Subclass 445: proving a child over 18 is still dependent — evidence and refusal risks 2026

A child who has turned 18 can still be granted a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), but only on the condition the Australian Department of Home Affairs states plainly: they must be financially dependent on the parent who holds the temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820) or a subclass 445, and that dependency has to be for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing. According to the Department of Home Affairs Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) official page, as at the July 2026 official page, an over-18 applicant must also show how long the support has been provided, and the page names bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts as examples. A second route exists for an adult child who cannot work: the Department's document checklist asks for evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops the applicant from working.

What does "dependent" mean once a child is over 18?

The age criterion is written as a two-branch test. The child must be either under 18, or over 18 and financially dependent on the parent who holds the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa. There is no third branch on the official page: enrolment or full-time study is not listed as an alternative to financial dependency, so a child who is studying but funding themselves does not meet the branch by reason of study alone.

The Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 describe the dependent child test in more detail — a child or step-child who is unmarried, not in a de facto relationship, and either under 18, or over 18 and financially dependent or incapacitated for work through loss of bodily or mental functions. PAM3 also lists the qualifying parent visas as subclasses 309, 310, 445, 820 and 826, a wider set than the three on the Department's page. Where the two differ, the Department's current page governs what you should lodge against; PAM3 is policy for decision makers rather than law, and officers may depart from policy in an individual case.

This is general information about how the criteria are written, not advice on any one family's case; the outcome turns on the documents actually before the decision maker, so the current official page and, where a case is genuinely uncertain, a registered migration agent or legal practitioner should have the final say.

What evidence does the Department actually ask for?

The Department's list is illustrative — "evidence could include" — so the test is whether the documents together show continuing reliance on the parent for basic needs, not whether a particular item is present.

Evidence	What it needs to establish
Bank statements	The child's day-to-day outgoings are met by the parent's money rather than the child's own income
Money transfers	A repeating pattern of support over time, rather than a single transfer made for the application
Rent receipts	Shelter is being paid for by, or on behalf of, the child
Medical practitioner evidence	A total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops the applicant from working

Duration is part of the requirement, not an afterthought: the official page asks for evidence of dependency "and how long this support has been provided". A folder of records covering a few weeks reads very differently from statements and transfers running across the period the child has been over 18.

Suppose an applicant over 18 lives with the parent, has no earnings, and the parent's account shows a monthly transfer that covers rent and groceries, with the tenancy in the parent's name. That is the shape of the case the criterion describes. Contrast a child who works full time, pays market rent to a third party, and receives occasional birthday transfers — the same document types exist, but they point the other way.

Does dependency get tested again while the application is pending?

Yes, and this is where adult-child applications most often come apart. The Regulations require the applicant to be a dependent child at the time of application (clause 445.211) and to continue to be a dependent child at the time of decision (clause 445.222). Dependency is a state that has to hold from lodgement through to grant.

PAM3 sets out the six-month verification approach behind that: where an over-18 applicant has been assessed as dependent and the assessment is not more than six months old, policy treats dependency as continuing; beyond six months, the decision maker takes reasonable steps to confirm there has been no material change. In practice that means starting a full-time job, moving into independent accommodation, marrying or entering a de facto relationship during processing does not sit quietly in the file — the obligation to notify changes of circumstances applies, and unreported changes are a problem in their own right.

What else can sink a subclass 445 application?

Dependency is usually the contested element, but it is not the only way an application fails.

Sponsorship. The child must be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent's permanent Partner visa application, and the sponsorship must be approved before the visa can be granted. A pending registrable offence charge against the sponsor, or their spouse or de facto partner, means the sponsorship and the visa application must be refused; a conviction can be approved only in very limited circumstances.
The parent's visa status. At the time of decision the parent must continue to hold a qualifying temporary visa. If the parent's permanent Partner visa has already been granted, that criterion cannot be met — a real risk when a 445 is lodged late in the parent's own processing.
Health and character. The child, and any dependent children applying with them, must meet the health requirement; applicants aged 16 and over must meet the character requirement, with police certificates from every country where they have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, issued under AFP Code 33 and valid for 12 months. PAM3 records health as assessed against the permanent visa standard.
The Australian values statement. Applicants aged 18 or over must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet and sign the statement.
One fails, all fail. Family members who are not travelling with the child can still have to meet health and character requirements, and the Regulations' "one fails, all fail" provisions mean a family member's problem can defeat the whole application.
Validity and money. The application must be on the correct form, lodged the correct way and paid for before it is posted; the Department states the application charge is not refunded if the application is refused.

How is the application actually lodged?

Subclass 445 is a paper application. Applicants complete Form 918 and send it by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with correct prepaid postage, proof that the application charge has been paid, and the supporting documents. Forms must be completed in English, only certified copies should be sent rather than originals, and an application submitted at another office or in another way is invalid and will not be considered further.

Only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee or reward; anyone can be appointed to receive documents on the applicant's behalf. The relevant appointment forms are Form 956 for assistance and Form 956A for an authorised recipient. Once a paper application is acknowledged it can be imported into ImmiAccount to upload documents and track status; the Department does not provide progress updates within global visa processing times. If the child applied onshore, a bridging visa starts if their current visa expires before the decision.

What happens after the 445 is granted?

The visa is not an end point. The child must apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application once the 445 is granted — the Department states this as part of the eligibility criteria, and PAM3 describes it as being done on Form 1002 before the parent's permanent visa is decided. The 445's validity is tied to the parent's temporary visa, so once the parent's permanent visa is granted the 445 route ends; Later options for a child include subclass 101 (offshore) or 802 (onshore), which impose materially stricter conditions for adult children, and those conditions should be checked against current official guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a child over 18 still be granted a subclass 445 visa in 2026?

Yes, if they are financially dependent on the parent who holds the temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820) or a subclass 445, and the dependency is for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. The Department of Home Affairs also asks how long that support has been provided, so evidence of duration matters as much as evidence of the arrangement itself.

What counts as financial dependency for an over-18 applicant?

The Department's page frames it as reliance on the parent for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing — rather than occasional help. Bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts are named as examples, and the strength of the case comes from a continuing pattern rather than a single payment.

Does being a full-time student make an adult child dependent?

Not by itself on the official page, which offers only the over-18 financial dependency branch and the medical practitioner route for a person who cannot work because of loss of mental or body function. Study may explain why a child has no income, but the documents still have to show the parent is meeting basic needs.

If dependency was proven at lodgement, does it need proving again?

Yes. Clause 445.222 requires the applicant to continue to be a dependent child at the time of decision, and PAM3 describes a six-month verification approach in which an older dependency assessment prompts the decision maker to check for material change. Keeping records current through processing is therefore part of the application, not an optional extra.

What if the parent's permanent Partner visa is granted while the 445 is pending?

The parent must continue to hold a qualifying temporary visa at the time of decision, so the grant of the parent's permanent visa removes the basis for the 445. This is why timing relative to the parent's own application is one of the practical risks in adult-child cases.

Can an adult child with a disability qualify without financial dependency evidence?

The Department's checklist for applicants over 18 with disability asks for evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops the applicant from working. That is a distinct evidentiary route, but it does not displace the need to satisfy the other criteria, including sponsorship, health and character.

Is the application charge refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The Department states that the application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused.