Step-by-step: adding a child to the Partner visa PR journey with Subclass 445 in 2026
Where Subclass 445 fits in a Partner visa PR timeline: paper lodgement, documents, bridging visa and the steps after grant.
A child is not automatically carried along on a parent's Partner visa paperwork. Where a parent holds a temporary Partner visa and their permanent Partner visa application is still undecided, the Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445) is what bridges the gap: it lets the child move to or stay in Australia until the parent's permanent Partner visa application is decided, and once it is granted the child must apply to be added to that permanent application. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) official page, the child applies on paper using Form 918, the application goes to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, and the fee must be paid before posting.
Below is the sequence as it actually plays out inside a Partner visa permanent residence (PR) pathway, from deciding whether 445 is the right instrument through to the grant and the handover to the parent's permanent application.
Where does Subclass 445 sit in the Partner visa timeline?
Think of 445 as a holding visa with one job: keeping the child lawfully in Australia for the stretch between the parent's temporary Partner stage and the decision on the parent's permanent Partner visa application. It is temporary, it starts on the date of grant, and it runs until the permanent application is decided or withdrawn. It cannot be extended to buy more time.
| Stage | What covers the child | What has to happen |
|---|---|---|
| Parent holds a temporary Partner visa, permanent application pending | The child needs their own visa | Lodge a 445 application; the child may be in or outside Australia when it is submitted |
| 445 lodged while the child is onshore | A bridging visa is granted; it activates if the current visa expires before the decision | Keep the child lawful while the application is processed |
| 445 granted | Child can stay, work, study and travel | Apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application |
| Added to the parent's permanent application | Child can enrol in Medicare | Wait for the permanent decision |
| Permanent application decided or withdrawn | The 445 comes to an end | Explore other visa options; the 445 itself cannot be extended |
The point where families most often lose time is the third row: the 445 grant is not the end of the process. It is followed by a separate step of being added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application, and only after that application has been submitted does Medicare enrolment open up.
Who has to lodge separately, and who can be included?
Each of the child's siblings must apply for this visa separately — there is no family-group 445 application for brothers and sisters. The child's own dependent children are different: they can be included on the child's application when it is lodged, or added at any time before a decision is made. Dependent children of the child who apply for the visa must meet the health requirement, and family members who are not coming to Australia may also have to meet it.
If a baby is born after the application is lodged, that is handled as a change in circumstances rather than as a fresh 445 case.
What documents does the child's application need?
The core set is identity, relationship and character evidence, with extra material triggered by the child's age and circumstances.
| Situation | Additional evidence required |
|---|---|
| Child over 16 | Police certificates for every country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment) |
| Child over 18 at time of application | Evidence of dependency on the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing — and how long that support has been provided |
| Applicant over 18 with disability | Evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of a total or partial loss of mental or bodily function that stops them from working |
| Anyone included who served in the armed forces of any country | Military service records or discharge papers |
For all applicants, provide the pages of the child's current passport showing their photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if they have one and proof of any change of name (for example, documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority).
Relationship to the parent is proved with documents such as a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, an adoption certificate, or a family status certificate or family book if it is officially issued and maintained.
Four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm) are required for the child and for any other dependent child included in the application. They must be less than six months old, good-quality colour rather than laser copies, showing the full face against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable, and a head covering worn for religious reasons may show only the face.
Two points that catch people out on evidence: police certificates for immigration purposes are valid for 12 months from the issue date, and only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted — state and territory police certificates and standard disclosure certificates are not. Financial dependency evidence for an over-18 child can be built from bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts.
How is the application lodged, and what makes it valid?
This visa must be applied for on paper. Complete Form 918 (Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child) in English and send it by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth:
- By post: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865, AUSTRALIA
- By courier: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005, AUSTRALIA
Correct prepaid postage must be included. The application charge has to be paid before posting, and the package must contain proof of that payment and all relevant supporting documents — the Department does not process an application until the charge is paid. Lodging at any other office, or in any other way, means the application is not valid and will not be considered further; applications cannot be submitted in person. If any of the steps are incomplete, the application may be invalid, and the Department will notify the applicant and, if requested, return it.
Send certified copies only — never original documents — and keep a full copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. If someone is acting on the child's behalf, that is declared on the paper application: Form 956A to nominate an authorised recipient for correspondence, Form 956 to appoint a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to give immigration assistance.
What happens after lodgement, and how does the child stay lawful?
