The Department of Home Affairs has issued the Migration Legislation Amendment (Arrangements for Child Visa Applications) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/100), registered on 21 September and commencing 22 September 2026. The amendment fixes an incorrect postal address for paper lodgement of Child (Class AH & BT) and Extended Temporary (Class TK) visa applications, directing forms to GPO Box 241, Melbourne VIC 3001. Although technical, the correction is vital for migration agents and corporate mobility teams handling dependent-child visas for executive transferees. Applications sent to the wrong address risk being deemed invalid—potentially derailing family accompaniment timelines and complicating school-year planning. The instrument does not alter eligibility criteria or evidentiary requirements but preserves the approved form, manner and place provisions under Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Practitioners are urged to update checklists, courier instructions and client briefs immediately. With the government heavily digitising lodgement channels, residual paper routes still exist for certain family visas. Errors in these channels can cause month-long delays, making vigilance over such seemingly minor amendments a bottom-line issue for relocation programmes pressed to meet start-date commitments.
