Subclass 190 Children Under 18 in 2026: Documents and Form 1229 Consent
What the subclass 190 requires for children under 18: birth certificates, adoption papers, and who must sign Form 1229 consent.
For each dependent child aged 18 or younger included in a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) application, the Australian Department of Home Affairs page Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) requires copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents, plus adoption papers where relevant — and, where a person with legal parental responsibility is not travelling with the child, their consent on Form 1229 or by statutory declaration. As at the July 2026 official page, the Department sets out these documents as part of Step 2 (gather your documents) of the application process. Children under 18 do not have to prove functional English, which is the one express documentary exemption the page lists for this age group.
Which children can be included as dependants?
The page treats two age bands differently, and the band matters because each triggers its own evidence. A child aged 18 or younger is dealt with under "dependants under 18" and is included because they are your dependent child. A child over 18 enters a stricter test: they must be over 18 but not yet 23 and dependent on you or your partner, or over 23 and unable to earn a living due to physical or cognitive limitations while remaining dependent on you or your partner. That older group needs Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over, financial dependency evidence such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts, and — where the child is 23 or likely to turn 23 during processing — a report from a qualified medical practitioner.
Age is assessed at particular points, not only on the day you lodge. A child who is 17 when you apply but turns 18 while the application is being processed is no longer assessed under the simpler under-18 rules; see below.
What identity and relationship documents does each child need?
For every dependent child 18 or younger applying with you, provide:
- copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children
- copies of the adoption papers, if applicable
The "names of both parents" requirement is the part applicants most often underestimate. A short-form birth certificate that records only the child's name and date of birth does not satisfy the stated requirement, even if it is the standard document issued in your jurisdiction.
Alongside these, the page's general identity expectations still apply: current passport pages showing photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates, a national identity card if the child has one, and proof of change of name where relevant. Acceptable proof of a name change listed on the page includes a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, and documents showing other names a person has been known by.
One administrative point: if any of your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell the Department the reason why — for example, that they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident.
Does my child need to meet English, health or character requirements?
You do not have to prove that a dependent under 18 has functional English. That exemption is stated expressly on the page and applies only to that requirement; the page does not extend it further.
Health and character are different. The Department states that family members who apply for the visa must meet its health and character requirements, and that family members who are not coming to Australia still have to meet the character requirement and might have to meet the health requirement. So the saving here is narrow — a language test, not a medical or police evidence exemption.
Who has to give consent, and when is Form 1229 required?
Consent is required from a defined group, and both conditions must be met at once. You must get consent for any applicant under 18 from anyone who:
- has a legal right to decide where the child lives, and
- is not coming to Australia with the child
This is broader than "the other parent". A guardian, or any other person holding a legal right to determine where the child lives, falls inside the rule if they are not travelling with the child. Conversely, a parent who holds that legal right and is included in the application does not need to complete Form 1229 for themselves — which is why a two-parent family migrating together will often have no consent form at all.
The two conditions are easier to apply if you work through them against your own family situation.
Form 1229 or something else: the four routes
The consenting person completes either of the first two documents, and the latter two options can be shown instead:
| Route | Who provides it | What else travels with it |
|---|---|---|
| Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years | The person with legal parental responsibility who is not migrating | Identity document showing their signature and photo |
| Statutory declaration giving consent for the child to migrate on this visa | Same person | Identity document showing signature and photo |
| Australian court order allowing the child to migrate to Australia | The applicant, as evidence | Court documents as applicable |
| Evidence that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate | The applicant, as evidence | Supporting documents as applicable |
Whichever route you use, the page also requires you to include adoption papers or other court documents if applicable.
What must accompany the signed consent?
This is where complete files fail most often. Alongside the form or declaration, include:
- an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver's licence
- adoption papers or other court documents, if applicable
Note the conjunction: signature and photo. A document bearing only a signature, or only a photograph, does not match the stated requirement. Because the form must be completed by the consenting person rather than by the main applicant, using Form 1229 usually means arranging signing and identity-document copies separately from the rest of your file.
My child is 17 now but may turn 18 before a decision
This is flagged directly on the page. If your child is likely to turn 18 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you. A child who turns 18 while the application is being processed and who is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.
The practical consequence is that dependency evidence — the kind otherwise required for the over-18 group, such as financial dependency documents and Form 47a — should be considered before the birthday rather than after a request arrives. The same logic applies at the upper boundary: the page notes that a child who turns 23 while the application is being processed and does not meet the requirements cannot satisfy the criteria.
Can a child be added to the application later?
Yes, up to a point. You can add members of the family unit to your application after you apply but before the Department decides the visa, using Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, paid through ImmiAccount and attached with supporting documents. Because the cut-off is the decision rather than lodgement, adding a child later is possible but brings the full under-18 document set with it, including any Form 1229 consent that the new inclusion triggers.
Everything here rests on published requirements that change from time to time, and this article is general information rather than advice on your family's circumstances — read it as a starting map, and verify against the official page or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before you rely on any single item.
常见问题
Does my child have to sit an English test for the 190?
No. The Department states you do not have to prove that a dependent under 18 years of age has functional English, so no English test result is needed for that child. This is the only requirement the page expressly waives for this age group, and health and character requirements still apply to family members included in the application.
Do both parents need to sign Form 1229?
Only a person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and who is not coming to Australia with the child needs to give consent. In a family where both parents hold that right and both are migrating together, neither needs to complete it; where one parent stays behind, that parent does.
Can a statutory declaration replace Form 1229?
Yes. The page accepts either Form 1229 or a statutory declaration giving consent for the child to migrate to Australia on this visa, at the consenting person's option. Whichever is used, it must be accompanied by an identity document showing that person's signature and photo.
What if the other parent will not sign the consent?
The page does not make consent optional in that situation; it identifies two other ways of satisfying the requirement, namely an Australian court order that allows the child to migrate to Australia or evidence that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate. Which route is realistic for you depends on your circumstances and is worth confirming with official guidance or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
Can I add my child after I have lodged the 190 application?
Yes, members of the family unit can be added after lodgement but before the Department decides the visa, using Form 1436 with payment and supporting documents attached in ImmiAccount. Once a decision has been made, that pathway is no longer available.
What happens if my child turns 18 while the application is pending?
You will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you. The Department states that a child who turns 18 while the application is being processed and who is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa, so it is safer to prepare dependency evidence early.