Family inclusion under Australia Subclass 200: partners and dependants (2026)
Under Australia's Refugee (subclass 200) visa, "family" is a closed list: your partner, your dependent children, your partner's dependent children, and other relatives who are dependants. Those people can be included in your application, and the Department of Home Affairs' official page for Refugee category visas (Subclass 200, 201, 203 and 204) states that certain family members can be added at any time before a decision is made. One rule carries the most weight for long-term planning: you must declare all family members even if they are not applying with you, because failing to declare someone may mean you cannot propose them for a Humanitarian visa after you arrive in Australia. This is general information rather than advice on any individual case, so the details below should be checked against the official page as at August 2026 and, where the facts are complex, against current official guidance.
Who counts as family on a Subclass 200 application?
The official page defines family for this visa in four groups:
- your partner
- your dependent children
- your partner's dependent children
- other relatives who are dependants
Every family member who applies must meet Australia's health and character requirements. Family members who are not coming to Australia may still have to meet the health requirement, which is easy to overlook when a relative intends to stay in a third country.
A child who is not dependent on you cannot simply be listed as a dependant — that child must apply for their own visa. Dependency is therefore the hinge of most family decisions on this visa.
What does the visa require of a partner?
A partner included in the application needs identity documents, character documents, details of any other relationships where relevant, any visas or residence permits held, and two recent passport-sized photographs (45mm x 35mm, full face against a plain background, name printed on the back).
For the relationship itself, the applicant provides either a current marriage certificate or documents showing a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before applying. The official page names joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing that the partner lived at the same address as examples.
Separately, certified copies of marriage certificates or relationship registrations must be provided for the applicant and for anyone else included in the application — including people who are not travelling to Australia.
What do dependent children need, and does age change the file?
Age changes the documentary burden rather than the principle of dependency. For dependants under 18, the official page asks for identity documents (or a statement explaining why none exist), proof of the relationship such as a birth or marriage certificate, any visas or residence permits held, any marriage certificates or relationship registrations held, character documents where applicable, and two photographs.
For dependants aged 18 or over, the list is identity documents, documents about their other relationships if applicable, character documents, any visas or residence permits held, and two photographs. The existence of a separate over-18 list is a useful signal: a child does not automatically fall outside "dependent children" on their eighteenth birthday, but the evidence expected is different.
The Migration Regulations 1994 add that a secondary applicant who is under 18 must also satisfy public interest criteria 4017 and 4018; because legislative text is amended over time, confirm the current criteria against the official legislation and the Department's page.
Do family members have to apply at the same time as the main applicant?
In regulatory terms, yes for most cases. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, family members or immediate family members apply as secondary applicants through a combined application with the main applicant, and at the time of decision they must still be a family member or immediate family member of the main applicant who is granted the visa. The visa must also be granted while the applicant is outside Australia.
That continuing-relationship requirement is why life events matter during processing. The Department's step-by-step guidance asks applicants to report changes in marital or de facto status and the birth of a child after lodgement, and to correct wrong answers using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.
On cost, the official page states there is no visa application charge for this visa.
How do you add a family member after lodgement?
The Department allows certain family members to be added while the application is still undecided. The mechanism set out in the official step-by-step guidance is Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement. Timing is the constraint: the addition has to happen before a decision is made.
Suppose an applicant lodges alone and marries three months later. Because relationship status is a declared fact, the change must be reported, and if the new partner is to be included, Form 1436 is the route — but only while the file is still open.
Why does declaring relatives who are not migrating matter?
It is the single most consequential administrative step in the family dimension of this visa. The official page says plainly that if you do not declare a family member in your application, you may not be able to propose them for a Humanitarian visa after you arrive in Australia.
The reason becomes clear when you look at how later proposals work. Under the Department's priority processing policy, weight is given to applicants who are outside their home country and are proposed by an immediate family member — for example a spouse or a child under 18 — who holds a Class XB visa (subclass 200, 201, 202, 203 or 204), or by a close family member such as a sibling, adult child or parent who holds a refugee category visa (subclass 200, 201, 203 or 204). A relative who was never declared may fall outside the group you can later propose.
The Migration Regulations 1994 also attach conditions to proposal-based applications, including that the application be made within five years of the proposer's grant, that the applicant was an immediate family member at the time of that grant, and that the relationship was declared to the Department before the proposer's visa was granted. Treat these as regulatory requirements to verify against the current official text rather than as fixed administrative practice.
What does inclusion mean for the family after the visa is granted?
The subclass 200 visa is permanent. Holders can stay permanently, work and study, enrol in Medicare, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, and propose family members for permanent residence.
Two mechanics matter for planning:
- A person becomes a permanent resident when they enter Australia, and for citizenship purposes permanent residence starts on the day of entry on this visa. Family members who travel later start their own clock later.
- Travel to and from Australia is available for five years from the date of grant. After that, a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) is needed to re-enter as a permanent resident.
The grant letter also specifies a first entry arrival date, and travel to Australia is arranged by the Department at no cost to the applicant, with the Assisted Passage service provider supporting health appointments and travel. Holders must comply with any signed health undertaking and obey Australian laws.
On timing, the Department states that the decision process takes many months, even years, and that applications can take longer if forms are incomplete, documents are missing, or information needs verification. No outcome or timeframe can be assumed for any individual file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to include family members in a Subclass 200 application?
The official page states there is no visa application charge for this visa. Family members included in the application still have to meet health and character requirements, which may involve separate costs arranged through the visa process.
Can I add my partner after I have lodged my application?
Yes, certain family members can be added before a decision is made, using Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement. Changes in marital or de facto status must also be reported to the Department once they occur.
Do I have to declare family members who will not come to Australia?
Yes. The Department requires all family members to be declared even if they are not applying with you. Not declaring someone may mean you cannot propose them for a Humanitarian visa after you arrive in Australia.
Can an adult child still be included as a dependant?
Age alone does not answer the question; dependency does. The official document checklist has a separate list for dependants aged 18 or over, while a child who is not dependent on you must apply for their own visa.
Does everyone included have to meet health and character requirements?
Yes. Family members who apply must meet the health and character requirements, and family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement.
When does permanent residence start for my family?
Each person becomes a permanent resident when they enter Australia on this visa, and for citizenship purposes permanent residence starts on that day of entry. Family members entering on different dates therefore start their own residence timelines separately.
How long does a family application take?
The Department states that decisions take many months, even years, and that the number of resettlement applications each year far exceeds available visas. Processing can lengthen if forms are incorrect, documents are missing, or information needs verification.