Subclass 445 to Partner visa PR in 2026: the Form 1002 step that keeps the child lawful

A Subclass 445 (Dependent Child) visa does not convert itself into permanent residence — joining the parent's permanent Partner visa is something the child has to apply for. According to the Department of Home Affairs' Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) official page, as at July 2026, once the visa is granted the child must apply to be added to their parent's permanent Partner visa application, complete Form 1002 (Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa), and submit it before the Department decides the parent's application. That ordering — form first, decision second — is what keeps the child lawful in Australia instead of leaving them without status at the exact moment the parent's permanent visa arrives.

Why doesn't a Subclass 445 visa lead to permanent residence by itself?

Because it was built as a bridge, not a destination. On the Department's own description, the 445 is a temporary visa that starts on grant day and lets the child move to or stay in Australia, travel in and out freely while it remains valid, and work or study. Permission to remain runs out at one specific point: when the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application, or earlier if the parent withdraws it. There is no extension — the guidance states plainly that the holder cannot stay longer in Australia by extending this visa.

What does Form 1002 actually do?

It is the request to move the child onto the parent's permanent Partner visa outcome. Form 1002 is titled "Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa", and the instructions attach one hard timing condition to it: it must be submitted before the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application. The stated reason is direct — submitting in time ensures the child remains lawful in Australia. One further practical consequence is noted on the same page: once the application to add the child has been submitted, the child can enrol in Medicare.

Can the child be outside Australia when Form 1002 is lodged?

That depends entirely on which permanent Partner visa the parent is applying for, because the location requirement differs between the two streams.

Parent's permanent Partner visa application	What the Department requires of the 445 holder
Partner (subclass 100)	The child can be in or outside Australia, and must be members of the family unit
Partner (subclass 801)	The child must be in Australia

Take a hypothetical case: the child is overseas staying with relatives while the parent's 801 application approaches a decision. On the rule above, being outside Australia at that point means the child cannot be added to that 801 application. Under a subclass 100 application, the same child could be included from offshore, provided they are a member of the family unit.

How is Form 1002 lodged?

Two routes are documented:

• ImmiAccount upload — attach the completed form to the parent's Partner visa application in ImmiAccount, then notify the Department using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
• Online fallback — if the form cannot be uploaded to the parent's ImmiAccount application, upload the completed form to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form instead.

The second half of the first route is the part that catches people out: attaching a document in ImmiAccount is not treated as notification. The instructions set out a separate notification step through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form, and skipping it leaves the Department without a clear record that anything was filed.

What happens if the form reaches the Department after the parent's visa is decided?

By then there is often nothing left to join. The 445's permission to stay extends only until the parent's permanent Partner visa application is decided or withdrawn, and the visa cannot be extended, so a child who was never included misses the route the 445 was designed to feed into. The same official page also records that a dependant cannot be added after the application has been decided, which removes any option of fixing it by asking for late inclusion. Because the fallout in that situation turns on a family's own facts — where each person is, how far the parent's application has progressed — this piece is general information only and not advice on an individual case; in those circumstances the Department's published guidance and the view of a suitably registered professional count for far more than any summary. Practically speaking, the family is then looking at a different visa pathway altogether for the child, with the bridge already closed behind them.

What else needs to stay current while the request is pending?

• Changes to the child's passport, the birth of a child, and changes of name are all listed by the Department as things it must be told about.
• Travel during this period adds no extra time: time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa.
• Visa conditions, expiry, and work and study entitlements are recorded in VEVO; the 445 itself is digitally linked to the passport rather than issued as a label, and if the child has not yet entered Australia after grant, they must arrive before the date in the grant letter — that first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the grant date.

Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly does Form 1002 have to be lodged?

It must be submitted before the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application. The official page frames this as the condition for the child remaining lawful in Australia. No later deadline or grace period is set out in that guidance, which is why the practical rule is to lodge at the earliest opportunity after the 445 is granted.

Can the child lodge Form 1002 while overseas?

Yes for a subclass 100 application, provided the child is a member of the family unit. For a subclass 801 application, the child must be in Australia. This location distinction is the clearest difference between the two permanent Partner visa outcomes for a 445 holder.

Does lodging Form 1002 grant the child permanent residence immediately?

No. It is an application to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application, not a separate permanent grant. Until that application is decided, the child's status continues to rest on the 445, which holds until the parent's application is decided or withdrawn. One interim effect noted in the guidance is that the child may enrol in Medicare once the request has been submitted.

Can a dependant be added once the parent's Partner visa has been decided?

Not according to the Department. Its guidance records that a dependant cannot be added after the application has been decided. Combined with the fact that the 445 cannot be extended, there is no mechanism to repair a late Form 1002 on that same application.

What happens if the parent withdraws their permanent Partner visa application?

The 445's permission to stay ends there too. The Department says the child can stay until it decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application or the parent withdraws it. A withdrawal therefore closes the bridge on the same terms as a decision, and again there is no extension available.

How is the Department notified once the form is uploaded?

After the form is attached to the parent's Partner visa application in ImmiAccount, applicants are asked to notify the Department using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. Where an ImmiAccount upload is not possible, the completed form is uploaded through that enquiry form instead. Both routes appear in the same official instructions for this visa.

Does the child need a sponsor, and who can it be?

The published eligibility criteria require the child to be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent's permanent Partner visa application, with sponsorship approved before grant. Stricter rules apply where the sponsor, or their spouse or de facto partner, has a registrable offence: a pending charge means the sponsorship and visa application will be refused, and a conviction can be approved only in very limited circumstances.

Does the Department publish how long any of this takes?

For the subclass 445 application stage, Home Affairs publishes processing-time indications through its visa processing time guide tool, based on recently decided applications. It describes those figures as a guide only and not specific to any individual application, and notes that processing can take longer where forms are incomplete, documents are missing, information takes time to verify, or payment is not made in full at lodgement.

References

Department of Home Affairs — Dependent Child visa (subclass 445)