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Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445)

AustraliaFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Australia Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

The qualifying family relationship is that of a dependent child of a parent who holds a Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309), a Partner visa (subclass 820), or a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) themselves, while that parent's permanent Partner visa application is being processed. The child must be under 18, or over 18 and financially dependent on that parent.

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Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The child must be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated their parent's permanent Partner visa application, and the Department must approve the sponsorship before the visa can be granted. A pending registrable-offence charge against the sponsor (or their spouse/de facto partner) results in refusal; a registrable-offence conviction allows approval only in very limited circumstances.

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What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

Proof of the qualifying relationship is dependency on the visa-holding parent, and the child must apply to be added to that parent's permanent Partner visa application once granted this visa. A child in Australia cannot hold another visa carrying a 'No further stay' condition. A child born outside Australia to a parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of the child's birth may instead be eligible for citizenship by descent rather than this visa.

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What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The child and any dependent children applying with them must meet Australia's health requirement (other family members not migrating may also need to meet it), and the child must meet the character requirement if aged 16 or over. Any debt owed to the Australian Government by the child must be repaid or subject to a formal repayment arrangement, and children aged 18 or older must sign the Australian Values Statement. A child under 18 also needs consent to travel to Australia from everyone with legal decision-making authority, or equivalent legal grounds.

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How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

This is a temporary bridging arrangement, not a standalone permanent outcome: it lets the child stay in Australia only until the parent's permanent Partner visa application is decided, during which the child can travel to and from Australia, work and study, and attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible. There is no independent progression to permanency; the pathway to a lasting outcome runs through being added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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