Child migration is migration to Australia as the dependent child, orphan relative or adopted child of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Dependent Child

Those who can apply under the dependent child category are people who are the natural child, adopted child or stepchild of their sponsor or nominator. The sponsor or nominator must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Where a child was adopted after the sponsor became a permanent resident, they should apply under the Adopted Child category.

Orphan Relative
Those who can apply under the orphan relative category must be under 18 years of age and have no parent to care for them. The sponsor or nominator must be a relative who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Adopted Child
Those who can apply under the adopted child category must have been adopted or be in the process of being adopted by their sponsor. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The adoption must be sponsored by a State or Territory welfare authority, unless the adoptive parent has been resident overseas for a period of at least 12 months at the time of the migration application, and they can demonstrate that their residence overseas was not contrived to deliberately bypass the requirements concerning entry of adopted children.