Orphan Relative Visa (Subclass 117)

The Orphan Relative Visa (Subclass 117) is a permanent residency visa for children under 18 years of age who have no parent capable of caring for them and wish to live permanently with an eligible Australian relative. This is an offshore visa — the child must be outside Australia both when applying and when the Department makes its decision.

The visa is designed to provide a pathway for orphaned or abandoned children to reunite with and be cared for by a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or step-equivalent relative who is settled in Australia. Once granted, the child becomes a permanent resident with indefinite stay rights, work and study entitlements, and a pathway to Australian citizenship.

Processing times for the Subclass 117 are lengthy. Current benchmarks show:

• 50% of applications are processed within approximately 45 months (3.75 years)
• 90% of applications are processed within approximately 85 months (7 years)

Processing time depends on application completeness, the time required to verify information, and the Department's workload. Applications that are "decision-ready" — meaning all supporting documents and health checks are provided at lodgement — are prioritised.

The Subclass 117 operates within the broader family migration program, which has limited annual allocations. This low visa availability relative to demand is a primary driver of the multi-year processing times. You should not arrange to travel to Australia until the Department formally notifies you that your visa has been granted.

ImmiAccount Integration (July 2025)

From 23 July 2025, applicants for the Subclass 117 can import paper-based applications made before 1 April 2020 into ImmiAccount. This provides new online services for managing your application, including the ability to attach supporting documents, view messages, update your details, check application status, apply for Bridging Visas, and withdraw your application if needed.

Once your Subclass 117 visa is granted, you have the following rights and benefits:

Residency and Stay

• Indefinite stay in Australia as a permanent resident
• No time limit on your residency

Work and Study

• Full work rights — you can work in any occupation without restrictions
• Full study rights — you can enrol in Australian educational institutions

Healthcare

• Medicare enrolment — access to Australia's public healthcare scheme
• Subsidised medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Family Sponsorship

• Sponsor relatives to come to Australia (subject to eligibility criteria and visa availability)

English Language Support

• Free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (if eligible)

Travel

• Unrestricted travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date your visa is granted, as long as the travel facility remains valid
• After the 5-year travel facility expires, you must apply for a Resident Return Visa (Subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or apply for Australian citizenship and use an Australian passport for travel

Pathway to Citizenship

• Eligible to apply for Australian citizenship after meeting residency and other requirements (typically after 4 years of permanent residency, with 12 months of that in the 12 months immediately before application)

Dependent Children

• Dependent children included on your visa application receive the same permanent residency rights as you

Visa Conditions

• You must comply with all visa conditions and obey Australian laws
• Specific conditions will be detailed in your visa grant letter