Fill Out Home Affairs Form 47CH Online

Who completes Form 47CH

The application is made in the child's name. If the child is under 16, a parent, relative or guardian may complete and sign the form on the child's behalf, depending on the visa applied for. Anyone aged 18 or over who is included in the application must sign the Australian values statement confirming they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.

The child's sponsor, usually a parent who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, completes form 40CH, and both forms are lodged together. If the child is onshore, has had a visa refused or cancelled and holds no substantive visa, extra rules apply: the child must generally be under 25 and the signed sponsorship must accompany the application.

How to fill out Form 47CH

Complete the form in English, answer every question truthfully, and read the notes on each question. The validity requirements are strict, so double check these points before you seal the envelope.

• Indicate the correct visa class at Part A, Question 2: Child (Migrant) (Class AH) for applicants outside Australia or Child (Residence) (Class BT) for applicants in Australia.
• Give the residential address where the child will live while the application is processed. A post office box is not accepted, and a missing residential address makes the application invalid.
• Indicate at Part A if the child is supported by an Australian state or territory welfare authority.
• Include details of every member of the child's family unit, and attach supporting documents such as birth certificates and, where required, form 1229 or a statutory declaration covering parental responsibility.
• Pay the Visa Application Charge, generally through the Pre-Pay Paper Service in the My Payments section of ImmiAccount, and enclose evidence of payment.

Where and how to lodge

Post the application with correct prepaid postage, or send it by courier, to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Western Australia. The form warns that an application submitted at any other office or in any other way is not valid and cannot be considered, and it cannot be lodged in person.

If the child is in Australia when the application is lodged, completing the form also operates as an application for a bridging visa of class A, C or E, which keeps the child lawful while the Child visa is decided. If the child needs to travel before a decision, contact the processing office about a bridging visa that allows return travel.

After lodgement

The department notifies the outcome in writing, and if the application is refused the notice includes the reasons and available review rights. All applicants must meet the health requirement, which usually involves examinations arranged through the department's health examination process, and children over 16 may also need character documents.

Because Child visa cases can involve custody orders, adoption and consent issues, families with complex circumstances often engage a registered migration agent. Check any agent's registration with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority before paying for assistance.