How to Lodge Subclass 838 on Paper in 2026: Form 47OF, Payment and Perth Centre

Lodge Subclass 838 on paper in 2026 with Form 47OF, ImmiAccount payment, Perth mailing and validity checks.

Published: 5 October 2026

As at August 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ official Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 838) page confirms that the visa must be applied for on paper. The applicant completes Form 47OF in English, the sponsor completes Form 40, and the first instalment is paid before submission using the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount. The payment evidence must accompany the application, which must be sent by post or courier to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth at the address on Form 47OF. You cannot lodge the application or pay for the visa in person, and you must be in Australia but not in immigration clearance when you apply. This article provides general information, not personalised legal advice; individual circumstances should be checked against current Home Affairs requirements or advice from a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.

What must be in the Subclass 838 paper application?

The core lodgement package consists of the following:

Component	Who completes or provides it	Requirement at lodgement
Form 47OF — Application for migration to Australia by other family members	Visa applicant	Must be completed in English
Form 40 — Sponsorship for migration to Australia	Sponsor	Must accompany the application
First-instalment payment evidence	Applicant	Pay before submitting the paper application and include evidence of payment
Supporting documents and applicable dependant forms	Applicant and sponsor, as relevant	Include every required document; send certified copies rather than originals

Keep a complete copy of the finished application and all supporting documents. Do not send original passports, certificates or other documents with the paper application.

What documents support the application?

Home Affairs requires identity, character, sponsor, relationship and dependency evidence. The exact documents depend on the circumstances, but the following items are identified on the official page.

Identity and passport: You do not need a valid passport to apply, but you must provide details of your most recent passport. The page asks for pages of your current passport showing your photograph, personal details, and issue and expiry dates. Include a national identity card if you have one and evidence of any name change. Home Affairs will grant the visa only if you have a valid passport.
Sponsor status: Your migration must be sponsored by your relative or your relative’s partner. The sponsor must be at least 18 years old, a settled Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, and usually resident in Australia.
Proof of the sponsor’s status: This may include a citizenship certificate, passport or, for an eligible New Zealand citizen, a valid visa.
Relationship and dependency: Provide official evidence connecting you to the sponsor, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, death certificate, family-status certificate or officially maintained family book. Show that you depend on the relative for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and how long that support has been provided. Examples include bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts.
Character documents: The paper application requires character documentation. However, Home Affairs specifically instructs applicants not to arrange police certificates until the Department asks for them.
Family-unit details: Provide details of all family members, whether they are migrating or not. If a child under 18 is applying, include the prescribed consent and any relevant identity, relationship and character documents.

For an applicant under 18, each person with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not in Australia with the child must provide consent using Form 1229 or a statutory declaration giving consent for the child to stay in Australia on this visa. Alternatively, provide an Australian court order that allows the child to migrate to Australia or evidence that the law of the child’s home country allows the child to migrate. Include an identity document showing the signature and photo of each person who completes a form or declaration, together with any applicable adoption papers or other court documents. If the child is not staying with a relative or legal guardian, the person with whom the child is staying must sign Form 1257.

For a dependant aged 18 or older, check the applicable category before including the person. Usually, a child or stepchild must be under 23; a dependant over 23 can be included only if they are unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations and are dependent on you or your partner. The supporting package includes Form 47A, identity documents, documents about any other relationships if applicable, character documents, proof of the relationship, and proof that the person has been financially dependent on you for at least 12 months before the application. For a dependant over 23, also provide information about the physical or cognitive limitation.

How should Form 47OF be completed and checked?

Home Affairs gives three express form instructions: the applicant completes Form 47OF, the sponsor completes Form 40, and the form must be completed in English. All information must be accurate and consistent with the supporting evidence.

Before mailing the package, check that:

the visa applicant has completed Form 47OF in English;
the sponsor has completed Form 40;
identity details agree with the passport evidence;
relationship and dependency evidence supports the statements in the application;
all family-member and consent forms are included where applicable;
supporting documents are certified copies; and
payment evidence is enclosed.

Only a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person may provide immigration assistance. A person appointed only to receive documents can be an authorised recipient. Include Form 956 or Form 956A, as applicable, with the written notification or paper application.

How does the ImmiAccount payment work?

The Department divides the visa charge into two instalments.

Pay the first instalment when you apply. The paper-application instructions direct you to use the online portal payment function in ImmiAccount. Payment must occur before the application is posted or couriered.
Retain the evidence. Include evidence that the application has been paid for in the paper package.
Do not pay in person. Home Affairs expressly states that the visa cannot be paid for in person. It separately provides information about other payment options.
Pay the second instalment when invoiced. Home Affairs says it will issue the invoice after you have met the other visa requirements. The second instalment must be paid before the visa can be granted.

