Is the subclass 802 visa permanent and does it include Medicare in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Yes to both. The Child visa (Subclass 802) is a permanent visa: it lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely, and the child becomes a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted — not on the day they first entered Australia. The same official page lists enrolment in Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme, among the things the child can do with this visa. This is based on the Australian Department of Home Affairs Child visa (Subclass 802) official page, as of the August 2026 version of that page. The summary below is general information drawn from official pages, not personalised migration or legal advice, so anyone relying on it should confirm their own situation against the current official pages.

What does "permanent" actually mean here?

It means there is no expiry date on the child's right to remain. The visa is not a temporary-to-permanent two-step: the grant itself is the permanent grant, and the child's status does not depend on a later application to convert it.

Permanent residence, however, is a status, not a bundle of unlimited rights. Two limits are worth separating out early, because they are where most confusion arises:

The right to stay is permanent. The right to travel is not. Travel to and from Australia is unlimited only for the first 5 years from the date the visa is granted.
Permanent residence is not citizenship. It is the pathway toward citizenship, and the residence clock for citizenship purposes starts on the grant date.

Does the 802 visa include Medicare?

The visa allows the child to enrol in Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme. The Home Affairs page points to Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme, as one of the entitlements the visa unlocks.

The practical reading is that the visa removes the immigration-side barrier to public health cover; what Medicare covers, and how enrolment is done, are set by the Medicare scheme rather than by the visa.

What else starts on the day the visa is granted?

The grant date is the hinge for almost everything. On the official page, the following all attach to a granted 802 visa:

Work and study. The child may be able to work or study in Australia from the date the visa is granted, and is protected by Australian workplace law.
Sponsoring relatives. The child can sponsor relatives to come to Australia.
Free English classes. The child can attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible.
The citizenship residence clock. For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts the day the visa is granted, even if the child was in Australia on another visa beforehand.

If the stay is permanent, why does travel stop after 5 years?

Because the visa's travel facility — the permission to leave and re-enter as a permanent resident — runs for 5 years from the grant date, separately from the indefinite right to stay.

Once that 5-year travel facility ends, the child still holds permanent residence, but re-entering Australia as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to be applied for and granted. The other route is Australian citizenship: a citizen does not need a visa to re-enter Australia. To see when the travel facility actually ends, the Home Affairs page directs holders to VEVO.

One administrative detail: the visa is digitally linked to the child's passport. No visa label is placed in the passport.

Who has to be in Australia, and when?

The child must be in Australia — but not in immigration clearance — both when the application is submitted and when the decision is made. A child in Australia on another visa with a "no further stay" condition cannot apply for this visa.

The basic criteria on the official page are that the child must be a dependent child of a parent who is an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or the holder of an Australian permanent visa; be under 18, or aged 18 to 24 as a full-time student financially dependent on that parent, or over 18 and unable to work because of a disability; and be single and dependent on the parent. Siblings each need their own separate application. The child's own dependent children can be included in the application before a decision is made, and must meet the health requirement; no family member can be added after the decision.

What does it cost, and where should the figure come from?

The official Child visa (Subclass 802) page does not display a single fixed amount — the cost field is left for the Visa Pricing Estimator, which is the tool the department provides for working out what a specific application will cost. There is also a charge for each dependent child who applies, and possible separate costs for health exams, police certificates and biometrics that the estimator does not cover.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through a valid passport issued by one of the specified countries — the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — and family members qualify on the basis of the primary applicant's passport.

For timing, the department publishes only a guide based on recently decided applications, not a figure specific to any one case, and notes that applications can take longer when they are incomplete, need verification, or are not paid in full at lodgement. Applicants should receive an acknowledgement within approximately one month of lodgement.

What does the child have to do after the grant?

The obligations are narrow but ongoing. The child — and any dependants or family members covered — must obey all Australian laws. The department also has to be told about certain changes: a new passport, the birth of a child, and any change of name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the subclass 802 visa permanent or temporary?

It is a permanent visa. It lets the child stay in Australia indefinitely, and the child becomes a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted rather than at some later conversion step.

When does permanent residence start for a child granted a subclass 802 visa?

Permanent residence starts on the grant date. The same date is used as the start of permanent residence for citizenship purposes, which matters for anyone planning the longer-term path to Australian citizenship.

Does the 802 visa give the child Medicare?

The visa allows the child to enrol in Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme. The Home Affairs page lists enrolment in Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme, as one of the entitlements the visa provides.

Can a permanent resident child leave Australia and come back freely?

Only while the 5-year travel facility from the grant date is valid. After that, the child needs a granted Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to re-enter as a permanent resident, unless they have become an Australian citizen, in which case no visa is needed.

Can the child work and study on this visa?

Yes. The Home Affairs page states the child may be able to work or study in Australia from the date the visa is granted, and that they are protected by Australian workplace law.

Can family members be added after the 802 visa is granted?

No. Once a decision has been made, a family member who wants to come to Australia needs to lodge their own new visa application.