Importing a Paper 117 Application Into ImmiAccount in 2026

How to bring a paper Subclass 117 application into ImmiAccount using your application ID, date of birth and travel document number.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

Yes — a paper Orphan Relative visa (Subclass 117) application can be imported into ImmiAccount, and importing it is what converts a postal file into one you can manage online. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs "Orphan Relative visa (Subclass 117)" official page (as at August 2026), you import the application after you receive your acknowledgement letter, using three items: your application ID, your date of birth, and your identity document number. This article is general information only and is not advice on any one family's circumstances; for that, the current official page and a registered migration agent or legal practitioner remain the proper reference points.

When can you import a paper 117 application?

You can import once the paper application has been submitted and the department has sent you an acknowledgement letter. Until that letter arrives you do not have the application ID the import requires, so there is nothing to enter.

Importing is also not a way to get progress updates. The department states it cannot provide updates on the progress of a child's application within normal processing times, and that it will let you know if it needs anything further. What importing does change is your side of the file: how documents go in, how correspondence reaches you, and how you record changes.

What three details does the import need?

The import screen asks for:

application ID — the identifier issued for the paper application, shown on the acknowledgement letter
date of birth
identity document number — a passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number

You log into an existing ImmiAccount or create a new one first, then import the application with those three values. Because the match is against what was submitted on paper, the date of birth and document number should be the same ones recorded on Form 47CH Application for migration to Australia by a child and Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia.

Which 117 applications can actually be imported?

The official page sets two categories:

new and existing applications for this visa made in Australia
existing applications made outside Australia on or after 1 April 2020

The second category is the one that matters for most readers, because this visa is applied for on paper and the child must be outside Australia when the application is made. An application lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020 falls outside the import rule.

What does importing unlock?

Once the paper application sits in ImmiAccount, the department's online services become available for it:

ImmiAccount online service	What it lets you do
Attach supporting documents	Upload documents left out at lodgement, or later requested
View messages	Read department correspondence on the file
Update your details	Record changes against the application
View application status	See where the application is recorded as sitting
Apply for a Bridging Visa (BV)	Lodge a BV through the account
Withdraw your application	Withdraw through the account

What if you can't use ImmiAccount, or the application was lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020?

There is a parallel paper-and-form route. The department's fallback is the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form, used where ImmiAccount is not available or where the application was lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020.

Task	Imported into ImmiAccount	Not in ImmiAccount
Send additional documents	Upload into ImmiAccount	Attach to a completed processing centre online form
Correct an incorrect answer	Upload Form 1023 in ImmiAccount	Attach Form 1023 to the online form
Appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient	Upload Form 956A in ImmiAccount	Attach Form 956A to the online form
Appoint or withdraw a migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person	Upload Form 956 in ImmiAccount	Attach Form 956 to the online form

What should you handle through ImmiAccount once the import is done?

Documents the department asks for later

If you did not include everything at lodgement, provide it as soon as you can. If the department requests more information and your application is imported, upload it into ImmiAccount rather than posting it.

A wrong answer on the form

Incorrect answers go on Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. With an imported application, you upload the completed form in ImmiAccount.

Changing who receives correspondence or gives help

Use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient for correspondence, and Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person for immigration assistance. Both can be uploaded in ImmiAccount once imported.

What still happens outside ImmiAccount?

Some steps are driven by the department, not by the account. It will tell you when to arrange the child's health examinations, and it will tell you if biometrics are needed. Dependency on the account is not the same as dependency on you checking it daily — the department's own statement is that it will make contact when something is required.

Two constraints are worth restating because they sit outside the online tools:

Do not arrange for the child to travel to Australia until the department advises in writing that the visa has been granted. The child must also be outside Australia when the decision is made for the visa to be granted.
Tell the department about changes such as the child's phone number, address or passport, changes to the child's relationship status, the birth of a child, or if you want to withdraw the application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to wait for the acknowledgement letter before importing?

Yes. The import needs the application ID, and that is issued when the department acknowledges the paper application. Importing before the letter arrives isn't possible.

Which identity document numbers are accepted for the import?

A passport number, an ImmiCard number, or a Titre de Voyage number. Use the same document that was recorded on the paper application so the details match.

Can I import an application lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020?

Not under the rule set out on the official page. Existing applications made outside Australia can be imported if they were made on or after 1 April 2020; earlier ones use the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form instead.

Can I still add the child's dependent children after importing?

Yes. The child's dependent children can be added to the application at any time before the department makes a decision. After a decision, dependants cannot be added to this visa.

Does importing affect how the application is decided?

Importing changes how you manage the application, not the criteria applied to it. It gives you online access for documents, messages, status, a Bridging Visa and withdrawal; the department separately handles health examinations, biometrics requests and the decision itself.

What if the import doesn't accept my details?

The official page does not describe a separate correction path for a failed import. Because the match depends on the application ID, date of birth and document number as recorded on the paper forms, the fallback the page does provide is the processing centre online form where ImmiAccount cannot be used.