Is the Child Visa (Subclass 101) the Right Family Reunion Visa in 2026?

Short answer: the Child visa (subclass 101) is the right family reunion channel when the person you are bringing to Australia is your dependent child, you are an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent visa holder, and the child is outside Australia when you apply. It is not the channel for a spouse or de facto partner — a partner is handled through Australia's partner visa stream, not through the 101. Working out which of the two you actually need is the first decision, and it is the decision this article is built around. Everything below reflects the Australian Department of Home Affairs Child visa (subclass 101) official page as of August 2026; it is general information only and not advice about your own circumstances, so confirm details on the official page or with a qualified professional before you act.

What does the Child visa (subclass 101) actually give the child?

It is a permanent visa. The child can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives to come to Australia, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, and later apply for Australian citizenship if eligible.

One detail families often miss: the travel facility runs for five years from the date the visa is granted. After those five years, the child needs a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or they can consider Australian citizenship, which removes the need for a visa to come back.

Is the 101 the right channel, or do you need a partner visa?

The dividing line is the relationship, not the outcome you want. The 101 exists for the parent–child relationship; the partner stream exists for the couple relationship. Two crossovers catch people out.

The first is the child's own relationship status. A child cannot be granted the 101 if they are, or have ever been, married, engaged to be married, or in a de facto relationship. A son or daughter who is in a de facto relationship of their own therefore is not a 101 case — their reunion with an Australian partner belongs in the partner visa stream.

The second is your own relationship status. A stepchild qualifies for the 101 only as the child of the step-parent's former partner. If you are currently the spouse or de facto partner of the child's biological or adopted parent, the Department states the child does not meet the dependency requirement. In that situation the child's pathway has to be considered through the biological or adopted parent's own circumstances rather than through your sponsorship.

Who counts as a dependent child for the 101?

The child must be dependent on a parent who is an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent visa holder, and they can be that parent's biological child, adopted child, or stepchild (from a former partner only).

They must also be single and dependent on the parent, and they must have a sponsor approved by the Department before the visa can be granted.

What if the child is adopted — 101 or the Adoption visa (subclass 102)?

This is one of the most common forks in the family reunion road, and it turns on one fact: what the adopting parent's status was at the time of the adoption.

A child adopted before turning 18 by a parent who was not an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of the adoption can fit the 101. A child adopted before turning 18 by a parent who already held one of those statuses at the time of the adoption may instead be eligible for the Adoption visa (subclass 102). If your adoption happened while you were already an Australian citizen or permanent resident, check the 102 page before you spend money on a 101 application.

How does age affect eligibility?

The child must fall into one of three groups.

They are under 18. Or they are over 18 and under 25 and studying full time: enrolled in a full-time course leading to a professional, trade or vocational qualification and attending classes, not working full time, and financially dependent on their parent more than on any other person. Study should have started since turning 18 or within six months (or a reasonable time) of finishing school, and any gap of more than six months between the final year of school and the start of further study has to be explained. They must still be a full-time student both when applying and when the application is decided.

Or they are 18 or older with a disability: they must have totally or partially lost their bodily or mental functions and must not be able to work full time.

Could Australian citizenship by descent be a better first step?

Sometimes yes, and it is worth ruling out first because it is not a visa at all. A child may choose to apply for Australian citizenship by descent instead of a visa to travel to Australia if they were born outside Australia and one of their parents was an Australian citizen at the time of the birth. If that describes your child, the citizenship route may make the 101 unnecessary.

Who has to sponsor the child, and what can stop the sponsorship?

The child must be sponsored by an eligible parent, or by that parent's spouse or de facto partner, and the Department must approve the sponsorship before the visa can be granted.

Sponsorship is where otherwise valid applications fail. If the sponsor, or their spouse or de facto partner, has a pending registrable offence charge, the Department will refuse both the sponsorship and the visa application. If they have a registrable offence conviction, sponsorship can be approved only in very limited circumstances.

Where must the child be when you apply, and what happens after the grant?

The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted, and this visa is applied for and granted on that basis. After the grant, the child must enter Australia before the date specified in their grant letter; the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant. The visa is digitally linked to the passport rather than issued as a label.

If the child has siblings who also want to apply, each sibling needs a separate application. The child's own dependent children can be included on the application when it is lodged, or at any time before it is decided.

What does it cost, and how long does it take?

The official page states the visa cost for the main applicant but publishes the figure through the Visa Pricing Estimator, with an additional charge for each dependent child of the child who applies. There may also be separate costs for health exams, police certificates and biometrics, which the estimator does not include.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, based on holding a valid passport from a listed country; family members are also eligible, based on the primary applicant's passport.

For timing, the Department directs applicants to its visa processing time guide tool, which shows times for recently decided applications and is a guide only, not a prediction for your case. Applications can take longer if they are not filled in correctly, documents are missing or further information is needed, information takes time to verify, or full payment is not made at lodgement. You should receive an acknowledgement within approximately one month of lodging.

What else does the Department check before granting the visa?

Health: the child and any dependants applying with them must meet the health requirement, and dependent children who are not applying may also need to.

Character: if the child is 16 or over they must meet the character requirement, and other family members may be asked to as well.

Debt: any money owed to the Australian Government by the child or a family member must be repaid, or there must be a formal arrangement to repay it.

Australian values: children aged 18 or older must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet and must sign the Australian Values Statement.

Consent to migrate: for a child under 18, the Department will grant the visa only if the child has written consent from everyone who can legally decide where they live, or the law of the child's home country allows them to leave, or the grant is consistent with any Australian child order about the child.

Best interests of the child: the Department might not grant the visa if granting it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Child visa (subclass 101) to bring my partner's child to Australia?

Only if you are the child's step-parent from a former relationship. The Department states that a child does not meet the dependency requirement if the step-parent is the current spouse or de facto partner of the child's biological or adopted parent, so a current partner's child needs to be looked at through the biological or adopted parent's own circumstances.

Is the 101 a permanent visa?

Yes. It lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives and, if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

Does a stepchild have to be under 18?

Yes. A stepchild must be the child of the step-parent's former partner and aged under 18, and the step-parent must also have an Australian parenting order in force saying the child is to live with and be looked after by them, or have guardianship or custody under Australian law or the law of another country.

Can my child work full time on the 101?

Once the visa is granted, the child can work and study in Australia. The "cannot work full time" condition applies to the eligibility test for applicants aged 18 to 24 who qualify as full-time students, and to applicants over 18 with a disability.

What happens after the five-year travel period ends?

The child will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or consider Australian citizenship, after which no visa is needed to re-enter.

Can my child's own children be included in the application?

Yes. The child's dependent children can be included when the application is lodged or at any time before it is decided, and they must meet the health requirement. Siblings, by contrast, need separate applications.

Do I need to pay the visa fee in full when I lodge?

The Department says it cannot process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid, and it will let you know and may return the application. Payment at lodgement also affects how long processing takes.