How to Apply for the Subclass 802 Child Visa in 2026: Paper Forms, Payment and Perth Lodgement
How the Subclass 802 Child visa is lodged in 2026: paper Forms 47CH and 40CH, ImmiAccount payment, and posting to Perth.
The Subclass 802 Child visa can only be lodged on paper. You complete Form 47CH (Application for migration to Australia by a child) and Form 40CH (Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia), pay through the online payment function in ImmiAccount before you submit, include proof of that payment, and send everything by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth at the address printed on the form. Applications cannot be lodged in person, and only certified copies of documents should be sent — never originals. This reflects the Department of Home Affairs Child visa (Subclass 802) official page.
This article is a general reading of the department's published process, not personalised advice on any one child's circumstances; the official page and the current form versions remain the authority, and where a detail matters to your case you should confirm it against those or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
How should a PR-path applicant read the four stages?
Subclass 802 is a permanent visa, so it is worth planning it as four linked stages rather than one form-filling exercise:
- Before you apply — confirm the child's location and visa status, and gather identity, relationship, travel, financial and character documents.
- Apply — complete both forms in English, pay in ImmiAccount, and post or courier the package to Perth.
- After applying — receive the acknowledgement, import the application into ImmiAccount, and manage health exams, biometrics, travel and changes of circumstances.
- Visa outcome — keep the child in Australia for the decision, then read the written grant or refusal letter.
Before you apply, where must the child be?
The child must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, both when the application is submitted and when the department makes its decision. A child cannot apply if they are in Australia on another visa that carries a "no further stay" condition.
Each sibling who wants to apply needs a separate application. By contrast, the child's own dependent children can be included on their application when it is lodged, or added at any time before a decision is made; dependent children included in the application must meet the health requirement.
Which documents does the department ask for?
The official page groups documents into several categories. The table below sets out what each covers.
| Category | What the official page asks for |
|---|---|
| Identity | Pages of the child's current passport showing photo, personal details and issue/expiry dates; a national identity card if they have one; proof of change of name; certified copies of adoption papers or the adoption compliance certificate if the child was adopted |
| Travel | A certified copy of the passport or travel document used to enter Australia, plus any passports held since then |
| Photographs | Four recent passport-size (45mm x 35mm) photos of the child, and of any dependent child included in the application |
| Relationship to parent | Birth certificate, marriage certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book; adoption papers or compliance certificate where relevant |
| Financial | If the child is over 18 when the application is made, evidence of dependence on the parent for food, shelter and clothing, and how long that support has lasted — for example bank statements, money transfers or rent receipts |
| Character | Police certificates where the person has lived at least 12 months in an Australian state or territory or in an overseas country; military service record or discharge papers for anyone who has served in the armed forces; Form 80 for children over 16 |
Photographs must be less than six months old, good quality colour (laser copies are not accepted), show the full face against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable, and a head covering worn for religious reasons may be kept as long as only the face is shown.
For an expatriate adoption, the page asks for evidence that at least one adoptive parent lived outside Australia for more than 12 months before the adoption was finalised; that the adoptive parent did not move overseas to avoid Australia's intercountry adoption laws; that the adoptive parent holds full and permanent parental rights with no remaining legal ties to the birth parents; and that the adoption complied with the adoption laws of the child's home country. Where an Australian state or territory central adoption authority was involved, a letter supporting the adoption should be included.
Who can help, and what do Forms 956 and 956A do?
Only some people may lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee or reward: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Anyone at all may be appointed to receive documents on your behalf.
The two forms do different jobs. Use Form 956 (Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person) to nominate someone to provide immigration assistance, and Form 956A (Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient) to nominate someone to receive correspondence. Both can be sent with the paper application.
How is the application actually lodged?
Complete Form 47CH and Form 40CH in English and send them together. Pay before submission using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount, and include evidence that the application has been paid for. For other payment options, the page refers applicants to the department's "how to pay" guidance.
Then send the application by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, using the address on the form, with all required documents and forms included. Applications cannot be submitted in person. Send certified copies only and keep your own copy of the completed application and supporting documents.
If any of these steps are incomplete, the application may be invalid. The department states that it does not process invalid applications; it will notify you, and if requested return the application.
