Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
101 Child (offshore) vs 802 Child (onshore)
The same permanent child visa, for a dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, lodged in two places. The 101 is lodged while the child is outside Australia and the child waits abroad for the grant; the 802 is lodged while the child is in Australia on a visa that allows it, and the child holds a bridging visa for the wait. A child already here on a visitor or other visa without condition 8503 uses the 802; a child abroad uses the 101, and a child who comes on a visitor visa to lodge the 802 reads the 8503 question first. The criteria, the other parent’s consent and the charge are the same.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Where lodged
- Outside Australia; the child must be outside Australia at grant · Inside Australia; the child must be in Australia at grant
- While waiting
- Abroad · On a bridging visa in Australia, at school
- Who
- A dependent child under 18, or under 25 and studying, or incapacitated, of an eligible sponsor · The same
- Consent
- The other parent’s consent or a court order · The same
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 101 Child (offshore) | 802 Child (onshore) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where lodged | Outside Australia; the child must be outside Australia at grant | Inside Australia; the child must be in Australia at grant |
| While waiting | Abroad | On a bridging visa in Australia, at school |
| Who | A dependent child under 18, or under 25 and studying, or incapacitated, of an eligible sponsor | The same |
| Consent | The other parent’s consent or a court order | The same |
| Charge | The child visa charge; see the fees page | The same |
| Watch out | A child who turns 18 while waiting is read against the dependency rules | Condition 8503 on the child’s visitor visa blocks the onshore application |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The same permanent child visa, for a dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, lodged in two places. The 101 is lodged while the child is outside Australia and the child waits abroad for the grant; the 802 is lodged while the child is in Australia on a visa that allows it, and the child holds a bridging visa for the wait. A child already here on a visitor or other visa without condition 8503 uses the 802; a child abroad uses the 101, and a child who comes on a visitor visa to lodge the 802 reads the 8503 question first. The criteria, the other parent’s consent and the charge are the same.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
101 Child (offshore) or 802 Child (onshore) — which is better?
The same permanent child visa, for a dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, lodged in two places. The 101 is lodged while the child is outside Australia and the child waits abroad for the grant; the 802 is lodged while the child is in Australia on a visa that allows it, and the child holds a bridging visa for the wait. A child already here on a visitor or other visa without condition 8503 uses the 802; a child abroad uses the 101, and a child who comes on a visitor visa to lodge the 802 reads the 8503 question first. The criteria, the other parent’s consent and the charge are the same.
What is the main difference between the 101 Child (offshore) and the 802 Child (onshore)?
Where lodged: 101 Child (offshore) — Outside Australia; the child must be outside Australia at grant; 802 Child (onshore) — Inside Australia; the child must be in Australia at grant. While waiting: 101 Child (offshore) — Abroad; 802 Child (onshore) — On a bridging visa in Australia, at school. Who: 101 Child (offshore) — A dependent child under 18, or under 25 and studying, or incapacitated, of an eligible sponsor; 802 Child (onshore) — The same.
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