Eligibility Quiz
Overview
The Child Visa (Subclass 802) is a permanent visa that allows dependent children already in Australia to remain and live permanently with their parents. It is the onshore equivalent of the Child Visa (Subclass 101). The critical distinction: your child must be physically present in Australia when you lodge the application and when the Department decides it. If your child is outside Australia, you must apply for Subclass 101 instead.
The visa is administered by the Department of Home Affairs and processed through the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. It forms part of Australia's Family Migration Program and remains actively available with no announced closure date.
Recent Changes
Visa Fee Increases (1 July 2025): As of 1 July 2025, the Subclass 802 application fee increased to AUD $3,235 for the main applicant. Additional applicants aged 18 and over pay AUD $1,615; additional applicants under 18 pay AUD $810.
Family Visa Allocations (2025–26): Child visas are allocated 3,000 places within the broader Family Migration Program. This represents a stable allocation with no indication of rapid quota exhaustion.
Digital Application Import (July 2025): A new feature allowing paper-based family visas to be imported into ImmiAccount commenced in July 2025. Applications are still submitted on paper initially, but this may streamline future processing.
Visa Processing Overhaul (6 March 2026): The Department of Home Affairs implemented a nation-wide visa-processing overhaul from 6 March 2026 with accelerated review timelines, a new centralised digital tracking platform, and automated document verification. However, specific processing time targets for the 802 visa were not announced; the overhaul focused on work visas (10 weeks), student visas (8 weeks), and permanent residence (six months). The impact on child visa processing times remains unclear.
Rights as a Permanent Resident (Subclass 802)
Once your visa is granted, you obtain:
- Permanent residency: You become a permanent resident of Australia and can stay indefinitely
- Unrestricted work rights: You can work in any occupation without restrictions
- Unrestricted study rights: You can study at any level without restrictions
- Medicare access: You are enrolled in Australia's public healthcare scheme (Medicare)
- Family sponsorship: You can sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia
- Citizenship eligibility: You can apply for Australian citizenship if you meet the eligibility criteria
- Travel rights (5 years): You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you wish for 5 years from the date your visa is granted
- Resident Return Visa (RRV): After the initial 5-year travel facility expires, you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return Visa (RRV) to travel freely to and from Australia; alternatively, if you become an Australian citizen, you do not require a visa to re-enter Australia
- Bridging visa during processing: Once your application is lodged, you will generally be granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA), allowing you to remain lawfully in Australia while the Department processes your application
- Dependent children included: Your dependent children can be included on your application when you apply or at any time before the Department decides your application; dependent children who apply must meet health requirements