Subclass 445 Dependent Child visa 2026: family reunification rules for partner visa families

A dependent child can only come to Australia on a Subclass 445 if two conditions line up at the same time: the child is dependent on a parent who still holds a temporary Partner visa (or another Dependent Child visa), and the child is sponsored by the exact same person who sponsored or nominated that parent's permanent Partner visa application. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445) page, current as of July 2026, the qualifying parent visas are the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309), the Partner visa (subclass 820) and the Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) itself, and the child must then apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application once the 445 is granted.

The rules set out below are general background rather than personalised advice for any particular family; where your circumstances differ, the Australian Government's current published requirements govern the decision.

Which parent's visa can a Subclass 445 depend on?

The 445 is not a standalone pathway. It is an "event-based" temporary visa whose whole reason for existing is the parent's still-undecided permanent Partner visa case, and it falls away once that cases is decided.

Parent's qualifying visa	Typical setting	What it means for the child
Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309)	Parent applied from outside Australia and holds the provisional offshore stage	Child can be granted the 445 while the parent's permanent Subclass 100 stage is pending
Partner visa (subclass 820)	Parent applied onshore and holds the temporary stage	Child can be granted the 445 while the parent's permanent Subclass 801 stage is pending
Dependent Child visa (subclass 445)	The parent is themselves dependent on a grandparent-style 445 chain	A child of a 445 holder can be linked into the same temporary arrangement

Two additional features matter here. If the child is already in Australia, they cannot hold another visa carrying a "No further stay" condition. And the parent must still be a visa holder at decision time — if the parent's permanent Partner visa has already been granted, the child no longer fits the 445 and needs a different child visa instead.

The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's PAM3 policy guidance also include subclasses 310 and 826 within the concept of a "visa-holding parent"; those do not appear on the Department's Subclass 445 page, so treat the three visas listed there as the operative list.

Who must sponsor the child, and when does sponsorship fail?

The sponsor must be the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent's permanent Partner visa application. That identity requirement is the single most common structural constraint for blended families: the child's own other biological parent generally cannot sponsor unless they happen to be the original Partner visa nominator.

The Department must approve the sponsorship before the visa can be granted. Under the child-protection rules set out for this visa, sponsorship — and the visa application with it — will be refused if the sponsor, or the sponsor's spouse or de facto partner, has a pending registrable offence charge; a registrable offence conviction can be approved only in very limited circumstances.

Narrow exceptions exist in the visa criteria. Migration Regulations clause 445.223 and the Department's PAM3 policy guidance set out two: where the original nominator or sponsor has died, or the relationship has ended, and the visa-holding parent has requested consideration under the family violence or parental arrangements provisions, the visa-holding parent may sponsor instead; and, where the applicant is themselves the dependent child of a 445 holder and the circumstances in clause 445.223(3)(a) apply, the sponsor of the person who requested consideration for the Subclass 100/801 visa may act. A replacement sponsorship may bring the regulations' financial-capacity requirements into play. Because these sit in the legislative criteria rather than on the visa page, confirm their current text before relying on them.

What counts as a "dependent child" when they are 18 or older?

The age test has two limbs. The child must be either under 18, or 18 or older and financially dependent on the parent who holds the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa.

The regulations-level definition is where families most often misjudge their position. The Migration Regulations 1994 definition of "dependent child" read with PAM3 guidance is generally understood to require a child or step-child relationship, unmarried and not in a de facto relationship, and dependence either through being under 18, or, at 18 or over, through financial dependence, full-time study, or loss of working capacity because of physical or mental impairment.

Suppose three siblings in one family: a 15-year-old dependent sibling, a 19-year-old living independently with their own income, and a 21-year-old in full-time study funded entirely by the visa-holding parent. Only the first and third are positioned to meet the dependency criterion; the second is not, regardless of how the family regards the relationship.

How does the 445 bridge into the parent's permanent Partner visa?

Being granted the 445 does not itself lead to permanent residence for the child. The official page states plainly that the child must apply to be added to their parent's permanent Partner visa application once the 445 is granted, and the visa is described as valid only temporarily — until the Department has decided the permanent visa application of the child's parent.

