Australia 190 Dependent Children 2026: Bringing Under-18 Family Members
Children aged 18 or younger can be included in a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) application as dependent family members, as long as you can document the parent–child relationship and, where the rules require it, obtain consent from anyone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives but is not migrating with them. This is set out on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) page, as of the July 2026 version of that official page. What follows is general information drawn from that published guidance, not advice tailored to your family — the official page, as most recently published, remains the reference for your own circumstances.
Who can actually be included as a dependent child?
The department treats a child as a dependent family member by age and dependency, not by whether they travel with you on the same day.
For children 18 or younger, the test is relationship documentation plus consent where required. For older children, the test shifts to dependency:
- 18 or over but under 23 — must be dependent on you or your partner.
- 23 or over — must be unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner.
One detail often missed: if your partner or dependent children are not included in your application, the department asks you to state the reason — for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are already a permanent resident. Leaving a child out without explanation is itself a question you will have to answer.
What documents does each child under 18 need?
For every dependant aged 18 or younger applying with you, the department asks for:
- copies of birth certificates, or the family book, showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children;
- copies of adoption papers, if applicable.
That “names of both parents” requirement is the one that decides how hard the rest of the file is. If the document you hold does not name both parents, expect follow-up questions about parental responsibility rather than a simple document swap.
Unlike adult applicants, a dependant under 18 does not have to prove functional English. There is no English test or English-evidence line item for them.
When do you need the other parent’s consent?
You must obtain consent for any applicant under 18 to migrate to Australia from anyone who both:
- has a legal right to decide where the child lives, and
- is not coming to Australia with the child.
The requirement is written around the legal right, not around the word “parent” — so a guardian or a person holding parental responsibility under a court order can fall inside it.
Consent can be given in three ways:
| Route | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Form 1229 | Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, completed by the person giving consent |
| Statutory declaration | A statutory declaration giving consent for the child to migrate to Australia on this visa |
| Alternative evidence | An Australian court order allowing the child to migrate, or evidence that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate |
Whichever route you use, you also need to include an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration — a passport or driver’s licence is the example the department gives — plus adoption papers or other court documents if they apply.
Because consent has to come from a specific person with a specific legal right, the practical work is identifying that person correctly before you choose between Form 1229 and a statutory declaration. In a situation where one parent cannot be located, or refuses to sign, the court-order and home-country-law alternatives are the ones the published guidance recognises.
What if your child turns 18 while the application is being processed?
Age is assessed against a moving target. The department’s guidance addresses this directly: if your child is likely to turn 18 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you. The same evidence used for over-18 dependants applies — proof of the relationship such as a birth certificate or adoption papers, a completed Form 47a (Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over), and proof of financial dependency such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts.
The consequence is stated bluntly: a child who turns 18 while the application is being processed and who is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa. So a 17-year-old who is financially independent, or who will be living separately and self-supporting by the time a decision is made, is a case worth thinking about before lodgement rather than after.
The threshold repeats at 23. If your child is 23, or is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, you must also provide a report from a qualified medical practitioner stating that they are dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions. A child who turns 23 during processing and does not meet these requirements cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
Can you add a child after you have lodged?
Yes, up to a point. You can add members of the family unit to your application after you apply, but only before the department decides the visa. The process is Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement), paid through ImmiAccount, with the form and supporting documents attached to your ImmiAccount.
Family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements. Note the asymmetry if you are including someone who will not actually travel: family members who are not coming to Australia still have to meet the character requirement, and might have to meet the health requirement.
Two related obligations sit here. If a child is born after you have applied, that is a change you must tell the department about — birth of a child is listed among the changes to report after lodgement. And if you discover a mistake in what you submitted, Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers) is the mechanism for correcting it.
What else applies to the whole family file?
A few family-wide items from the same guidance are worth checking before you reach the document list:
- Identity — passport pages showing photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates for each applicant.
- Character — police certificates are required based on time spent in a country: an Australian Federal Police National Police Certificate (complete disclosure only) if a person has spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, and an overseas police certificate from every country, including the home country, where the same 12-month threshold is met. Whether this bites for a young child depends on their own history. For immigration purposes, Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
- Health — the department will tell you if health examinations are needed after you apply; you do not have to front-run that step.
- Adding later is not free of consequence — the second-instalment visa application charge, where it applies, is invoiced by the department rather than paid upfront.
None of this changes the headline rule: for under-18 children, the file stands or falls on relationship evidence, correct identification of who holds parental responsibility, and consent from anyone with that responsibility who is not migrating.
常见问题
Can my child be included in my 190 application if they are 18 or younger?
Yes. The department asks for each dependant aged 18 or younger to be documented with birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents, plus adoption papers if applicable. Dependants under 18 do not need to prove functional English.
Do I always need Form 1229 for my child?
Not always. Form 1229 is one of three ways to satisfy the requirement — the alternatives are a statutory declaration giving consent, an Australian court order allowing the child to migrate, or evidence that the laws of your home country allow it. Consent is only required from someone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not coming to Australia with them.
What else must go with the consent form?
You must include an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence. Adoption papers or other court documents must also be included if they apply to your case.
My child turns 18 soon — does that change anything?
If your child is likely to turn 18 while the application is being processed, you need evidence that they are dependent on you, using the same documentation as an over-18 dependant. A child who turns 18 during processing and is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
Can I add my child after I have already applied?
You can add family members after lodgement but before a decision is made, using Form 1436 and paying through ImmiAccount. Family members who apply must meet health and character requirements, and even those not coming to Australia must meet the character requirement and might have to meet the health requirement.
Do children need police certificates or health exams?
Character and health requirements apply to family members who apply for the visa. Police certificates are tied to having spent 12 months or more in a country in the last 10 years since turning 16, so it depends on the individual’s own history. The department will tell you if health examinations are required after you apply.