What proves a child is a settled Australian citizen, PR or eligible New Zealand citizen for subclass 173 in 2026?

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173), as of August 2026 you must have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian Permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Clause 173.211 (Subclass 173) of the Migration Regulations 1994 expresses the same requirement as the applicant being "a parent of a person (the child) who is: (a) a settled Australian citizen; or (b) a settled Australian permanent resident; or (c) a settled eligible New Zealand citizen." So the paper proof has to do three jobs at once: show the parent–child link, show which of the three statuses the child holds, and show that the child is settled in that status. This article is general information only and not personalised professional advice; any individual case should be checked against the latest official information or appropriate professional opinion rather than a general explanation.

What does clause 173.211 require the child to be?

The three alternatives are alternatives: meeting any one of them is enough. In the wording of the clause, "settled" is attached to each limb rather than standing alone, so a status certificate alone does not carry the clause; it has to be paired with evidence that the person is settled in that status. The Regulations text also links this condition forward through clause 173.221, which is recorded as requiring the applicant to continue to satisfy clause 173.211 at the time of decision, so the child's qualifying status is not only a question for the day you apply.

What proves the parent–child relationship?

The Regulations' own checklist groups proof of the relationship as documents such as the parent–child birth certificate, with marriage or de facto relationship certificates where they are relevant to the parental relationship being claimed. In practice you need a civil registration record that names you as the parent of the child on whom the application relies. The step-child language used for the balance of family test is a different criterion, assessed under clause 173.213 and regulation 1.05, and does not define "parent" for clause 173.211.

What documents prove each of the three statuses?

The Regulations checklist names examples for each limb. In every row, the status paper has to travel with separate evidence of being settled, because the clause attaches "settled" to citizenship, permanent residence and eligible New Zealand citizenship alike.

Child's qualifying status under clause 173.211	Status example named in the Regulations checklist	Also required in the wider checklist
Settled Australian citizen	citizenship certificate	evidence of being settled, identity documents, relationship proof
Settled Australian permanent resident	evidence of permanent residence	evidence of being settled, identity documents, relationship proof
Settled eligible New Zealand citizen	evidence of New Zealand citizenship	evidence of being settled, identity documents, relationship proof

These are the examples given in the Regulations checklist, not necessarily a closed list; the Department's eligibility text restates the three-status condition without repeating the document examples. The structural point is that each limb needs two things at minimum: the status paper and the settled paper.

What proves the child is "settled"?

The Department's eligibility text, as of August 2026, says your sponsor must be settled and usually resident in Australia, and 18 years or older. For fuller sponsors rules, the page instructs readers to change the switch at the top right of the page to “Sponsors.” Neither the Department's page nor the Migration Regulations 1994 clause sets out a closed definition of "settled" or a single conclusive certificate for it; the Regulations checklist refers to evidence of being settled without enumerating its contents. Because of that gap, treat settled-status proof as dependent on the Department's current sponsors guidance, and read the rest of this article as general information rather than a personalised legal answer.

Who provides the sponsorship evidence if the child cannot sponsor?

If the child is 18 or older, the child normally sponsors you; the Regulations text also allows the child's spouse or de facto partner to sponsor, provided that person meets the 18-year and settled-status conditions. If the child is under 18, the child may still be the person relied on for clause 173.211, but sponsorship can come from the child's spouse or de facto partner (subject to conditions), or from a relative or guardian who is 18 or older and holds a settled status, or from a community organisation. The official page confirms that an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor you when your child is under 18. The checklist adds detailed identity and relationship proof for these substitute sponsors, such as guardian or relative evidence and community organisation qualification documents, and requires the sponsor's identity documents, a sponsorship statement and the sponsorship approval letter, because the Department must approve the sponsorship.

How does this evidence fit the rest of the application?

The documents above answer clause 173.211 only. Other criteria have their own evidence and are outside the question of how you prove the child's settled status. For example, the balance of family test under clause 173.213 calls for separate evidence such as birth certificates for all children and proof of their country of residence and identity, so the birth records gathered for that test are not automatically the same as the parent–child proof needed for clause 173.211.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need my child to be an Australian citizen to meet clause 173.211?

No. The Department's page, as of August 2026, accepts an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian Permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Clause 173.211 lists the same three limbs, so permanent residence can qualify on its own without citizenship.

Can a citizenship certificate alone prove the child's status?

Not by itself, because clause 173.211 attaches "settled" to each limb. The Regulations checklist pairs the status example with separate evidence of being settled, alongside identity and relationship documents. A citizenship certificate is one example of the status paper, not the whole answer.

What counts as settled evidence for an Australian permanent resident child?

Neither the Department of Home Affairs subclass 173 page nor the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out a closed definition of “settled” or a single accepted form of evidence; the subclass 173 document checklist refers to evidence of being settled without listing its contents. The Department's rule also requires sponsors to be settled and usually resident in Australia, so the precise proof should be taken from the latest official sponsors guidance.

Does my child have to be the sponsor?

Usually yes if the child is 18 or older, and the official page says an eligible child normally sponsors you. If the child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation can sponsor you instead, without removing the need to prove the child's own qualifying status.

Do I still prove the child's status if the child is under 18?

Yes. Clause 173.211 is about the child's own status as a settled citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and the child being a minor only changes who may act as sponsor. The same status documents, relationship proof and settled evidence are still needed.

Is status evidence reused for the balance of family test?

Partly, but not entirely. The balance of family test has separate evidence: the Regulations checklist names birth certificates for all children and proof of their country of residence and identity for that test. It is assessed under clause 173.213 and regulation 1.05, not under clause 173.211.