Beyond the visa page, Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations and the Department's PAM3 policy guidance indicate the mechanics: the associated application form for the 445 (Form 918) and the step of being added to the parent's permanent Partner case (Form 1002), with the child left to the offshore Subclass 101 or onshore Subclass 802 child visa pathway if the window closes and the parent's permanent visa is granted without them. Those forms appear in the legislative criteria and policy guidance rather than on the visa listing itself.

What health, character and values requirements apply to the child?

The evidence burden here is wider than most families expect, because it can reach people who are not migrating.

Health: the child, and any dependent children applying with them, must meet the health requirement. Family members who are not coming to Australia with the child may also have to meet it. PAM3 material indicates health is assessed against permanent visa standards for this subclass.
Character: a child aged 16 or over must meet the character requirement, and other dependent children applying may also be asked to meet it.
Debt to the Australian Government: any owed money must be repaid or covered by a formal repayment arrangement.
Values: an applicant aged 18 or over must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet, and sign an Australian Values Statement confirming they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.

What extra rules apply when the child is under 18?

Two protections sit on top of everything else. The Department will only grant the visa to a child under 18 where either everyone who can legally decide where the child lives has given written consent, or the law of the child's home country allows them to leave it, or the grant is consistent with any Australian child order relating to the child — orders registered through the Attorney-General's Department overseas child orders process.

Separately, the visa may not be granted if doing so is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18. In practice this means custody disputes, contested relocation and incomplete consent documents stall a 445 at least as often as the dependency test does.

What can the child actually do while holding a 445?

The temporary visa is generous in day-to-day terms. The holder can move to or stay in Australia until the decision on the parent's permanent Partner visa application, travel to and from Australia, work and study, and attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible.

That combination is why high-net-worth families planning a multi-country footprint treat the 445 as a timing instrument as much as a reunion one: it buys lawful residence, education access and work rights for the child while the parent's permanent stage is pending.

Is there an alternative to the visa altogether?

Yes, in one specific case. The child may apply for Australian citizenship by descent instead of a visa where the child was born outside Australia and one of their parents was an Australian citizen at the time of the birth. Where that condition is met, citizenship is a different route with different consequences, and it is worth checking before committing to a visa application.

For families assembling their own file, the Department publishes guidance on who can lawfully help with a visa application, which is the relevant reference point for anyone considering paid assistance. Government charges and processing times are published separately and revised periodically, so the current figures on those Department pages are the ones that count.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a child apply for a Subclass 445 from outside Australia?

Applications are assessed against criteria allowing lodgement in or outside Australia, though not while the applicant is in immigration clearance. The controlling requirement is the parent's visa: the child must be dependent on a parent holding a Subclass 309, 820 or 445, wherever the child is when they apply.

Can the child's other parent act as sponsor if they were not the Partner visa nominator?

No, not as a general rule. The sponsor must be the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent's permanent Partner visa application, with only narrow exceptions where the original sponsor has died or the relationship has ended and family violence or parental arrangements provisions are being relied on.

What happens to a 445 once the parent's permanent Partner visa is granted?

The 445 exists only until the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application. The child must therefore be added to that permanent application while it is pending; if the parent's permanent visa is granted without them, the child would need to pursue a different child visa pathway.

Can a child over 18 still qualify?

Yes, but only if financially dependent on the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa, assessed against the Migration Regulations definition of a dependent child. Being 18 or over also triggers the Australian Values Statement requirement, and character applies from age 16.

Does a sponsorship need separate approval?

Yes. The sponsorship must be approved before the visa can be granted, and it will be refused — along with the visa application — where the sponsor or their spouse or de facto partner has a pending registrable offence charge. A conviction may be approved only in very limited circumstances.

Could citizenship be a better option than this visa?

If the child was born outside Australia and one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of the birth, Australian citizenship by descent may be available instead of a visa. That route is separate from the Subclass 445 criteria and follows its own process.