You should receive an acknowledgement of the application, together with advice about any associated bridging visa, within approximately one month after lodgement. Once that letter arrives, the paper application can be imported into ImmiAccount using the application ID, the child's date of birth and their identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage). Importing it unlocks online services: attaching supporting documents, viewing messages, updating details, checking status, applying for a Bridging Visa and withdrawing the application. Any new or existing application for this visa made in Australia can be imported.
On lawful status, the sequence for an onshore applicant is straightforward but worth being explicit about. When a child applies for this visa in Australia, they are granted a bridging visa. If their current visa expires before the Department decides the application, the bridging visa starts, and the child can remain in Australia on it while the new application is processed. The obligation is to ensure the child holds a valid visa throughout processing.
Two related traps. First, if the child applied onshore and travels overseas during processing, they need a valid visa to return to Australia. Second, the Department does not provide progress updates within global visa processing times — it makes contact only if something further is needed or when the outcome is ready.
Health examinations and biometrics are requested by the Department when required rather than arranged upfront. Additional documents can be uploaded to ImmiAccount; where ImmiAccount is not usable, they go through the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form. Errors in the application are corrected with Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers) as soon as they are spotted.
What has to happen once the 445 is granted?
The grant is a checkpoint, not a finish line. The child must apply to be added to their parent's permanent Partner visa application, and it is the submission of that application — not the 445 grant itself — that allows the child to enrol in Medicare.
While on the 445, the child can stay in Australia, travel to and from Australia as often as they wish, work and study, and attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa. The visa is digitally linked to the child's passport, so no visa label is issued, and the child and any family members granted the visa must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
One deadline to diarise: the child must enter Australia before the date specified in the grant letter, and that first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
For an indication of timing, the global visa processing times tool shows processing times for recently decided applications; it is a guide only and not specific to any one application. Processing can take longer where the form is not filled in correctly, required documents are missing or more information is needed, information takes time to verify, or full payment was not made at initial lodgement. If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the application cannot be processed and may be returned.
On cost, the Department's page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for subclass 445 rather than stating a figure, and the estimator does not include the other likely costs — health checks, police certificates and biometrics. There is a charge for each dependent child who applies with the main applicant. Figures and processing times change over time, and this article is general information only rather than personalised advice for any one family; check the Department's current published amounts and processing data, and consider professional advice where a case has complications such as an over-18 dependent child, a disability, or a child born after lodgement.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through a valid passport issued by one of the specified countries, and family members are eligible for the lower cost based on the primary applicant's passport:
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
What changes have to be reported while the application is pending?
Changes that must be notified include changes to the child's phone number, email, address or passport, changes to the child's relationship status, the birth of a child, and a decision to withdraw the application. If a representative's role changes — stopping them from receiving correspondence or providing immigration advice — that is done with Form 956A or Form 956 respectively, uploaded through ImmiAccount where the application has been imported.
What does the decision look like?
The child can be inside or outside Australia when the decision is made, and the decision is given in writing; keep a copy of it. If the visa is granted, the notice sets out the visa grant number, the date the visa starts and any visa conditions. If it is refused, the notice explains why and whether there is a right to a review of the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the child apply for Subclass 445 from outside Australia?
Yes. The child can be in or outside Australia when the visa application is submitted, and they can also be in or outside Australia when the decision is made. If they apply from outside and the visa is granted, they must enter Australia before the date in the grant letter, generally 12 months from the date of grant.
Does each child in the family need a separate 445 application?
Each of the child's siblings must apply for this visa separately. The child's own dependent children are treated differently: they can be included in the child's application at the time of lodgement or added at any time before a decision is made, and they must meet the health requirement.
What happens if the child's current visa expires while the 445 is being processed?
When a child applies for this visa in Australia, they are granted a bridging visa. If their current visa expires before the Department decides the application, the bridging visa starts and the child can stay in Australia on it while the application is processed. The continuing obligation is to hold a valid visa at all times during processing.
Can the child travel overseas while the 445 application is being processed?
If the child applied while onshore and wants to travel overseas during processing, they need a valid visa to return to Australia. Once the 445 is granted, the child can travel to and from Australia as often as they wish while it is valid, though time outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Does the child get Medicare as soon as the 445 is granted?
Not on the grant itself. Medicare enrolment becomes available once an application to add the child to their parent's permanent Partner visa application has been submitted. Until then, families should not assume public health cover is in place.
Can the child stay on the 445 after the parent's permanent Partner application is decided?
No. The child can stay until the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application or the parent withdraws that application. The 445 cannot be extended to stay longer; other visa options would need to be explored.
Is the fee refunded if the 445 application is refused?
No. The Department states that the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. The refusal notice will set out the reasons and whether there is a right to a review of the decision.