How to Lodge a Subclass 101 Child Visa by Paper in 2026: Forms, Postage and Payment

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

You cannot lodge a Subclass 101 Child visa online, and you cannot walk into an office and hand it over either. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Child visa (Subclass 101) page (as of August 2026), the application must be made on paper: you complete two forms, pay the application charge before you post, and send everything by prepaid post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. What follows is general reference material rather than personalised advice, so the official page — or a professional who can look at your actual circumstances — remains the authority you should rely on.

Why can't the Subclass 101 Child visa be lodged online?

Because the visa is not in the online lodgement channel at all. The official page states plainly that you must apply for this visa on paper, and it pairs that instruction with a hard validity rule: if you submit the application at any other office or in any other way, it will not be a valid application and cannot be considered further. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.

That second sentence is the one that catches people out. "Lodged" here does not mean "delivered by some method of your choosing" — it means delivered to one specific processing centre, by post or courier. A parcel dropped at a different office, or a form handed to staff at a counter, does not start a valid application. The consequence is not a delay; the Department says it does not process invalid applications and will notify you, returning the application if you request it.

For anyone used to ImmiAccount handling everything end to end, the practical adjustment is that the paper parcel is the lodgement event. Everything that makes the application valid — both forms, the payment, the payment evidence, the supporting documents — has to be inside that one parcel.

Which two forms go in the envelope?

Two forms, sent together:

Form 47CH Application for migration to Australia by a child — the child's own application.
Form 40CH Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia — the sponsorship side of the arrangement.

Both must be completed in English. A single form on its own is not the application; the two are designed to travel as a pair.

If someone is helping you, that paperwork travels with the parcel too. Use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient to nominate someone to receive correspondence, and Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to nominate someone providing immigration assistance. The official page lists only registered migration agents, legal practitioners and exempt persons as people who can lawfully give immigration assistance; anyone can be appointed to receive documents. Written notification or the completed forms should be sent with the paper application.

Where do you post or courier it, and what does "correct prepaid postage" mean?

There is one processing centre and two delivery routes. Use the address that matches how you are sending it.

Send by	Address
Post (with correct prepaid postage)	Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865
Courier	Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005

"Correct prepaid postage" is doing real work in that first line. Locked Bag 7 is a postal box address, so postage has to be paid up front — a parcel sent with insufficient postage does not simply arrive late; it can stall or come back before the Department ever sees it. If you are using a courier, use the Wellington Street street address instead, because couriers generally cannot deliver to a locked bag.

Do you pay before or after posting?

Before. The official page is explicit: you must pay the application charge before you post your application, and the Department will not process the application until you pay.

Two things follow from that. First, payment is a validity issue, not an administrative nicety — an unpaid application is one the Department will not process. Second, the parcel has to contain proof that you paid: the page says your application should include evidence of payment of the application charge, along with all the relevant supporting documentation. Treat the payment receipt as a lodgement document, the same way you treat the forms.

What else has to be in the parcel?

Documents go in with the forms, and the rule on originals is strict: do not send original documents, only certified copies. Keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records.

Commonly required items include:

Identity documents — the pages of the child's current passport showing their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if they have one; and proof of any change of name. If the child was adopted, provide certified copies of the adoption papers or the adoption compliance certificate.
Photographs — 4 recent passport-size photos (45mm x 35mm) of the child, and of any dependent child included in the application. They must be less than 6 months old, good quality colour (laser copies are not accepted), a view of the full face, taken against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable, and a head covering worn for religious reasons may be kept on as long as only the face is shown.
Travel documents — a certified copy of the passport or travel document the child will use to enter Australia, and any passports the child has held since then.
Relationship evidence — such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book.
Financial documents — if the child is over 18 when the application is made, evidence they are dependent on the parent for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, plus how long that support has been provided. Bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts are given as examples.
Character documents — children over 16 must provide police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years, since turning 16. For Australia, the Department only accepts National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police; standard disclosure certificates and state or territory police certificates are not accepted. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date. Anyone who has served in the armed forces of any country must provide military service records or discharge papers, and children over 16 must complete Form 80 Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.

What makes a paper application invalid?

Any incomplete step in the chain. The official page warns that if any of the steps are incomplete, your application may be invalid, that invalid applications are not processed, and that you will be notified and, if you request it, have the application returned.

In practice the failure points cluster around the lodgement mechanics rather than the underlying eligibility: a missing form, forms not completed in English, no payment or no payment evidence, delivery to the wrong address, delivery by a method other than post or courier, or an attempt to submit in person. Note the order of operations as well — payment happens first, then posting, with the receipt inside the parcel.

What happens after the parcel arrives?

You will be told when the application and documents have been received, and you may be asked for more later. Several things are worth knowing up front:

Import it into ImmiAccount. After the paper application is submitted, you can import it into your ImmiAccount once you have the acknowledgement letter, by entering the application ID, date of birth, and identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage). Imported applications give you access to online services — uploading documents, viewing messages, updating details, checking status, applying for a Bridging Visa, and withdrawing. Applications made outside Australia can be imported if they were made on or after 1 April 2020.
Status updates are limited. The Department says it cannot provide updates on progress within global visa processing times; it will contact you if anything more is needed.
Don't book travel. Do not arrange for the child to migrate to Australia until you are told in writing that the visa has been granted.
Health exams and biometrics are requested when required; you will be told when to arrange them.
Missing or extra documents can be uploaded in ImmiAccount, or — if you cannot use ImmiAccount, or the application was lodged outside Australia before 1 April 2020 — attached through the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form.
Corrections go on Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.
A dependent child of the child can be added to the application any time before a decision is made.

What does a decision look like?

The Department says it can grant a visa to any child who is outside Australia and meets the visa grant requirements. The decision comes in writing, and you should keep a copy.

If the visa is granted, you will be told the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, any visa conditions, and the date by which the child must enter Australia if they are outside Australia at grant. If it is refused, you will be told why and whether there is a right to a review of the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge a Subclass 101 Child visa online in 2026?

No. The Department of Home Affairs' official page states that you must apply for this visa on paper, by completing Form 47CH and Form 40CH and sending them together to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. There is no online lodgement option described for this visa.

Can I hand the application in at a Department office in person?

No. The official page states that applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person, and that submitting at any other office or in any other way means the application will not be valid and cannot be considered further. Post and courier to the Perth processing centre are the two accepted routes.

Do I pay the application charge before or after I post the parcel?

Before. You must pay the application charge before posting, and the Department will not process the application until payment is made. Your parcel should also include evidence of payment along with the supporting documents.

Should I send original documents with the paper application?

No — send certified copies only, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. Sending originals is discouraged by the official page, and certified copies are the accepted format.

What happens if my paper application is incomplete?

It may be treated as invalid. The Department says it does not process invalid applications, that it will notify you if this happens, and that it will return the application if you request it.

Can I still manage a paper application online after lodging it?

Yes, in a limited way. Once you receive the acknowledgement letter you can import the application into ImmiAccount using the application ID, date of birth and identity document number, which lets you upload documents, read messages, update details and check status. Applications made outside Australia can be imported if they were made on or after 1 April 2020.

Is the application fee refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The official page states that the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. If refused, you will be told the reason and whether the decision can be reviewed.