Who can you include in a subclass 887 application in 2026?
Who you can include as a family member in a subclass 887 application, and why every eligible person must be listed when you lodge.
You can include your partner and your dependent children in a Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887) application if they are members of your family unit and hold an eligible visa at the time you lodge — and you must include every family member who is eligible on that day, because you cannot add anyone after you submit. This reflects the Department of Home Affairs' Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887) official page, as at the July 2026 version of that page. The rest of this article follows the decisions a household has to make in order: who qualifies, what "must include" actually means, what happens to people left out, and what each person has to satisfy.
Who counts as a family member you can include?
The official page works from the standard definition of a member of the family unit, which covers your partner (married or de facto) and your dependent children. Each of them can be included only if they currently hold an eligible visa.
There is one extension that matters to families with older children. You can include a family member who no longer meets the standard definition of member of the family unit, provided they hold an eligible visa that was granted on the basis that they were a member of your family unit. The example the Department gives is a child who has turned 23 since they were granted their eligible visa.
| Who | Condition to be included | Extra point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Partner (married or de facto) | Holds an eligible visa at lodgement | Relationship evidence is still required |
| Dependent child under 18 | Holds an eligible visa | Parental responsibility consent may be needed |
| Child who has aged out of the standard definition | Holds an eligible visa granted as a member of your family unit | Over-18 dependants need their own identity, relationship and character documents |
| Family member not coming to Australia | May still be assessed | Health and character requirements can still apply |
Does everyone you include need to hold an eligible visa?
Yes. The official page requires all applicants to be in Australia and hold an eligible visa at the time a subclass 887 application is made, unless COVID-19 concessions apply.
An eligible visa is a subclass 489, 495, 496, 475 or 487 visa, or a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B held after making a valid application for a subclass 489, 495 or 487 visa. For an application lodged outside Australia during the concession period, it also covers one of those visas that expired during the concession period while the holder was outside Australia.
A separate condition applies to the person meeting the primary criteria. That person must have held a subclass 489, 495, 496, 475 or 487 visa for a total of 2 years before the application is made, and it must have been granted on the basis of satisfying the primary criteria, or on the basis of being the spouse or de facto partner of the person who satisfied the primary criteria. This is the usual pinch point in a multi-visa household: the family can be on different visa subclasses and different grant dates, and each person's own visa history has to line up with the rule that applies to them.
Do you have to include every eligible family member?
Yes, and the wording on the official page is direct: you must include each family member who is eligible to apply for this visa at the time you lodge your application. Eligibility is tested at the moment of lodgement, not at the moment of decision.
The practical consequence is that a person who is eligible on the day you lodge and is left out does not share your visa outcome. The page also says that if your partner or dependent children are not included in the application, you should tell the Department the reason why — for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are already a permanent resident. That is the one situation where leaving someone out is the correct answer rather than a mistake.
What happens if you leave someone out by mistake?
You cannot repair it by adding them later. The official page states that you cannot add family members after you have submitted your application, other than newborn children. A later subclass 887 grant does let you sponsor relatives to come to Australia, which is listed among the things the visa allows, but that is a separate process with its own requirements — not a way of fixing an incomplete application.
This is general information about how the rule reads, not advice on your own case; because the outcome depends on who held which visa and when, the official page and any professional advice you rely on should govern your decision.
What if a child is born before you lodge?
If you have a child born either in or outside Australia since you were granted your current visa, you must tell the Department about that child before you lodge the subclass 887 application. There is a mechanical trap here: if the child's current visa has not been linked to their passport, you will be unable to lodge their application online.
What if a child is born after you lodge?
A child born after you submit but before the Department decides your application is the single exception to the no-additions rule. You must tell the Department as soon as possible. Other changes after lodgement also have to be reported, including changes to your marital or de facto status and the birth of a child.
What does each included family member have to provide and satisfy?
Every applicant needs a valid passport or travel document to submit. Beyond that, the requirements split by age and relationship.
- Identity: passport pages showing photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; proof of any change of name.
- Character: family members aged 16 and over who apply with you must meet the character requirement. Australian police certificates must be complete disclosure National Police Certificates from the Australian Federal Police if the person has spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16; overseas police certificates are needed for each country where they spent 12 months or more in that same period. Form 80 and Form 1221 are part of this, along with military service records where applicable.
- Health: family members who apply with you must meet the health requirement, and family members not accompanying you may also need to meet it.
- English: applicants aged 18 and over need functional English, unless the second instalment was already paid for the eligible visa or is paid when asked. Dependent children under 18 do not have to prove functional English.
- Partner evidence: identity and character documents, a marriage certificate if applicable, and for a de facto relationship either evidence the relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory or documents proving at least 12 months of de facto relationship before you apply. Both married and de facto applicants must show a genuine and continuing relationship, using evidence such as joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, or documents showing your partner lived at your address.
- Children's evidence: birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents, adoption papers if applicable, and parental responsibility documents. Anyone with a legal right to decide where an under-18 child lives, who is not coming to Australia with the child, must consent using Form 1229 or a statutory declaration; an Australian court order, or the laws of your home country allowing the child to migrate, can be shown instead.
One more household-wide condition: if you or any family member owes the Australian Government money — including family members who are not applying with you — it must have been paid back or arranged to be paid back.
Does including family members change the cost?
There is a charge for each family member who applies with you. The subclass 887 page states the second instalment charge as AUD 4,890, payable by any member of the family unit aged 18 or over with less than functional English, and payable only when the Department asks for it — which it does only if it is going to grant the visa.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, and family members are eligible for the lower cost as well. Eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant, who must hold a valid passport issued by one of: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. The main applicant's own visa cost and any concessions are shown through the Visa Pricing Estimator rather than as a fixed figure on the page, so the amount payable at lodgement should be confirmed against the official pricing tool and the Department's current published charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add my partner to my subclass 887 application after I lodge?
No. The official page states you cannot add family members after you submit your application, with newborn children as the only exception. Your partner must be included at the time you lodge, and must hold an eligible visa at that point.
Can I include a child who has turned 23?
Yes, if they hold an eligible visa that was granted on the basis that they were a member of your family unit. The Department gives a child who has turned 23 since being granted their eligible visa as the example of how this provision works.
Does my partner need to hold a subclass 489 visa specifically?
Not necessarily that one subclass. An eligible visa includes subclasses 489, 495, 496, 475 and 487, and also a Bridging visa A or B held after a valid application for a subclass 489, 495 or 487 visa. The person meeting the primary criteria separately needs 2 years holding one of those visa subclasses.
Do family members who stay behind still need checks?
Yes. Family members not accompanying you to Australia may also need to meet the health and character requirements, and a debt to the Australian Government owed by a non-applying family member still has to be repaid or arranged for repayment.
What should I do if my child is born after I lodge?
Tell the Department as soon as possible. A child born after you submit but before the decision is made is the one exception to the rule that no family members can be added after submission.
Do I have to include a family member who is already a permanent resident?
No, and including them would not fit the requirement. If your partner or dependent children are not included, you should state the reason — for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident.
Does including family members increase what I pay?
Yes, there is a charge for each family member who applies with you. In addition, a family member aged 18 or over with less than functional English may have to pay the second instalment charge of AUD 4,890, but only if the Department asks for it.