Child Visa
As indicated by its title, migration to Australia under the child visa category is for applicants who are the natural child, adopted child or stepchild of their sponsor.
Duration
It is a permanent visa.
Eligibility Criteria
Age
The children who are emigrating to Australia must be under 25, and if 18 years of age or older, they must be dependent i.e. a full-time student who is reliant upon their parents. The only exception to the age requirement is where the children have a disability that stops them from working.
Relationship
The applicant applying outside Australia who was adopted after their parent became an Australian citizen, holder of a permanent visa, or eligible New Zealand citizen, cannot apply in this category and should consider applying in the adopted child category.
The applicant applying in Australia who was adopted after their parent became an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, may still be able to apply in this category subject to meeting certain requirements. A child can only be granted a permanent Child visa on the basis of a step relationship in circumstances where the child's natural or adopted parent is:
- An Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, or;
- The parent is no longer a spouse of the step parent and that step parent has been granted legal responsibility for the child by a court.
Marital status
The child emigrating to Australia must not be married or living in a de facto (common law) relationship or be engaged to be married. If the applicant is 18 years of age or over, must never have had a spouse.
Custody requirement
If the children emigrating to Australia are under 18 years of age, permission for the child to migrate must be obtained from every person who has a right to decide where the child may live. This may be in the form of a statutory declaration or a court order.
Sponsorship
The sponsor of the child seeking migration to Australia must be:
- approved as a sponsor;
- must be at least 18 years of age.
Assurance of Support
An assurance of support may be required for the child visa application. A Global Visas consultant will be able to advise what this involves and whether it will be required.
Health & Character
Australia has strict health and character requirements that must be met before any permanent Australian visa of more than 12 months will be granted. The applicants will be required to:
- Undergo a medical examination and chest X-ray (if over 11 years of age), to be undertaken by one of a panel of doctors selected by the Australian authorities, and;
- Obtain police certificates for all countries in which they have lived for more than 12 months in the 10 years leading up to the application.
Processing Times
The current processing time is four - six months from the start of the process. A Global Visas consultant will be able to advise you of the latest processing times.
