How do I apply for the Subclass 837 visa in 2026? Paper application steps
You lodge the Orphan Relative visa (Subclass 837) on paper, and only on paper. According to the Department of Home Affairs' official Orphan Relative visa (subclass 837) page, the route is fixed: complete Form 47CH Application for migration to Australia by a child and Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia, pay the application charge before you post anything, and send both forms with your supporting documents by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. There is no online lodgement option for this visa and no counter where you can hand it in.
Why does Subclass 837 have to be lodged on paper?
The official page states plainly: "You must apply for this visa on paper." The same page adds that the department cannot consider the application if you submit it at any other office or in any other way, because it will not be valid, and that you cannot submit applications for this visa in person.
The onshore design of the visa explains the logic. To be considered, the child must be in Australia but not in immigration clearance both when the application is made and when it is decided, must be under 18, single and with no parent able to care for them, and must have a relative who is a settled Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident. A paper file sent to a single processing centre is how that onshore case is created.
Who fills in Form 47CH, and who fills in Form 40CH?
The two forms split the case into its two sides.
| Form | What it is | Who completes it |
|---|---|---|
| Form 47CH | Application for migration to Australia by a child | The child's side of the case — the applicant. If someone is acting on the child's behalf, the department must be told. |
| Form 40CH | Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia | The sponsoring relative, being the settled Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident. |
Both must be completed in English, and both travel together in the same envelope. Sending one without the other leaves the lodgement incomplete.
If a third party is helping, the paperwork is separate from the visa forms: Form 956 appoints a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to give immigration assistance, and Form 956A appoints or withdraws an authorised recipient for correspondence. Only those categories of person can lawfully give immigration assistance; anyone can be appointed to receive documents.
What has to be ready before the envelope is sealed?
Pay first. The official page requires you to pay the application charge before you post the application, to include evidence of that payment, and it warns that the department will not process the application until the charge is paid. The official Orphan Relative visa (subclass 837) page does not state a fee amount, so confirm the current charge on the Department of Home Affairs' how to pay page rather than treating any figure as fixed.
Then the documents. The page groups them as follows:
- Identity: the pages of the child's current passport showing photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if they have one; proof of change of name if applicable.
- Travel history: a certified copy of the passport or travel document used to enter Australia, plus copies of any passports held since then.
- Photographs: four recent passport-size photos (45mm x 35mm) of the child and of any other dependant in the application — less than six months old, good quality colour (no laser copies), full face, plain light-coloured background.
- No parent able to care: a death certificate or other official document, or evidence such as a medical report showing why the parents are unable to care. If the parents cannot be found, evidence of how long they have been missing and what efforts were made to contact or find them.
- Relationship to the sponsor: a birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book.
- Character: children over 16 need police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years since turning 16. For Australia, only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police, are accepted; police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue. Military service records or discharge papers are required if anyone in the application served in the armed forces, and children over 16 must complete Form 80.
Two packing rules matter just as much as the contents: send certified copies only and keep the originals, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records.
Where exactly do you send it?
The two addresses are not interchangeable — one is for prepaid post, one is for courier.
| Method | Address |
|---|---|
| By post (with correct prepaid postage) | Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865 |
| By courier | Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005 |
What makes a paper application invalid?
Anything on this list is a validity problem, not a delay:
- posting before paying, or posting without evidence of payment;
- sending Form 47CH without Form 40CH, or the reverse;
- forms not completed in English;
- lodging in person, at another office, or by any other method;
- missing supporting documentation.
The official page says that if any of the steps are incomplete your application may be invalid, that invalid applications are not processed, that you will be notified if this happens, and that the application will be returned if you request it. Assume that means starting the paper lodgement again from the beginning, not quietly topping up a file.
When does the acknowledgement letter arrive, and what is it for?
The acknowledgement letter is the point at which the paper file becomes a case you can manage online. The official page says that after the application is submitted you can import it into ImmiAccount, and that you can do this after you get your acknowledgement letter. Importing needs three things: the application ID, the child's date of birth, and the identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage).
The page does not publish a timeframe for that letter, and it also states that the department cannot provide updates on progress within normal processing times — it will contact you if it needs anything further. So the practical sequence is: post, wait for the acknowledgement letter, then import. If you are waiting on the letter, there is no published status line to check in the meantime.
Once imported, ImmiAccount gives you online services for that application: attaching supporting documents, viewing messages, updating details, viewing application status, applying for a Bridging Visa, and withdrawing the application.
What happens between lodgement and the decision?
A bridging visa associated with the application is granted when the application was made; if the child's current visa expires before a decision, the bridging visa starts and the child can remain in Australia while the new application is processed. The child must stay lawful throughout.
Assume the following will be triggered by the department rather than by you: health examinations (the department tells you when to arrange them) and biometrics (the department tells you if they are needed). If you did not include everything at lodgement, provide it as soon as you can — upload it in ImmiAccount if imported, or attach it to a completed Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form if you cannot use ImmiAccount.
Three changes have their own procedures:
- Mistakes on the application: tell the department as soon as possible using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.
- Family members: the child's dependent children can be added at any time before the decision.
- Travel: tell the department if the child wants to travel outside Australia while the application is processed. If the application was made in Australia and the child is outside Australia at decision time, the visa cannot be granted. If the child leaves, they need a valid visa to return.
This article describes published procedure only and is general information rather than personalised advice for any particular child or sponsor; where your facts differ, the wording on the official page governs.
What does the outcome look like?
The decision is given in writing, and you should keep a copy of it. A grant notice tells you the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and the visa conditions. A refusal notice tells you why the visa was refused and whether there is a right to a review of the decision. The official page also states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused, which is another reason the payment-before-posting rule and the validity checklist above matter more than they look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lodge Subclass 837 online through ImmiAccount?
No. The official page states you must apply for this visa on paper. ImmiAccount is used after lodgement: once you receive your acknowledgement letter, you import the paper application into ImmiAccount to attach documents, view messages and check status.
Do Form 47CH and Form 40CH have to be sent together?
Yes. The official page instructs you to complete both forms and send them together by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. Sending only one of the two leaves the lodgement incomplete and risks the application being invalid.
Who signs Form 40CH?
Form 40CH is the sponsorship form, so it sits with the sponsoring relative — the settled Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident. Form 47CH is the child's own application form, and if someone is acting on the child's behalf the department must be told.
Do I pay before or after posting the application?
Before. You must pay the application charge before you post, and you must include evidence of payment with the application. The department will not process the application until the charge is paid.
How long after posting will I get the acknowledgement letter?
The official page does not give a timeframe. It says you can import the application into ImmiAccount after you get your acknowledgement letter, and that the department cannot provide progress updates within normal processing times but will contact you if it needs anything further.
Can the child travel outside Australia while the application is being processed?
They can leave, but the consequences are significant: if the application was made in Australia, the visa cannot be granted if the child is outside Australia when the decision is made. The child also needs a valid visa to return, and the department should be told about the travel.
Should I post original documents?
No. Send certified copies only and keep the originals, along with a copy of the completed application and all supporting documents for your own records.