What does the visa cost, and when is payment due?
The official page points applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the charge for the main applicant, and notes there is also a charge for each dependent child who applies with the child. Additional costs may arise for health exams, police certificates and biometrics; the estimator does not include those.
Payment timing matters as much as the amount. The department says applications may take longer if full payment is not made at the time of initial lodgement, and that it cannot process an application if the correct visa application charge is not paid — in that case it will tell you and may return the application.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries — Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — and family members are eligible based on the primary applicant's passport.
What happens after you lodge?
You should receive an acknowledgement of the application, and advice about any associated bridging visa, within approximately one month of lodgement. The page warns that processing may take longer if the form is not filled in correctly, required documents are missing or more information is needed, verification takes time, or full payment was not made at lodgement.
Once you have the acknowledgement letter, the paper application can be imported into ImmiAccount. Importing gives access to online services that make the application easier to manage: attaching supporting documents, viewing messages, updating details, viewing application status, applying for a bridging visa, and withdrawing the application.
To import, create or log into ImmiAccount and enter the application ID, the applicant's date of birth, and the identity document number — passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage. New and existing applications for this visa made in Australia can be imported.
What must you manage while the application is being processed?
Several obligations run in parallel with processing:
- Status updates — the department does not provide progress updates within normal processing times; it will contact you if anything further is needed.
- Travel — tell the department if the child needs to travel outside Australia while the application is being processed, because the child must be in Australia when the decision is made. Make sure the child holds a valid visa to return.
- Health exams and biometrics — the department will tell you when to arrange health examinations, and will tell you if biometrics are required.
- Staying lawful — the child was granted a bridging visa associated with the application when it was made; if their current visa expires before a decision, that bridging visa starts and lets them remain in Australia.
- Further information — send anything missing as soon as you can, uploading to ImmiAccount where the application has been imported, or attaching it to the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form where it has not.
- Changes and mistakes — changes to phone number, address, passport or relationship status, a child over 18 stopping full-time study or starting full-time work, the birth of a child, or a wish to withdraw should be notified; incorrect answers are corrected on Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers).
- Adding family — the child's dependent children can be added at any time before a decision.
What does the outcome look like?
The child must be in Australia when the decision is made, and the outcome is given in writing. If the visa is granted, the letter advises the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any visa conditions; keep a copy of the grant letter while in Australia. If the visa is refused, the letter advises why and any rights of review. The application charge is not refunded if the application is refused.
As a permanent visa, Subclass 802 lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely from the day it is granted, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives, and attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible; Australian citizenship can be applied for if eligible. Travel to and from Australia is unlimited for five years from the grant date, after which a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) is needed to re-enter as a permanent resident unless the child becomes an Australian citizen. The five-year travel facility end date can be checked in VEVO. The visa is digitally linked to the passport rather than issued as a label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Subclass 802 Child visa be lodged online in 2026?
No. The department states that this visa must be applied for on paper, using Form 47CH and Form 40CH sent together. ImmiAccount is still used — for paying before submission and for importing the application afterwards — but the lodgement itself is a mailed or couriered package.
Where exactly do I send the application?
To the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, by post or courier, using the address printed on the form. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.
When do I pay the visa application charge?
Payment must be made before the application is submitted, using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount. Evidence that the application has been paid for should be included with the package, and the department says it cannot process an application where the correct charge has not been paid.
Should I send original documents with the paper application?
No. The department asks for certified copies only and says to keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. Travel documents in particular are requested as certified copies.
How many photos does the child need, and what are the rules?
Four recent passport-size photos (45mm x 35mm) of the child, and four for any dependent child included in the application. They must be less than six months old, good quality colour rather than laser copies, show the full face, and be taken against a plain light-coloured background.
What happens if I leave out a document or fill a form in wrongly?
An incomplete application may be invalid, and the department does not process invalid applications — it will notify you and, if requested, return the application. For errors discovered later, the department asks you to tell it as soon as possible and to use Form 1023 for incorrect answers.
Can the child travel overseas while the application is being processed?
The department asks to be told if the child needs to travel, because the child must be in Australia when the decision is made. If the child does leave, they need a valid visa to return.