Concessions apply in limited circumstances, and an extra charge applies for each family member who applies with you. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to an eligible citizen of a Pacific Island country or of Timor-Leste who lodges a valid visa application and holds a valid passport issued by the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. Eligible family members are also eligible for the lower charge, based on the passport of the primary applicant or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria, and Home Affairs charges it during the application process in ImmiAccount. Home Affairs directs applicants to its Visa Pricing Estimator for the current cost. The estimator does not include the second instalment or possible costs for health examinations, police certificates or biometrics.

Where should the Perth paper package be sent?

Send the complete application to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, using the address printed on Form 47OF.

The Department allows lodgement by:

post; or
courier.

It does not allow Subclass 838 applications to be submitted in person. Do not treat the Perth processing centre as a walk-in application counter. All required forms, certified supporting documents and evidence of the first payment must travel in the same package.

The applicant must be in Australia and must not be in immigration clearance when applying. Any family member applying with the applicant must also be in Australia and not in immigration clearance at that time.

What can make the paper application invalid?

Home Affairs warns that an application may be invalid if any of the required application and lodgement steps are incomplete. The main checkpoints are:

Form 47OF is missing or has not been completed in English;
the sponsor’s Form 40 is missing;
required identity, sponsor, relationship, dependency, character or dependant documents are absent;
the first instalment has not been paid;
payment evidence is missing;
the package has not been sent as instructed; or
the information required to establish identity cannot be proved.

The Department says it does not process invalid applications. It will notify the applicant if this occurs and return the application if requested.

Failure to pay the correct visa application charge is also a processing problem: Home Affairs says it cannot process the application in that circumstance and may return it if necessary.

An identity failure has additional stated consequences. If you cannot prove your identity, Home Affairs says it will refuse the visa application. Home Affairs might also not grant the applicant another visa for 10 years; it might also not grant any family members listed on the application a visa for 10 years.

What should happen after lodgement?

Home Affairs will notify you when the application and documents have been received. After receiving the acknowledgement letter, import the paper application into ImmiAccount.

To import it, you need:

the application ID;
your date of birth; and
an identity document number, such as a passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number.

Once imported, ImmiAccount allows you to attach supporting documents, view messages, update details, check the application status, apply for a Bridging Visa and withdraw the application.

If necessary documents were not included, provide them as soon as possible. If you have imported your application into ImmiAccount, upload the documents in ImmiAccount. If you can’t use ImmiAccount, attach them to a completed Other Family Visa Processing Centre online form. Home Affairs may also request health examinations, biometrics or further information.

If you discover an error, use Form 1023 — Notification of incorrect answers — and submit it as directed. Keep a valid visa while your application is being processed. Home Affairs states that, when you applied for this visa, you were granted a bridging visa. If your current visa expires before a decision, the bridging visa starts. Do not cancel your current visa; Home Affairs states that doing so will mean that you are staying in Australia unlawfully and that you are not eligible for a bridging visa.

The applicant must remain in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the decision is made. Intended travel outside Australia must be notified under the process, and you must hold a valid visa to return.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for Subclass 838 online in 2026?

No. Home Affairs says this visa must be applied for on paper. ImmiAccount is used to pay the first instalment before lodgement and, after the application is imported, to manage it online.

Can I hand in the application or pay at the Perth centre?

No. The Department says the application cannot be submitted in person and the visa cannot be paid for in person. The package must be sent by post or courier to the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth at the address on Form 47OF.

Which forms must I include, and must they be in English?

The applicant completes Form 47OF and the sponsor completes Form 40. Home Affairs expressly instructs applicants to complete the form in English and include both forms in the paper package.

What address should I use for the Perth processing centre?

Use the address printed on Form 47OF. Home Affairs identifies the destination as the Parent, Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, but the centre is not a walk-in lodgement location for this visa.

Should I send original passports and certificates?

No. Send certified copies, not original documents. Keep a complete copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records.

What happens if the paper application is incomplete?

An incomplete application may be invalid. Home Affairs does not process invalid applications; it says it will notify the applicant and return the application if requested.

Is the visa paid in one amount or two instalments?

The first instalment is due when you apply, before the paper package is submitted. Home Affairs says the second instalment is invoiced after the other requirements are met and must be paid before the visa can be granted.

When should I import the application into ImmiAccount?

Import it after the acknowledgement letter arrives. You will need the application ID, date of birth and identity document number, such as a passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number.

Must I remain in Australia until the visa is decided?

You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply and when the decision is made. The process requires notification of intended travel, and you must hold a valid visa to return if you leave Australia.

References

Australian Department of Home Affairs — Aged Dependent Relative visa (Subclass 838)