Adding family to a Subclass 202 permanent visa application in 2026: dependants explained
How dependency decides which children and relatives can join a Subclass 202 application, what they must supply, and when they apply on their own.
Dependent children can be included in a Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) application, and dependency is the test that decides whether they are granted permanent residence on your application or have to lodge one of their own. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) official page, as at August 2026, the family you may include are your partner, your dependent children, your partner's dependent children, and other relatives who are dependants — parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin. Family members who are included in the application and granted the visa hold the same permanent visa: they stay in Australia permanently, work and study, and can enrol in Medicare. You become a permanent resident on the day you enter Australia on this visa, and that day counts for citizenship purposes.
Who can I include as family on a Subclass 202 application?
The official page sets out a closed list. For this visa, your family are:
| Listed as family | Dependency qualifier on the official page |
|---|---|
| Your partner | Listed simply as "your partner" — no dependency qualifier |
| Your dependent children | Must be "dependent" |
| Your partner's dependent children | Must be "dependent" |
| Other relative — parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin | Must be "a dependant" |
The pattern in that list matters more than the list itself. The only category the page names without a dependency qualifier is your partner. Every other relative — children included — has to clear the dependency question to travel on your application. So the practical question is rarely "is this person my relative" but "is this person dependent on me".
What does "dependant" decide, and where is the test set out?
Dependency is the switch that sorts family into two different routes. A person who is dependent can be included in your application and, if the visa is granted, becomes a permanent resident with you. A person who is not dependent is not carried on your application — the official page states plainly that a child who is not dependent on you must apply for their own visa.
One useful signal comes from the document requirements: the official page sets out separate lists for "dependants under 18" and "dependants over 18". That tells you dependency is not simply a matter of being a minor — the page contemplates dependants who are adults. The page itself, however, does not restate the dependency test; the visa's operative criteria sit in the Migration Regulations 1994 and the current official criteria, and that is where the definition has to be confirmed.
What is published here describes who may be included and what must be supplied, and is general information rather than advice on an individual case — the dependency position for a particular child or relative should be checked against the current official criteria.
What happens if my child is not dependent on me?
They must apply for their own visa. The official page does not present a non-dependent child as someone who can be added to your application instead; the consequence of non-dependence is a separate application decided on its own facts.
That separate application still has to be accounted for in yours. The page requires that, in your application, you list all family who are also applying for their own visa.
What documents does each family member need?
The official page splits document requirements by the person's role and, for dependants, by age.
Partners
For a partner, the page asks for identity documents, character documents, documents about other relationships if applicable, any visas or residence permits held, and a photograph. In addition, you provide either:
- your current marriage certificate, or
- documents proving you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.
Documents that can prove a de facto relationship include joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing your partner lived at the same address as you.
Dependants under 18
For every dependant under 18 who is applying with you, the page asks for:
- identity documents, or a statement explaining why they have no travel or identity documents
- proof of your relationship with them, such as a birth or marriage certificate
- any visas or residence permits held
- any marriage certificates or relationship registrations held
- character documents, if applicable
- a photograph, as described for the main applicant
Dependants over 18
For every dependant aged 18 or older who is applying with you, the page asks for:
- identity documents
- documents about their other relationships, if applicable
- character documents
- any visas or residence permits held
- a photograph, as described for the main applicant
Two requirements apply across the whole group. Online applications need one scanned photograph per applicant, showing the whole face against a plain background. And the page asks for certified copies of marriage certificates or relationship registrations for you and anyone else included in your application — even for people who are not joining you in Australia.
Do dependants have to meet health and character requirements?
Yes. Family members who apply for the visa must meet the health requirement and the character requirement.
The obligation does not stop at the people who are travelling. Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement, and the eligibility section of the official page adds that family members who do not apply with you might also have to meet the character requirement. The department tells applicants if health examinations are needed rather than requiring them up front. On the same page, the department also notes that where there are compassionate and compelling circumstances, the health requirement may be waived.
Can I add family to my application after I lodge it?
In some circumstances, yes. The official page states that you can add certain family members to your application at any time before a decision is made on it. The mechanism is Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement).
Two cautions come with that. The page says "certain family members" and "in some circumstances", so the route is not open to every relative in every case; and the cut-off is the decision itself — a person who is not on the application when it is decided has not been added by this route. Because the decision process for this visa may take many years, the window in which an addition can be made can be a long one, but it is not an open-ended one.
If the problem is a mistake in what you already submitted rather than a new person, the page directs you to Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers).
Do I have to declare family members who are not coming to Australia?
Yes. The official page describes it as important to declare all your family members even if they will not be applying with you.
The reason is a specific consequence. 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. That matters because holders of this visa may be able to propose family members for permanent residence later, subject to the proposer eligibility rules and Humanitarian Program limits — an undeclared relative can lose access to that later pathway. Declaring a person does not mean they must apply, and it does not exempt them: as set out above, non-travelling family members may still be asked to meet health and character requirements.
Should everyone's application be lodged together, and what happens while you wait?
Yes. The official page advises submitting family applications at the same time, which gives the department a clear idea of everyone who is applying for a visa. In your own application you must list all family who are also applying for their own visa.
While the group waits, expect no progress reports: the department does not update applicants on application status. The department states that it does not give processing updates; it tells applicants when their application reaches the next stage of processing or when the application is finalised, and asks applicants to wait to be contacted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an adult child be included as a dependant on a Subclass 202 application?
The official page's test is dependency, not age. It sets out separate document requirements for "dependants under 18" and "dependants over 18", which shows the page contemplates adult dependants. Whether a particular adult child qualifies depends on the dependency criteria in the visa's legislative criteria, which should be confirmed against current official criteria.
What happens if my child is not dependent on me?
The official page states that if your child is not dependent on you, they must apply for their own visa. They are not carried on your application. You must still list, in your application, all family who are applying for their own visa.
Do I have to declare family members who are not applying with me?
Yes — the official page says it is important to declare all family members even if they are not applying with you. If you do not declare a family member, you may not be able to propose them for a Humanitarian visa after you arrive in Australia.
Can I add a family member to my application after I have lodged it?
In some circumstances, certain family members can be added at any time before the department decides your application. The page directs applicants to Form 1436 (Adding an additional applicant after lodgement). Because a decision may take many years, that window can be long, but it closes when the decision is made.
What documents prove a de facto relationship for a Subclass 202 application?
Where you are not relying on a current marriage certificate, the page asks for documents proving a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply. Examples given include joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing your partner lived at the same address as you.
Do family members who are not travelling to Australia need to meet health or character requirements?
They might. The official page says family members who apply for the visa must meet health and character requirements, and that family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement. The eligibility section adds that family members who do not apply with you might also have to meet the character requirement.