Invalid Lodgement Risk 2026: Subclass 101 Applications Made Onshore or Sent to the Wrong Office

A Child visa (subclass 101) application is not valid if the child is inside Australia when it is submitted, or if it is sent anywhere other than the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. The Department of Home Affairs states on its Child visa (subclass 101) page (current as of August 2026) that if the application is submitted at any other office or in any other way, "it will not be a valid application and cannot be considered further." This article explains the lodgement rules only as general information; it is not advice on any individual case, and the governing instrument, the Department's current page, and a qualified professional remain the authoritative references for a specific situation.

Where does a subclass 101 application have to be sent?

Subclass 101 is a paper-only visa. Applicants must complete Form 47CH (Application for migration to Australia by a child) and Form 40CH (Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia), then send both together by post with correct prepaid postage, or by courier, to the Perth processing centre:

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 Department also states that applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person. There is no online lodgement path for the application itself; online tools come into play only after the paper application exists (see below).

What makes a subclass 101 application invalid at lodgement?

Validity is checked before anyone looks at the merits of the case. On the Department's page, the following are tied directly to validity:

Wrong destination or wrong method. Any office other than the Perth centre, or any method other than post or courier, produces an application that is not valid.
Unpaid application charge. The charge must be paid before the application is posted, and the application should include evidence of payment. The Department states it will not process the application until the charge is paid.
Forms not completed in English. Both forms must be completed in English.
Incomplete steps. The Department warns that if any of the lodgement steps are incomplete, the application may be invalid.

Invalid applications are not processed. The Department says it will notify the applicant if this is the case and, if requested, return the application.

Why does being onshore at lodgement break the application?

The Child visa page lists, as an eligibility criterion, that the child must "be outside Australia when the application is made," and repeats under "Apply from" that the child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted. The requirement is not simply a preference about where the paperwork is posted from: it is a condition attached to the making of the application itself.

In the legislative framework, this sits as a validity requirement under Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994, and clause 101.411 separately requires the applicant to be outside Australia at the time of grant. Clause numbering and current wording should be checked against the Migration Regulations 1994 as currently in force.

For a family, the practical consequence is straightforward. Suppose a child is in Australia on a visitor or student visa and the parent posts Form 47CH and Form 40CH to Perth while the child is still onshore. On the published criteria, that application was made by a child who was not outside Australia, and the onshore location at lodgement is exactly the kind of defect that stops the application at the validity gate rather than at assessment.

Does the offshore requirement end once the application is posted?

No. The Department's step-by-step guidance states that it can grant a visa to any child who is outside Australia and meets the visa grant requirements, with a possible exception where a COVID-19 visa concession applies. The two checkpoints are therefore distinct: outside Australia when the application is submitted, and outside Australia when the visa is granted.

If the visa is granted while the child is outside Australia, the grant letter specifies the date by which the child must enter Australia; the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of grant. Grant is also conditional on the child travelling only after the Department has confirmed in writing that the visa has been granted.

What should be checked before the envelope is sealed?

A validity failure wastes the entire lodgement, so the mechanical details matter as much as the relationship evidence.

Both forms, together. Form 47CH and Form 40CH must be sent together; a sponsorship form sent separately leaves the lodgement incomplete.
Payment first. Pay the application charge before posting and include evidence of payment.
Certified copies, not originals. Only certified copies should be sent; originals should be kept, along with a full copy of the completed application and supporting documents.
Photographs. Four recent passport-size photographs (45 mm x 35 mm) of the child and of any dependent child included, less than six months old, in good quality colour, full face against a plain light background.
Character documents. Children over 16 must provide police certificates from every country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, and must complete Form 80. Australian police certificates must be National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 - Immigration/Citizenship; state or territory police certificates and standard disclosure certificates are not accepted.
Help and representation. If someone is assisting, only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person may give immigration assistance. Appointment is made using Form 956, or Form 956A for an authorised recipient.

Can the application be managed online afterwards?

Yes, for management, not for lodgement. After the paper application is submitted, it can be imported into ImmiAccount once the acknowledgement letter arrives. Importing gives access to online services such as attaching documents, viewing messages, updating details, and checking status. The Department notes that applications made outside Australia on or after 1 April 2020 can be imported; an acknowledgement is normally expected within approximately one month of lodgement. Mistakes discovered later are corrected using Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a subclass 101 application be lodged online in ImmiAccount?

No. The Department states the visa must be applied for on paper, using Form 47CH and Form 40CH sent together by post or courier to the Perth centre. ImmiAccount is used after lodgement to import and manage the application, not to create it.

My child is currently in Australia. Can we still post the forms now?

On the published criteria, no: the child must be outside Australia when the application is submitted. Posting from an overseas address does not cure the defect if the child is still onshore at that point, and the Department's published criterion attaches to the child's location, not to the sender's.

Can I hand the application to staff at a Home Affairs office?

No. The Department states that applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person, and that submission at any office other than the Perth processing centre, or in any other way, will not produce a valid application.

What happens after an invalid application is received?

Invalid applications are not processed. The Department says it will notify you if the application is invalid and, if you request it, return the application to you. There is no assessment of the visa criteria at that stage.

Will the application charge be refunded if the application is refused?

No. The Department states it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. For invalid applications, the published guidance covers notification and return of the application on request.

Do the forms have to be in English?

Yes. The Department requires both Form 47CH and Form 40CH to be completed in English. Supporting documents in another language are a separate matter from the completion of the forms themselves.