Proving dependency for children over 18 and over 23 on a 2026 subclass 173 application

A child under 18 included in a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) application only has to prove identity, the relationship to you, and character if asked. An adult child also has to prove dependency — and the proof changes sharply at 23. As at the August 2026 version of the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) page, a dependent child must fall into one of three bands: under 18; over 18 but not yet turned 23 and dependent on you or your partner; or over 23, unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner.

What does the subclass 173 page actually require for a dependent child over 18?

The standard is stated as a definition, not as a checklist of documents. The department's Subclass 173 page sets out the three age bands above, then lists what must be lodged for every dependant aged 18 or over who applies with you:

identity documents
evidence of your relationship with them, for example a birth or marriage certificate
documents about their other relationships, if applicable
character documents
proof of dependency.

The last item is the one that carries the case. Nothing on the page describes what "proof of dependency" must consist of, which is why applications in this area turn on whether the documents actually speak to the test being applied.

How is dependency different before 23 and after 23?

Two different questions are being asked, and mixing them up is the most common drafting error.

Age band	Standard on the official page	What the evidence has to establish
Over 18, not yet turned 23	Dependent on you or your partner	Financial and everyday reliance on the parent, at the time it is assessed
Over 23	Unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner	A physical or cognitive limitation, that this limitation is why they cannot earn a living, and continuing reliance on the parent

Under the Migration Regulations 1994 text published on legislation.gov.au, a secondary applicant must also continue to be a member of the family unit of the main applicant at the time of decision (clause 173.321), so dependency is not treated as a snapshot taken at lodgement.

Note the structure of the second band: it is cumulative. Reaching 23 does not end dependency; it adds a causation requirement. Evidence of money transfers alone addresses only one half of the test for a child over 23.

What documents should dependency evidence cover?

The department's page names "proof of dependency" without prescribing an approved list, so the following is general practice framing rather than an official schedule, and no single document type settles the question. This article describes published requirements only and is not advice on any individual case — the weight given to any document depends on facts the department will test, so read it against the current official page.

For a child aged 18 to 22, evidence is generally built around the flow of support: who pays for housing, food, study and medical costs, whose household the child lives in, and whether that reliance is continuing rather than occasional or historic. Documentary sources typically used to demonstrate such patterns include transfer records, statements, lease or household records, and school or enrolment records showing the parent as the responsible party. The common failure mode here is a file that shows affection or family closeness — photographs, holiday records, occasional gifts — without showing the child actually relying on the parent.

For a child over 23, assume the file needs two distinct bodies of evidence that are clearly cross-referenced:

Capacity evidence — material addressing the physical or cognitive limitation and its functional effect on the ability to work or earn an income.
Dependency evidence — material showing the child relies on you or your partner for their living costs because they cannot earn a living themselves.

The second band is where "disability evidence" (in the department's own wording on the page, "dependent on you due to disability") is doing real work. Because the page frames the test around the inability to earn a living, the most useful evidence tends to connect the limitation to earning capacity rather than merely recording a diagnosis.

My child may turn 23 while the application is waiting — what changes?

This is dealt with explicitly. The official Subclass 173 page states that if your child is likely to turn 23 while the application is processed, you will need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability.

The practical consequence is that the decision about what to lodge is made at lodgement, not when the birthday passes. Suppose an applicant lodges with a 22-year-old child and supplies only financial dependency evidence; under the stated rule, that child is expected to cross the threshold during processing, so disability-related dependency evidence should be prepared at the outset rather than added later. The page directs readers to the department's Parent visa queue release dates page for processing time information.

There is no age-based evidentiary exception stated anywhere on the page for a child just under the threshold at lodgement.

Which forms cover adult dependent children?

Every member of the family aged 18 or over must complete Form 47A Details of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over, including family members who are not migrating. That obligation applies even where no dependency claim is being made, which is easy to miss when the focus is entirely on gathering dependency evidence for one child.

The lodging package around it is paper-based, since online lodgement is not available for this temporary contributory visa:

Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia for the main applicant
Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia for the sponsor
Form 47A for each family member aged 18 or over.

All forms must be completed in English. Where a change needs to be reported after lodgement — for example an error in a form — the page identifies Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. A family member can potentially be added before a decision is made using Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, together with evidence of the relationship and a copy of that person's passport.

Does dependency have to survive until the decision?

Yes, in substance. Clause 173.321 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires a secondary applicant, unless they are a contributory parent newborn child, to continue to be a member of the family unit of a person who holds or has held the Subclass 173 visa at the time of decision. Clause 173.312 requires that sponsorship extend to secondary applicants.

The department's own after-lodgement instructions point the same way operationally: applicants must notify changes of relationship status and family composition, including the birth of a child. A file assembled for the dependency question therefore ages badly if nothing in it is dated to the period in which the decision is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an under-18 child need dependency evidence?

No. For each dependant under 18 included in the application, the official Subclass 173 page asks for identity documents, proof of the relationship such as a birth or marriage certificate, and character documents if applicable. Dependency evidence is only listed for dependants aged 18 or over.

My 22-year-old works part-time. Are they automatically excluded?

The published test for a child over 18 but not yet turned 23 is simply "dependent on you or your partner"; the page sets no income threshold or earnings limit. Whether earnings displace dependency is assessed on the whole picture, so a part-time job is a factor rather than an automatic exclusion.

What does "unable to earn a living" depend on for a child over 23?

It rests on physical or cognitive limitations, and on those limitations being the reason the child cannot support themselves. Evidence has to address the limitation, its effect on earning capacity, and continuing reliance on you or your partner.

Is a diagnosis enough on its own?

Treating a diagnosis as sufficient risks leaving half the test unaddressed. The department's standard is inability to earn a living arising from the limitation plus dependency, so a bare diagnosis does not demonstrate functional effect or financial reliance.

My child turns 23 next year. Should I lodge disability dependency evidence now?

If the child is likely to turn 23 while the application is processed, the official page requires evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability. Preparing it at lodgement avoids a gap that only appears months later.

Do I need Form 47A for children who are not migrating?

Yes. Each family member aged 18 or over must complete Form 47A even if they are not migrating. It is a separate obligation from dependency evidence, and completing the form itself does not make someone a dependent applicant.

Can I add an adult child to the application after I lodge?

The official page states that family members might be added before a decision is made, using Form 1436 along with evidence of the relationship and a copy of the family member's passport. Dependency evidence would still be needed if that person is claimed as a dependent child aged 18 or over.