained early in a long process can expire before it is assessed.
When do health examinations happen?
Not at lodgement. The step-by-step page places health exams in the "after you apply" stage: the Department will let you know when to arrange the child's health examinations. That sequencing matters, because the character documents are collected with the application while the health examinations are scheduled on the Department's instruction. Biometrics follow the same pattern — the Department will tell you if they are needed.
The practical consequence is that a subclass 117 application is lodged on paper with Form 47CH and Form 40CH, with identity, relationship, consent, and (where applicable) character documents attached, and the health step arrives later as a request.
How far do the Public Interest Criteria reach?
The Department's page is written in plain language; the binding criteria sit in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994. The binding criteria sit in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, and the Department's PAM3 procedural guidance explains how they are applied; the operative text and its current form should be checked against the legislation itself and the official page.
| Person | Health (PIC 4005) | Character (PIC 4001) |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant (the child) | Required (117.223) | Required (117.223); documents required from age 16 |
| Family members applying for the visa with the child | Required (117.225: PIC 4001–4005 and others) | Required (117.225) |
| Family members not applying | Required unless the Minister considers it unreasonable to require assessment (117.225) | Required (117.225: PIC 4001–4004 and 4005) |
| Secondary applicants (subclass 117.32) | Required | Required (117.323) |
Two things follow from that structure. First, the regulation-level net is wider than the plain-language page: non-applying family members are contemplated as needing health assessment, subject to a reasonableness exception. Second, because the criteria attach to people rather than to the form, a problem with one required person can affect the outcome for everyone in the application — the procedural guidance describes this in "one fails, all fail" terms.
What if someone does not meet a requirement?
The eligibility page frames health and character as grant conditions, alongside the other criteria such as sponsorship approval, the absence of a parent able to care for the child, and consent to migrate. The Department may also refuse to grant the visa if granting it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18, which means the assessment is not purely mechanical. The published guidance lists failure to meet the health or character criteria among the common refusal grounds for this visa, which is a reason to identify likely problems before lodgement rather than after a request arrives.
What should be prepared before lodging, and what can wait?
Assume the following split:
- With the application: passport identity pages, national identity card if any, name-change proof if applicable, four recent photographs (45 mm x 35 mm, less than six months old), certified copies of the passport or travel document and any passports held since, evidence about the child's parents, evidence of the child's relationship to the sponsoring relative, and — for anyone over 16 — police certificates, Form 80, and any military service or discharge records.
- After the Department asks: health examinations, and biometrics if requested.
Dependent children of the child can be added to the application when it is made or at any time before a decision is made. Adding them later does not remove the health requirement, and it resets the practical question of who is in scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 15-year-old subclass 117 applicant need a police certificate?
No, not under the character requirement as the official page states it — that obligation applies to the child if they are 16 or older. The same age line governs Form 80, which children over 16 must complete and provide.
Which Australian police certificate does the Department accept for a subclass 117 application?
Only a National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates from Australian state or territory police are not accepted.
How long is a police certificate valid for immigration purposes?
Twelve months from the issue date, according to the subclass 117 step-by-step page. Certificates are required from every country the applicant has spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years, since turning 16.
Should health examinations be arranged before the application is lodged?
Not on your own initiative — the Department will tell you when to arrange the child's health examinations after you apply. The health step is scheduled by the Department rather than assembled by the applicant at lodgement.
Do dependants who are not migrating to Australia need to be assessed?
They may be. The Department's overview states that family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement, and the eligibility page says the same about dependent children who are not applying.
Can the child's dependent children be added after lodgement?
Yes. The child's dependent children can be included on the application when it is made, or at any time before the Department makes a decision. They must meet the health requirement, and are within the scope of the character requirement as well.