Parent and Child Visas

“There are two things we should give our children – one is roots and the other is wings.”

Parent and Child Visas – Do we qualify?

There is nothing more important in the world than family. Sometimes you can be separated from your loved ones by thousands of miles, making it hard on your resources and your relationships.

Australia recognizes the need for family members to be together, to provide the each other with the support they need to be secure and thrive.

Australian family visas facilitate the reunion of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens with their close family members.

For a family migration application to be successful, both the sponsor and the applicant need to meet the eligibility criteria for the visa in question. This includes satisfying both health and character requirements, passing the balance-of-family test and providing biometric identification.

Typically, there are two types of family sponsored visa applications.

· Children who have resident parents in Australia

· Parents who have at least one child resident in Australia

An Australian child visa can be a suitable solution for families with aged parent, remaining relative or dependent relative, and other carer visa situations.

Some of your Questions:

We understand that each family situation is unique. Below are some frequently asked questions. Speak to us and we will take all efforts to identify a pathway for your family to be reunited.

Q. Do I qualify for an Australian Child Visa?

The Australian Child Visa allows a child to travel to and join their parent sponsor in Australia. In most cases the child applicant must be under 18 years of age, although a visa application can be lodged until the child turn 25 years of age, and the sponsor must be either an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The child must also be single – that is unmarried, not in a de facto relationship or engaged to be married. The child must be enrolled in full time study, and if the child is 18 years or over, they must never have been married or have been in a de facto relationship.

If the child is full-time employed, they are not considered to be dependent on their parent and therefore cannot make application for an Australian Child Visa.

Once granted the visa holder is entitled to live in Australia permanently and can apply for Australian citizenship once criteria is met. They can work and study within Australia, enroll in Medicare (the Australian health scheme), take unlimited trips to and from Australia for up to five years after their visa is granted, and sponsor eligible relatives.

We are ready to help

If you would like to confirm your eligibility for an Australian Parent Visa, please contact us for a free consultation.

Q. What if I am adopted?

If the child is adopted, the adoption must have taken place before the adopting parent became a citizen or Australia, holder of a permanent Australian visa or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

If the adoption happened after this, then the adopting parent should lodge an Adoption Visa application.

Q. Do I qualify for an Australian Parent Visa?

An Australian Parent Visa enables you, your partner and dependent family to reside in Australia on a permanent basis. It also allows you to work or study within Australia, access healthcare through Medicare – through government subsidy, sponsor other family members for permanent residency in Australia and after a short waiting period, access the Australian social security system.

To be eligible you must have a child who is an Australian citizen, a permanent Australian resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. If you child is not eligible to sponsor your Parent Visa application, you can be sponsored by your child’s partner, a guardian or family member of your child or their partner, or a community organization.

You must also demonstrate that at least half of your children are permanent residents of Australia and that the majority of your children permanently reside in Australia compared to any other single country.

You cannot reside in any form of immigration detention, have never had a cancelled Australian Visa (for whatever reason) and do not hold a sponsored Australian Visitor Visa.

You will also be required to submit to a health check, along with your partner and any dependent family members.

We are ready to help

Familiarise yourself with the various visas, and when you are ready VSV has the experience to seamlessly guide you through the Australian visa process.

Parent and Child Visas