Parental responsibility evidence for a child's BVB in 2026: forms, ID and signature requirements

For a child included in a Bridging visa B (BVB) (Subclass 020) application, parental responsibility evidence is a three-part package: consent from every person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not travelling with the child, given either on Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years or by statutory declaration, and a document showing the signature and photo of the person who signed. That is the requirement set out on the Australian Department of Home Affairs Bridging visa B (BVB) (Subclass 020) official page, as at August 2026.

Most refusals and delays in this area are not about whether consent exists in principle, but about whether the paperwork that proves it is complete. The rest of this article follows the order in which you actually assemble the file.

What counts as parental responsibility evidence?

The BVB document list separates consent into three elements, and all three have to be present:

Who consents — anyone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not travelling with the child.
How consent is given — by completing Form 1229, or by making a statutory declaration giving consent for the child to travel on this visa.
How the signer is identified — by including a document bearing that person's signature and photo, with a passport or driver's licence given as the examples.

The consent is attached to the visa decision, not to a particular trip: the official wording asks for consent for the child included on this application to be granted a visa, and for the statutory declaration route, consent for the child to travel on this visa.

Who has to sign — and who does not?

Two conditions apply at the same time. A person must both have a legal right to decide where the child lives and not be travelling with the child. Someone who meets only one of the two is not covered by the requirement.

Assume a parent lodges a BVB application for themselves and a child, and the other person with parental responsibility is staying in Australia. That person must complete Form 1229 or a statutory declaration, and their signature-and-photo document has to be attached. If both people with parental responsibility are travelling on the same application, neither of them needs to give consent to the other — although each still lodges their own identity documents as an applicant.

Which document carries the signature and the photo?

The requirement is not simply "some ID". The document has to show both the signature and the photo of the person who completed the form or declaration. A passport and a driver's licence are the two examples named on the official page.

A practical check follows from that wording: copies that show a photo but no signature, or a signature but no photo, do not do the job on their own. Where a passport is used, the page carrying the photo and personal details and the page carrying the signature are often different, so both belong in the file. Colour copies are the standard the same official page sets for passport pages lodged with a BVB application, and the signer's document should be legible enough to be matched against the signature on the consent.

How is the child's own identity documented?

Every applicant in the application, including a child, is covered by the identity document rules. For the child's current passport, provide colour copies of the pages showing:

the photo
personal details
passport issue and expiry dates

Two additions apply where relevant: a national identity card, if the child has one, and proof of change of name.

Because the child is an applicant in their own right, these are separate from the signer's signature-and-photo document. One does not substitute for the other.

What if the signer's name is not the name on the consent?

Name consistency is the point where parental responsibility files most often break down. If the person signing uses a name that differs from the one on their passport or licence, the official change-of-name documents apply. These include:

a marriage or divorce certificate
change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
documents that show other names the person has been known by

Linking the two names in the file is what lets a decision maker read the consent and the ID as the same person.

Does each family member have to satisfy the BVB criteria separately?

Yes. The official page states that family members can be included in one BVB application, using one application form and one visa application charge, but each member of the family has to meet the requirements for a BVB in their own right. The Migration Regulations 1994, as published on the Federal Register of Legislation, lists Subclass 020 with "Secondary criteria: Nil" and the note that all applicants must satisfy the primary criteria — worth reading against the current legislative text, since consolidated legislation is updated over time.

Two related points from the same official page shape whether a child should be included at all: only family members with substantial reasons for leaving Australia should be included, and family members who do not need to travel can stay in Australia on their current bridging visas.

Where does the consent sit in the rest of the application?

Parental responsibility documents are one part of the evidence set, and they interact with the BVB's timing and lodgement rules:

Timing — apply no more than 3 months, and not less than 2 weeks, before the date you want to travel.
Location — you, and anyone included in the application, must be in Australia when the BVB application is lodged and when the decision is made.
Lodgement channel — if the associated substantive visa was applied for online in ImmiAccount, the BVB must be applied for in ImmiAccount with supporting documents attached; if it was applied for on paper, or if merits or judicial review is involved, the application goes in by webform using Form 1006, and all documents must be attached before submission.
Travel window — a BVB allows travel outside Australia until a set date; if the holder has not returned by that date, the visa ceases and a new visa is needed to return.

What happens if something is missing or wrong?

For online applications, documents that were not attached at lodgement should be attached as soon as possible in ImmiAccount; the department may also ask for further information. For webform applications, the full set has to go in at the time of submission, including the colour passport copies for all applicants.

Incorrect answers are handled separately: the official page directs applicants to notify the department of mistakes on the application and points to Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. The same page also states that the department does not give updates on application processing times.

None of the above is advice about an individual case. It is general information about how the published requirements fit together; the current Home Affairs page and the legislation are the authority, and family and custody arrangements vary enough that a person's own situation should be checked against up-to-date official wording or with a qualified professional before lodging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the parent who is travelling also need to complete Form 1229?

No. The consent requirement applies to a person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not travelling with the child. A parent who is included in the same application and travelling with the child still lodges their own identity documents as an applicant, but does not give consent to themselves.

Can a statutory declaration be used instead of Form 1229?

Yes. The official BVB document list gives a choice: Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, or a statutory declaration giving consent for the child to travel on this visa. Whichever route is used, the signature-and-photo document of the person who completed it still has to be included.

Which passport pages should be copied for the person giving consent?

The document included must show that person's signature and photo, so the copy has to cover the pages that carry both. The colour-copy standard the official page sets for passport pages applies, and the copy should be clear enough for the signature to be compared with the one on the consent.

Is a driver's licence acceptable if the consenting person has no passport?

Yes. Passport and driver's licence are the two examples named in the parental responsibility requirements on the BVB page. The test is that the document carries the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration.

Does the child need their own identity documents as well?

Yes. Every applicant included in the application needs colour copies of the pages of their current passport showing photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if they have one. These are separate from the consenting person's signature-and-photo document.

What if the other person with parental responsibility cannot be located?

The parental responsibility requirement as published covers anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling, and the BVB document list does not set out a substitute for that consent. Because custody arrangements differ, this is one of the points where the current official wording and, where needed, professional guidance should be relied on rather than a general article.