How Long Does the Australian Child Visa (Subclass 101) Take in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

If you are looking for one number, there isn't one to give. The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a fixed timeframe for the Child visa (Subclass 101). As of the August 2026 version of its Child visa (Subclass 101) page, the department directs applicants to the global visa processing times tool, which reports the processing times of recently decided applications and is described as a guide only, not a forecast for any individual case. So the useful question shifts from "how long is it" to "what does the published figure measure, and what pushes an application past it".

What does the processing time guide actually tell you?

The guide is a snapshot of applications the department has already decided. It reflects how long recent comparable cases took, and it shifts as the caseload shifts. It is explicitly not specific to your application, and nothing in it reserves a decision date for your child.

What the published figure gives you	What it cannot give you
Processing times for recently decided applications	A decision date for your child's case
A rough sense of the current caseload at this visa's processing centre	How long verification of your documents will take
A benchmark to compare against your own lodgement date	Whether your application was complete and valid when it arrived

Because subclass 101 is a permanent visa for a child who must be outside Australia when applying, and every application is decided by one processing centre after a paper lodgement, the spread between a clean case and a complicated one can be wide. Read the number as a signal of whether you are still inside the ordinary range, not as a countdown.

What happens in the first month after you lodge?

You should receive an acknowledgement of your application within approximately one month of lodgement. That letter matters beyond reassurance: it carries the application ID you need to import the paper application into ImmiAccount, which then lets you upload documents, read messages, update details and check status online.

After that, silence is normal by design. The department states it cannot provide progress updates within global visa processing times; it will contact you through your authorised method if it needs more information, and otherwise the next contact will be the outcome. A long quiet period inside the published range does not mean anything has gone wrong, and a request for documents means the case has been looked at, not that it is failing.

Why does one family's wait look nothing like another's?

The department names four reasons an application takes longer than the guide suggests:

it is not filled in correctly
it does not include all required documents, or the department needs more information
it takes the department time to verify your information
full payment is not made at the time of initial lodgement

Payment is the one with a hard consequence attached. If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the department cannot process the application at all; it will tell you and may return it. The visa pricing estimator for this visa is the tool offered for working out the charge, and it does not include separate costs such as health exams, police certificates and biometrics.

One caveat on everything above: this is general information about how the published guidance works, not an assessment of your child's case. Official requirements change, and anything that turns on your family's particular circumstances should be checked against the department's current pages or with professional advice.

Can you speed up a subclass 101 application?

Nothing on the department's page offers a paid or request-based way to jump the queue, and asking for a progress update inside the published range will not produce one. What actually affects the timeline is whether the application is valid the moment it arrives.

Subclass 101 must be applied for on paper. The application is Form 47CH (Application for migration to Australia by a child) together with Form 40CH (Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia), completed in English and sent together either by post with correct prepaid postage or by courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. Submitted at any other office, in person, or in any other way, it is not a valid application and cannot be considered. The application charge must be paid before you post, and the parcel should include evidence of payment along with the supporting documentation.

The postal address is Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865; the courier address is Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005. Send certified copies rather than originals, and keep your own copy of the completed application.

What can you sensibly do while the application is pending?

Import the application into ImmiAccount once the acknowledgement letter arrives, using the application ID, the child's date of birth and the identity document number.
Wait until the department tells you when to arrange the child's health examinations; biometrics are requested only if they are needed.
Do not arrange for the child to migrate until you are told in writing that the visa has been granted.
Report changes to phone number, address, passport, or marital and de facto status, and correct any mistake using Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers).
Add a dependent child of the child at any time before a decision is made.
If the child is over 16, remember that police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so obtaining them far too early can mean doing them twice. They are required from every country where the child spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16; for Australia, only a National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship and issued by the Australian Federal Police is accepted, and the child must also complete Form 80.

What does the wait actually end with?

The decision arrives in writing and you should keep a copy. A grant letter tells you the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, any visa conditions, and the date by which the child must enter Australia — the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of grant. From the grant date the child can travel to and from Australia for 5 years; once that travel facility ends, re-entering as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa, unless the child has become an Australian citizen. The VEVO system shows when the travel facility ends.

A refusal letter explains why the visa was refused 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

How long does the Australian Child visa (subclass 101) take in 2026?

The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a fixed processing time for this visa. It points applicants to its global visa processing times tool, which shows the processing times of recently decided applications and is a guide only. Your own wait depends on how complete, accurate and payable your application is at lodgement.

Is the published processing time a promise for my child's application?

No. The department states the figure is not specific to your application, so it cannot be read as a decision date. It works best as a rough benchmark for judging whether your wait has moved outside the normal range.

When will I first hear back after lodging?

You should receive an acknowledgement of the application within approximately one month of lodgement, and that letter contains the application ID needed to import the case into ImmiAccount. After that, further contact comes only if the department needs something or when it has reached an outcome.

Can I ask for a progress update while waiting?

Not usefully. The department says it cannot provide progress updates within global visa processing times and will contact you through your authorised method if anything more is needed. Otherwise the next message you receive is the decision.

What most often makes a subclass 101 application take longer?

The department names four causes: an incorrectly completed form, missing documents or a need for more information, time spent verifying information, and failure to pay in full at lodgement. An unpaid or underpaid visa application charge is the most serious, because the application cannot be processed and may be returned.

Is there any way to have the application decided faster?

The official page describes no expedited route, and all applications for this visa go to the same processing centre on paper. The realistic lever is lodging a valid, complete, fully paid application and responding promptly to any request for further information.

Does the application fee come back if the visa is refused?

No. The department states it will not refund the application fee if it refuses the application. The refusal letter will explain the reasons and whether you have a right to seek a review of the decision.

Can I book travel for the child before the visa is granted?

No. The department advises against arranging for the child to migrate until it has told you in writing that the visa is granted. The grant letter will also set the first entry date, generally 12 months from the date of grant.