Adoption Visa (Subclass 102)

To be eligible to apply for an Adoption visa, the child must:

1. Have been under 18 years of age when adopted, when they apply and when the decision is made
2. Be outside Australia when the application is submitted
3. Be adopted or in the process of being adopted by their sponsor parent
4. Be sponsored by an eligible adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent
5. Meet the health requirement
6. Meet the character requirement if the child is aged 16 years or older
7. If the child or any member of the child's family owes the Australian Government money, it must be paid back or there must be a formal arrangement to pay it back

This visa may not be granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Note: The child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted.

Children adopted under the Hague Adoption Convention

For children adopted under the Hague Adoption Convention, Australian Citizenship eligibility may arise if the adoption is finalised outside Australia under the Hague Convention or through a recognised bilateral arrangement. This means that if Australian citizenship is granted, the child can enter Australia using an Australian passport without the need for a visa.

Expatriate adoptions

Expatriate adoptions refer to cases where the adoption takes place outside the adoptive parent's home country.

If the child is adopted through an expatriate adoption, and you (the adoptive parent) are considering bringing them to Australia, then, amongst other criteria, all of the following must be met:

1. At least one adoptive parent must have resided outside Australia for more than 12 months immediately before lodging a visa application.
2. The adoptive parent must not have resided overseas to avoid Australia’s intercountry adoption laws.
3. The adoptive parent must have full and permanent parental rights (no remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents can exist).
4. The adoption must adhere to the adoption laws of the home country.

You can include other children, such as siblings, in the Adoption visa application by submitting separate applications for each sibling. Dependent children of the child applying for the visa can also be added to the application before a decision is made and must meet the health requirement.

Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirements.

Assistance in arranging adoptions or issuance of letters of no objection is not covered in this visa application. The role here is to assess and decide on visa applications.

Learn more about adopting a child overseas from Intercountry Adoptions Australia.​​

Visa applications for children who have been adopted in Pakistan cannot be accepted.

Our skilled immigration lawyers have helped many families obtain the Adoption Visa successfully. We are committed to increasing your chances of a successful application.

For those considering our services, we provide an initial meeting. In this session, we will simplify the legal aspects of the visa, explain the process ahead, and address any questions you may have.

To set up an initial discussion with us, please reach out to one of our experienced immigration lawyers at (02) 9590 3987.