Subclass 837 Document Checklist: Formats and Certification Rules in 2026

A subclass 837 (Orphan Relative visa) application is made on paper, and the documents that decide whether it is valid are: identity pages of the child's current passport, a national identity card and change-of-name proof where they exist, certified copies of the travel document used to enter Australia, four passport-size photos per person, evidence that no parent can care for the child, evidence of the child's relationship to the sponsor, and police certificates for anyone over 16. Those requirements come from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Orphan Relative visa (subclass 837) official page, as of the August 2026 official pages. This article is general information drawn from that page and is not personalised advice for an individual case; the official page as currently published governs, and anyone facing a specific situation should rely on that wording or on qualified professional advice.

What documents does a subclass 837 application have to include?

The official step-by-step guide groups what you must provide into identity, travel, photographs, orphan status, relationship to the sponsor, character, and documents for any dependant under 18. The child must be under 18 when they apply, and must be sponsored by an eligible sibling or step-sibling, grandparent or step-grandparent, aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle.

Two form rules sit underneath every document requirement. The two application forms must be completed in English, and original documents must not be posted with the application. Where the official page says a step is incomplete, it warns the application may be invalid and that it does not process invalid applications.

What identity documents are needed, and what proves a change of name?

Provide the pages of the child's current passport showing their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. The passport also has to be valid before you apply.

In addition:

a national identity card, if the child has one
proof of change of name, if applicable.

Change of name can be shown by documents from an Australian registry of births, deaths and marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and by documents that show other names the child has been known by. That second category matters in practice: if school records, a birth certificate and a passport do not all carry the same name, the identity evidence has a gap unless something in the package connects the names.

Do you post originals or certified copies?

Certified copies only. Home Affairs states that original documents should not be sent with the application, and that you should keep a copy of your completed application, including supporting documents, for your own records.

Document	Form required	What the official page adds
Passport or travel document used to enter Australia	Certified copy	Copies are also needed of any passports the child has held since entering
Current passport identity pages	Copy supplied with the application	Must show photo, personal details, issue and expiry dates
Supporting documents generally	Certified copies, never originals	Keep your own complete copy of the application

What are the exact passport photo requirements?

Four recent passport-size photos are required for the child, and for any other dependant included in the application. The specifications are stated as requirements, not preferences, and laser copies are the one format the official page names as unacceptable.

Requirement	Specification
Size	45mm x 35mm
Age of the photo	Less than 6 months old
Quality	Good quality colour; laser copies are not accepted
Framing	A view of the full face
Background	Plain light-coloured background
Glasses	Untinted prescription glasses are permitted
Religious head covering	Permitted, but only the face may be shown

What evidence shows the child has no parent who can care for them?

You must provide evidence that the child has no parent capable of caring for them. The official page lists:

a death certificate or other official document
evidence such as a medical report showing why the parents are unable to care for the child.

If the parents cannot be found, provide evidence of how long they have been missing and what efforts have been made to contact or find them. The eligibility page is explicit on the boundary: the visa will not be granted where the parents are capable of caring for the child but do not want to.

The Migration Regulations 1994 definition of "orphan relative" is the underlying legal test, and its consolidated text is the reference point; where wording or current status is in question, the official Home Affairs page as published governs.

How do you prove the child's relationship to the sponsor?

Provide evidence of the child's relationship to the sponsor, such as:

a birth certificate
a marriage certificate
an adoption certificate
a family status certificate or family book, if officially issued and maintained.

The "officially issued and maintained" qualifier is the format rule here. A household register or family record that is not officially issued and maintained does not fit the listed category.

Which character documents apply, and how long is a police certificate valid?

Children over 16 must provide police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years, since turning 16. Children over 16 must also complete and provide Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment).

For Australia, only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not accepted. For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so a certificate obtained early can expire before a decision is made.

If anyone in the application served in the armed forces of any country, military service records or discharge papers must be provided.

What do dependants under 18 need?

For every dependant under 18 applying with the child, provide identity documents, proof of the child's relationship with them such as a birth certificate, and character documents where applicable. The four-photo requirement applies to each of them as well.

Which forms must be lodged, and what makes the application invalid?

Complete Form 47CH (Application for migration to Australia by a child) and Form 40CH (Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia) and send them together by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth.

By post: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865
By courier: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005

The application charge must be paid before you post the application, and evidence of payment should be included; Home Affairs states it will not process the application until the charge is paid. The forms must be completed in English. An application submitted at any other office or in any other way cannot be considered, and applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.

To nominate someone to receive correspondence, use Form 956A; to nominate someone to provide immigration assistance, use Form 956. Written notification or the forms go with the paper application.

Who can be paid to help with the application?

Only some people can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee or reward: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. The bar is narrower than many applicants assume — being helpful, being a relative, or having lodged visas before does not make someone eligible to charge for immigration assistance.

Separately, anyone can be appointed to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.

What happens to documents after you lodge?

After the paper application is submitted, you can import it into ImmiAccount once you receive your acknowledgement letter, using your application ID, date of birth and identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number). Imported applications can have supporting documents attached online.

Health examinations are not front-loaded: Home Affairs will tell you when to arrange the child's health examinations, and will tell you if biometrics are needed. If you did not include all necessary documents, provide them as soon as you can; if you cannot use ImmiAccount, additional documents go to the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form. Mistakes on the application are corrected with Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers). The child must be in Australia when the decision is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to send original passports and certificates with a subclass 837 application?

No. Home Affairs instructs applicants not to send original documents, only certified copies, and to keep a copy of the completed application including supporting documents. The travel document requirement is specifically framed as a certified copy of the passport or travel document used to enter Australia, plus copies of passports held since then.

How recent do the subclass 837 photos have to be?

Each photo must be less than 6 months old, passport-size at 45mm x 35mm, good quality colour, a view of the full face, and taken against a plain light-coloured background. Laser copies are not accepted, and four photos are needed for the child and for each other dependant included.

Can the child wear glasses or a head covering in the visa photos?

Untinted prescription glasses are allowed. A head covering worn for religious reasons is also allowed, but only the face may be shown. These are the only two exceptions stated on the official page.

What should I do if the child's documents show different names?

Provide proof of change of name where it applies. Acceptable documents include change of name documents from an Australian registry of births, deaths and marriages or the relevant overseas authority, as well as documents showing other names the child has been known by.

Which Australian police certificate is accepted for a subclass 837 application?

Only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police. Standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by state or territory police are not accepted, and police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.

Are health examinations and biometrics required at the time of lodgement?

Health examinations are arranged after Home Affairs tells you when to arrange them, and biometrics are requested only if needed. What must accompany the paper application are the two completed forms, evidence that the application charge was paid, and the supporting documents listed in the step-by-step guide.

Can a subclass 837 application be lodged online or in person?

No. This visa must be applied for on paper, using Form 47CH and Form 40CH sent together by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. Lodging at another office or in another way means the application cannot be considered, and in-person submission is not available.