Adoption Visa (Subclass 102)

Forms

You must complete two mandatory forms:

• Form 47CH: Application for migration to Australia by a child
• Form 40CH: Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia

If you are using a migration agent or authorized representative:

• Form 956: Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner, or exempt person
• Form 956A: Appointment or withdrawal of an authorized recipient

If your child is 16 years or older:

• Form 80: Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment

If you need to correct mistakes:

• Form 1023: Notification of incorrect answers

Identity Documents

• Current passport pages showing your child's photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates
• National identity card (if your child has one)
• Proof of name change (if applicable), such as documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority

Travel Documents

• Certified copy of the passport or travel document your child used to enter Australia
• Certified copies of any other passports your child has held since then

Photographs

Provide 4 recent photographs (45mm × 35mm) of your child and any dependent child included in the application. Photographs must be:

• 45mm × 35mm
• Less than 6 months old
• Good-quality colour (laser copies not accepted)
• Full-face view of the head and shoulders
• Taken against a plain light-coloured background

Your child may wear untinted prescription glasses. If your child wears a head covering for religious reasons, only the face needs to be visible.

Adoption Documents

• Adoption papers or adoption compliance certificate for your child

For STCA-Involved Adoptions:

• Evidence from the central authority of your child's country confirming that your child can leave that country for adoption in Australia, or can leave in your custody
• Letter of support from the Australian state or territory central adoption authority that was involved

For Expatriate Adoptions: Provide evidence that:

• At least one adoptive parent resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before the application was lodged
• The adoptive parent did not arrange to reside overseas to avoid Australia's intercountry adoption laws
• The adoptive parent has full and permanent parental rights with no remaining legal ties between your child and the birth parents
• Your child was adopted in line with the adoption laws of their home country

Character Documents

For children 16 years and older:

• Police certificates from every country where your child has spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years (since turning 16)
• For Australia: National Police Certificate (Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship) issued by the Australian Federal Police only
• Police certificates are valid for immigration purposes for 12 months from issue

If anyone in the application served in the armed forces:

• Military service records or discharge papers

Sponsor Documents

• Bio-data page of your Australian passport or travel document
• Police certificates from every country where you (and your partner, if any) have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years

For Expatriate Adoptions:

• Evidence that you have been living outside Australia for at least the last 12 months prior to lodging the application

Dependent Children Documents

For every dependent under 18 years old applying with your child, provide:

• Identity documents
• Travel documents
• Proof of relationship (such as a birth or marriage certificate)

Translation and Certification Requirements

Translation:

• Have all non-English documents translated into English
• Provide both original and translated documents in your application
• Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)
• Translators outside Australia do not need to be accredited, but must include on each translation their full name, address, telephone number, qualifications, and experience in the language being translated (in English)

Certification:

• Have all documents certified, including non-English documents, English translations, and photographs of your child and any dependent children
• Do not send photocopies of certified documents—send the certified originals