Forms 40CH and 47CH: Sponsoring and Applying for a Child Visa

What each form does

Form 47CH, 'Application for migration to Australia by a child', is the visa application itself, made on behalf of the child. Form 40CH, 'Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia', is completed by the sponsor — typically a parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or eligible relative who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who is undertaking to support the child's settlement in Australia.

Both forms are needed for a standard offshore child visa application; the sponsorship establishes that someone in Australia is taking responsibility for the child's arrival, while the application form covers the child's own details, identity documents and eligibility criteria.

Which subclasses use these forms

Forms 40CH and 47CH are the standard pair for the offshore Child visa (subclass 101) and the Orphan Relative visa (subclass 837), where the child is applying from outside Australia to join a parent or relative. The onshore Child visa (subclass 802), for a child already in Australia seeking to remain permanently with a parent, generally uses the 47CH application form; because the child is typically already living with the parent applying, a separate 40CH sponsorship isn't always the operative document in the same way — check the current subclass-specific guidance and checklist on the Home Affairs website for your exact situation, since requirements can differ by circumstance (adoption, orphan status, or a straightforward biological-child application).

Adoption-specific pathways (subclass 102) have their own form requirements that overlap with but aren't identical to the standard 40CH/47CH pair — if adoption is part of your circumstances, confirm the current checklist for that specific subclass before assuming the standard forms cover everything needed.

Who signs when the applicant is a minor

Because the visa applicant is a child, Form 47CH is completed and signed on the child's behalf by a parent or a person with legal parental responsibility, not by the child themselves (older teenagers may be asked to co-sign or provide input depending on the specific question, but legal responsibility for the application rests with the adult). Question 15 on the current form deals specifically with this and needs to be answered correctly for the application to be valid — leaving it blank or answering it inconsistently with the rest of the application is a common source of processing delay.

The sponsor on Form 40CH is a separate person from whoever signs the 47CH in some family structures (for example, a grandparent sponsoring while a parent completes the application), so it's worth being clear on who is playing which role before starting either form.

Custody, consent and Form 1229

Where a parent or another person with legal parental responsibility for the child isn't included in the visa application — most commonly because the parents are separated, or one parent is remaining overseas — Home Affairs generally needs documented consent from every person with parental responsibility before granting the visa. This is most often provided through Form 1229, 'Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years', covered in full in our dedicated guide, though a court order establishing sole parental responsibility, or a statutory declaration from the non-travelling parent, can serve as an alternative in some circumstances.

This is frequently the part of a child visa application that causes the most delay, particularly in blended families or where a parent's whereabouts or willingness to consent is uncertain — it's worth identifying early in the process whether consent documentation will be needed and from whom.

Paper lodgement and the 2025 ImmiAccount import change

Unlike the partner visa's 47SP/40SP pair, child visa applications have historically been lodged on paper — printed forms with supporting documents mailed or couriered to the relevant processing office. From July 2025, Home Affairs introduced the ability to import most paper child visa applications into ImmiAccount after lodgement, so applicants can track and manage the case online even though the original lodgement was on paper. This is a management convenience rather than a change to the lodgement method itself — check the current Home Affairs guidance for your specific subclass to confirm whether online lodgement (rather than import-after-lodgement) has become available by the time you apply, since this area has been actively changing.

What to check before you lodge

Confirm the current version of both forms directly from the Home Affairs form-listing page rather than reusing an older saved copy — like most Home Affairs forms, these are updated periodically. Confirm which subclass genuinely fits your family's circumstances (101, 102, 802 or 837 cover meaningfully different situations), since using the wrong form pair for your subclass can hold up the file. And identify early whether Form 1229 consent, a court order, or a statutory declaration will be needed from a non-applying parent, because gathering that documentation often takes longer than completing the forms themselves.

What is the difference between Form 40CH and Form 47CH?

Form 40CH is the sponsorship form, completed by the sponsor (usually a parent or eligible relative in Australia). Form 47CH is the visa application itself, made on the child's behalf and signed by a parent or person with legal parental responsibility.

Which child visa subclasses use Forms 40CH and 47CH?

They're the standard pair for the offshore Child visa (subclass 101) and Orphan Relative visa (subclass 837). The onshore Child visa (subclass 802) generally uses the 47CH application; adoption pathways (subclass 102) have overlapping but distinct requirements. Confirm the current checklist for your exact subclass.

Who signs Form 47CH if the applicant is a child?

A parent or a person with legal parental responsibility signs on the child's behalf, since the applicant is a minor. Question 15 on the current form addresses this specifically and needs to be completed correctly for the application to be valid.

Do child visa applications need Form 1229 as well?

Often, yes — where a parent or other person with legal parental responsibility isn't part of the application, Home Affairs generally needs documented consent from them, most commonly via Form 1229, a relevant court order, or a statutory declaration. See our dedicated Form 1229 guide.

Can child visa applications be lodged online?

Historically these have been paper applications. From July 2025, Home Affairs allowed most paper child visa applications to be imported into ImmiAccount for online case management after lodgement, though this doesn't necessarily mean the original lodgement method has changed for every subclass — check current Home Affairs guidance for your specific case.