Paper-Only Visa Lodgement: Avoiding Invalid Subclass 101 Applications in 2026

A paper Child visa (subclass 101) application fails at the door, not on its merits, when a required lodgement step is incomplete. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Child visa (subclass 101) page, checked as of August 2026, the gaps that most often produce that outcome are mechanical rather than discretionary: the two required forms not travelling together and completed in English, the application charge not being paid before posting with evidence of payment enclosed, and the package going anywhere other than the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, by post or courier. The department states plainly that it does not process invalid applications, that it will notify you if this is the case, and that it will return the application if requested. This article is general information about how that validity screen works, not advice on any individual case; the current official page and a registered migration agent or legal practitioner are the authoritative references for a specific application.

What does "invalid" actually mean for a subclass 101 application?

Invalidity is a threshold check, taken before anyone assesses whether the child qualifies. The department's wording is conditional — if any of the lodgement steps above are incomplete, your application may be invalid — which means the consequences are severe but the assessment itself is about completeness of the lodgement act, not the strength of the relationship or dependency evidence behind it.

The practical difference matters. An invalid application is not considered further; a refused application has been considered and failed. Only the second one produces reasons and a statement about whether the decision can be reviewed, and only the second one is described by the department as non-refundable. A package that never crossed the validity line simply comes back.

Which forms have to be in the envelope, and in what language?

Two forms, both completed in English, sent together:

Form 47CH — Application for migration to Australia by a child
Form 40CH — Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia

Leaving out the sponsorship form is the classic failure here, because the applicant-side form feels like "the application" and the sponsor-side form feels like paperwork attached to it. The department treats them as one lodgement: complete both and send them together.

If someone is helping, that paperwork has to travel in the same envelope too. Use Form 956 to appoint a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to give immigration assistance, and Form 956A to nominate an authorised recipient for correspondence; the department asks for written notification or the forms to be sent with the paper application. Only registered migration agents, legal practitioners and exempt persons can be appointed to give immigration assistance, while anyone may be appointed to receive documents on your behalf.

Do I have to pay before posting, and what counts as proof?

Yes — the application charge must be paid before you post the application, and the department states it will not process the application until the charge is paid. The application should also include evidence of payment of the application charge along with all relevant supporting documentation.

So there are two separate failure modes, and either one is enough to stall the file: paying after the envelope has gone, and paying on time but sending no proof. Only the first is expressly described as a processing blocker; enclosing evidence of payment is what the department asks for so that the payment can be matched to the package. No amount is restated here because the published charge changes; the current figure should be read from the department's own material at the time you lodge.

Where exactly does the application have to go?

The visa is paper-only, and the address is part of the validity requirement rather than a matter of convenience. Submitting at any other office, or in any other way, means it is not a valid application and cannot be considered further. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.

Method	Address
By post (with correct prepaid postage)	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

Two details in that table do real work. The post option requires correct prepaid postage, and the two addresses are not interchangeable: a courier handed the Locked Bag address, or a stamped envelope sent to the street address, is a routing problem that can cost the application its place in the queue. Because the postcode and the delivery method belong together, copy the address block exactly as the department publishes it.

Which supporting documents are most often missing?

The department groups documents by what they prove, and the gaps tend to follow the same groups.

Identity. Pages of the child's current passport showing photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if they have one; and proof of change of name, either from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names the child has been known by. If the child was adopted, certified copies of the adoption papers or the adoption compliance certificate.

Photographs. Four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm) of the child, and of any dependent child included in the application. They must be less than six months old, good quality colour (laser copies are not accepted), a view of the full face, taken against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable; a head covering worn for religious reasons may be worn provided only the face is shown.

Travel documents. A certified copy of the passport or travel document the child will use to enter Australia, and of any passports the child has held since then.

Relationship to the parent. A birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book.

Financial dependency, if the child is over 18 when the application is made. Evidence they depend on the parent for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and how long that support has been provided — bank statements, money transfers or rent receipts.

Character documents, for children over 16. Police certificates from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years since turning 16; for Australia, only a National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship, issued by the Australian Federal Police, not a standard disclosure certificate or one issued by state or territory police. Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date for immigration purposes. Military service records or discharge papers are required if anyone in the application served in the armed forces of any country, and children over 16 must also complete Form 80.

Every dependent under 18 applying with the child needs their own identity documents, travel documents, proof of their relationship with the child, and character documents where applicable.

Two packaging rules apply to all of it: send certified copies only, never originals, and keep a complete copy of the application and supporting documents for your own records.

If the lodgement is valid, what happens next?

You will be told when the application and documents have been received, and you can then import the paper application into ImmiAccount using the application ID, date of birth and identity document number. Importing gives access to attaching documents, viewing messages, updating details, checking status, applying for a bridging visa and withdrawing. Applications made outside Australia can be imported if lodged on or after 1 April 2020.

After that, expect requests rather than timelines. The department says it cannot provide progress updates within global visa processing times, and will tell you if it needs anything. It will tell you when to arrange health examinations, and whether biometrics are needed. If you omitted documents at lodgement, provide them as soon as you can; if you made a mistake on the form, notify it using Form 1023. A dependent child of the child can be added at any time before a decision is made.

Do not arrange travel until the department tells you in writing that the visa has been granted. A grant notice sets out the visa grant number, start date, any conditions and the date by which the child must enter Australia; a refusal notice sets out why and whether there is a right to review, and the fee is not refunded.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my paper subclass 101 application was invalid?

The department notifies you if this is the case, and will return the application if you request it. Until that notification arrives, the useful check is your own: both forms sent together in English, the charge paid before posting with evidence enclosed, and the package addressed to the Perth processing centre by post or courier.

Can I lodge subclass 101 online?

No. The department states you must apply for this visa on paper, by completing Form 47CH and Form 40CH and sending them together to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth.

Can I hand the application in at a Home Affairs office in person?

No. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person, and submitting at any other office or in any other way means it will not be a valid application and cannot be considered further.

Should I send original documents with the paper application?

No — send certified copies only, and keep the originals plus a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. Adoption papers and travel documents are expressly asked for as certified copies.

I realised a document is missing after posting. Is that fatal?

Not necessarily, but it is not something to delay: the department says that if any lodgement step is incomplete the application may be invalid, and that if you did not include all necessary documents when you applied you should provide them as soon as you can, uploading them through ImmiAccount once the application has been imported.

Is the application fee refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The department states it will not refund the application fee if it refuses the application.

Can I ask for updates on how far along the application is?

Not in the ordinary course. The department says it cannot provide updates on progress within global visa processing times, and will contact you if it needs anything more or when it is time to arrange health examinations.