Adoption Visa (Subclass 102)

Overview

This is a permanent visa that lets your adopted children join you in Australia, if you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Your child must have been adopted outside of Australia.

This may be the right visa for you if:

What You Can Do & How Long You Can Stay

This is a permanent visa.
Your child can travel to and from Australia multiple times.
Your child can live, work and study in Australia whilst on this visa.
Your child can access Medicare whilst on this visa.
Your child can sponsor relatives to come to Australia.

Limitations and Important Things to Know

Your child must be under 18 at the time of adoption, and still be under 18 when the visa is decided.
Your child’s adoption must be through an arrangement made under the Hague Adoption Convention.
If the arrangements were made outside of the Convention, the adoption must have been an expatriate adoption with no involvement of Australian authorities. The adopting parent must have been living outside Australia for more than 12 months at the time of adoption.
Your child may be refused this visa if a member of their family unit cannot meet health or character requirements, even if they are not accompanying your child to Australia. This is known as the “One Fail, All Fail” rule.
This is a highly specialised and complex visa, which requires substantial documentation and coordination to be successful. We strongly recommend seeking professional advice before making an application.

If you are worried about encountering issues or restrictions when applying for this visa, we may be able to help. Please contact us for more information.

As part of the specific visa requirements, you may have to:

Be under 18 at the time of visa decision.
Be sponsored by an adoptive parent who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
Be adopted under the Hague Adoption Convention or as part of an expatriate adoption
Demonstrate that granting the visa is in the best interests of the child