Australia Subclass 124: accompanying family and dependency rules (2026)
Members of the family unit can be included in a Distinguished Talent visa (Subclass 124) application, and they can be added at any point up to the moment a decision is made. The binding constraint is usually not who is related to you but when: a child who turns 18 — or 23 — while the application is being processed and who cannot show dependency will not satisfy the criteria for the visa. This follows the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Distinguished Talent visa (Subclass 124) official page, as of the August 2026 official page. What follows is general reference only, not advice tailored to an individual case, so current requirements should always be confirmed against the Department's latest published information.
Who can be counted as part of the family unit here?
The official page does not publish a full statutory list of "members of the family unit"; instead it sets out the family relationships it asks documents for, and those are the practical boundaries of who travels on the application. They are the partner (married or de facto), dependent children 18 years old or younger, and children over 18 who still meet a dependency test. If the main applicant is under 18, the page allows a parent and members of the family unit of that parent to be included instead.
The distinction matters because a person who is not part of the family unit cannot ride on this application at all. Relatives outside it are a separate matter — the visa does let you sponsor relatives to come to Australia later, but that is a different process from including someone in this one.
What does the Department want to see for a partner?
For any partner, the page asks for identity documents, photos and character documents, a marriage certificate if applicable, and documents about other relationships if applicable. For a de facto partner you must additionally show either that the relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory, or enough documents to prove the relationship existed for at least 12 months before you apply. Registration and the 12-month history are alternatives, not both required.
Whichever applies, the relationship must be shown to be genuine and continuing. The examples the page gives are joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing the partner has lived at the same address as you.
Which children qualify, and where is the age cut-off?
| Age band | What the official page requires |
|---|---|
| 18 or younger | Birth certificate or family book showing the names of both parents, plus adoption papers if applicable; consent from anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not coming to Australia with the child |
| Over 18 but not yet 23 | Must be dependent on you or your partner; completed Form 47a (Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over); proof of financial dependency for at least 12 months before you apply |
| 23 or older | Must be unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner; Form 47a plus a report from a qualified medical practitioner stating dependency due to total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions |
Dependency for the older bands is not a matter of assertion. The page requires proof that the person has been financially dependent on you for at least the 12 months before you apply, and suggests proof that they live with you, their tax records, proof they are currently studying, and proof of payments you made to them or on their behalf.
What happens if a child ages out during processing?
This is the part that decides many family outcomes, because Subclass 124 decisions are not instant. A child who is likely to turn 18 while the application is being processed must be supported with evidence that they are dependent on you — the same dependency material required for the over-18 band. A child who turns 18 during processing and is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
The 23 threshold works the same way but harder. If a child is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, you must provide evidence they are dependent on you because of disability, which means the medical practitioner's report. A child who turns 23 during processing and does not meet those requirements cannot satisfy the criteria.
Can family be added after the application is lodged?
Yes — the page states you can add members of the family unit after you apply but before the visa is decided. The mechanism is Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement), attached to your ImmiAccount or sent to the address you lodged the application to. If you are under 18, the members that can be added include a parent and a member of the family unit of that parent. A child born after you apply is handled as a change in situation rather than through the standard adding-members route.
The practical reading is that the family unit is fixed at decision time, not at lodgement. Someone who was not eligible or not identified at the start can still be brought in — but only while the application remains undecided.
What else does each accompanying family member have to clear?
Health and character apply across the family, but not identically. Every family member who applies for the visa with you must meet the health requirement, and family members who are not accompanying you to Australia may also need to meet it. Character applies to family members aged 16 and over who apply with you, and family members not accompanying you must also meet the character requirement.
Other shared conditions on the page:
- English: an applicant aged 18 or older who cannot show at least functional English attracts a second instalment of the visa application charge, set at AUD 4,890. If you or any family member applying with you have less than functional English, the page asks for a statement of intention to pay this charge for each such person.
- Debt: if you or any family members — including those who do not apply for the visa with you — owe the Australian Government money, it must be repaid or arrangements made to repay it.
- Cost: there is an additional charge for each family member who applies with you. The page directs applicants to the Visa pricing estimator, which does not include the second instalment or other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
How does this look in a realistic file?
Assume an applicant whose 21-year-old child is in full-time study and lives at home, supported by the applicant. That child sits in the over-18 band: Form 47a, proof of the parent-child relationship, and 12 months of financial dependency evidence — cohabitation proof, the child's tax records, enrolment or study proof, and records of payments made by the applicant. A child in the same household who is about to turn 23 and has a documented cognitive impairment would need the additional medical practitioner's report rather than only the study and payment trail. These are illustrations of how the criteria operate, not statements about any actual decision.
One further point that shapes expectations: the official page states that this visa is closed to new applications. The same page continues to set out how applications are processed and decided, including the adding-family and dependency rules above, which is why they remain relevant to applications already in the system. Because programme settings change, the closing status and every figure here should be checked against the Department's current published page before anyone relies on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a family member after lodging a Subclass 124 application?
Yes, as long as the application has not been decided. You complete Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement) and attach it to your ImmiAccount or send it to the address you lodged to. If you are under 18, the added members can include a parent and a member of that parent's family unit.
What happens if my child turns 18 while the application is being processed?
You must provide evidence that the child is dependent on you, using the same dependency material required for the over-18 band. A child who turns 18 during processing and is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
Can a child aged 23 or over still be included as a dependant?
Only if they are unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations and are dependent on you or your partner. That requires Form 47a plus a report from a qualified medical practitioner. A child who turns 23 during processing without meeting these requirements cannot satisfy the criteria.
Does my de facto partner have to show 12 months of relationship?
Yes, unless the relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory, which is accepted as an alternative. In both cases you must also show the relationship is genuine and continuing, for example through joint accounts, joint leases or mortgages, or documents showing a shared address.
Do family members who are not travelling to Australia still need checks?
Yes. The page states that family members not accompanying you may also need to meet the health requirement and must meet the character requirement. The requirement to have repaid any debt to the Australian Government also extends to family members who do not apply for the visa with you.
What extra costs come with including family on a Subclass 124 application?
There is an additional charge for each family member who applies with you, and the page's Visa pricing estimator excludes other costs. A second instalment of AUD 4,890 applies to each applicant aged 18 or older who has less than functional English, plus separate costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Is Subclass 124 still open to new applications?
The official page states that this visa is closed to new applications. The same page still sets out how lodged applications are processed, including adding family members before a decision, so the family rules remain relevant to applications already in the system. Status should be re-checked against the Department's latest published information.