Australia 190 Older Dependant Children 2026: Family Migration Rules
Yes — a child over 18 can still be included on a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) application, but only inside two narrow windows, and the second one requires a medical report. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) official page (checked as of the July 2026 official page), a child over 18 can be included if they are over 18 but not yet turned 23 and dependent on you or your partner, or over 23 and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner. Everything below follows that page; it is general information about how the rules are set out, not advice on an individual case, and the current wording on the official page always governs.
At what age does a child stop being an automatic dependant?
Eighteen is the line, not twenty-three. For dependants 18 years old or younger, the page asks for birth certificates or the family book showing both parents’ names, plus adoption papers if relevant — dependency is not something you have to argue. There is also no functional English requirement for a dependant under 18.
From the day the child turns 18, dependency becomes an evidentiary question. That is why the page warns that if a child is likely to turn 18 while the application is being processed, you must provide evidence they are dependent on you, and that a child who turns 18 during processing and is not dependent cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
What is the difference between the under-23 and over-23 pathways?
| Aged 18 to not yet 23 | Aged 23 or over | |
|---|---|---|
| Core test | Dependent on you or your partner | Unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner |
| Evidence of dependency | Financial dependency documents | Financial dependency documents plus a medical report |
| Medical report | Not required | Required, from a qualified medical practitioner, stating dependence due to total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions |
The page describes the second pathway both as “over 23 years of age” and as applying once the child “is aged 23 or is likely to turn 23” during processing. The practical reading is the same: 23 is the point at which financial dependency on its own is no longer enough.
What evidence actually proves an adult child is dependent?
The page asks for four things for a dependant over 18:
- Identity documents, and documents about their other relationships, if applicable
- Proof of your relationship with the dependant, 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
- Proof of financial dependency, with bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts given as examples
The page frames this as evidence rather than a single pass/fail test — it specifies the kinds of documents that demonstrate an ongoing pattern of support, not a fixed income threshold. The request for documents about the dependant’s “other relationships” is worth reading carefully too: an adult child who is married or in a de facto relationship of their own sits awkwardly beside a claim of dependency on a parent.
For the 23-plus pathway, the medical report is the pivot. It must come from a qualified medical practitioner and must state that the dependence arises from the total or partial loss of the child’s bodily or mental functions. Financial documents alone will not carry that case.
What happens if my child turns 23 while the application is being processed?
This is the single biggest timing risk in family planning for the 190, because the criteria attach to the child’s age during processing, not only at lodgement.
If the child is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, the page requires evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability — meaning the medical practitioner’s report described above. And the closing note is blunt: a child who turns 23 while the application is being processed and who does not meet these requirements cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
A hypothetical makes the mechanics clear. Suppose a child is 22 years and 10 months old on the day the application is lodged, financially dependent, with no disability. On lodgement they fit the first pathway. If they turn 23 before a decision is made without a medical report on file, the basis for including them no longer exists. The two moves available within the rules are to lodge as early as possible in the eligibility window, or to have the disability evidence ready if the window is genuinely closing.
What if the child cannot be included at all?
The 190 is not the only way a family ends up in Australia, but it is the only pathway this page covers, so the realistic planning options inside this application are limited:
- Include them while they qualify, with Form 47a and the financial dependency evidence.
- Add them later, before a decision. The page states you can add members of the family unit after you apply but before the visa is decided, using Form 1436 — Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, paid through ImmiAccount. Any family member added still has to meet the health and character requirements, and the same age-and-dependency criteria apply at the time they are added — adding later does not reset the 23-year clock.
- Leave them out and explain why. If dependent children are not included, the page requires you to tell the department the reason (the examples given are that they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident). Being left out of this application does not create an entitlement to join later; it simply records the position.
How does this fit into the wider 190 family plan?
Three timing constraints interact with the dependant rules:
- The EOI comes first. You must submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, and your estimated score must be at least 65 points to be invited. An invitation can arrive up to 2 years after the EOI is submitted.
- The invitation starts a hard 60-day clock. You have 60 calendar days from the date of invitation to apply, and the department states it cannot extend this time. Dependant evidence needs to be assembled before the invitation, not after it.
- The main applicant’s age is capped at invitation. The department states it will not process the application if you are 45 at the time of your invitation.
Because an invitation can arrive up to two years after an EOI, a child who is comfortably inside the under-23 window when the EOI is lodged can be close to — or past — the line by the time the invitation lands. Any family planning for the 190 should be stress-tested against that worst-case gap rather than against the EOI date.
FAQs
Can a 22-year-old full-time university student be included as a dependant?
Age alone is not enough — the child must be dependent on you or your partner, and the page specifies financial dependency evidence such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts, plus a completed Form 47a. Full-time study is not listed on the page as a substitute for that evidence.
Is Form 47a needed for a child under 18?
No. For dependants 18 or younger the page asks for birth certificates or the family book showing both parents’ names, and adoption papers if applicable. Form 47a is specifically for a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over.
What does the medical report have to say for a child aged 23 or over?
It must be from a qualified medical practitioner and state that the child is dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions. The test on the page is not simply “has a medical condition” — it links the dependence directly to that loss of function.
Can I add my adult child after I have already lodged the application?
Yes, in principle — the page allows members of the family unit to be added after lodgement but before a decision, using Form 1436 with payment through ImmiAccount. The added family member must still meet the health and character requirements, and the same dependency criteria apply at the time of addition.
My child will be 23 in a few months. Is there anything I can do?
The decisive question is whether they can meet the disability-based test, because the page requires that evidence for any child who is aged 23 or likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed. Without it, a child who turns 23 during processing cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa, so the timing of lodgement and the readiness of the medical evidence are what matter.
Do adult dependants have to meet health and character requirements?
Yes. The page states that family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements, and that even family members who are not coming to Australia must meet the character requirement and may have to meet the health requirement.