Subclass 602 child applicants: consent, guardianship and PIC 4012/4017/4018 (2026)

For a child under 18 applying for a Medical Treatment visa (Subclass 602), the extra hurdle is a set of public interest criteria that apply only to minors: PIC 4012, 4017 and 4018. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Medical Treatment visa (Subclass 602) page, as at the August 2026 version of that page, satisfying them comes down to an evidence loop with four links — proof of who the child's parents are, proof of legal guardianship where someone other than the biological parents holds it, consent from every person who has a legal right to decide where the child lives but is not travelling in Australia with them, and an undertaking declaration when the child will not be staying with a relative or legal guardian. The Migration Regulations 1994 give the requirement its number; the Home Affairs page gives it its documents.

Where does the under-18 requirement sit in the law?

Clause 602.219 of the Migration Regulations 1994 provides that where the applicant is under 18 at the time of decision, public interest criteria 4012, 4017 and 4018 must be satisfied. The same trio is imposed on secondary applicants by clause 602.312, which also requires PIC 4020 and 4021 — integrity criteria that apply to every applicant, to primary applicants under clause 602.218 and to secondary applicants under clause 602.312.

What do PIC 4012, 4017 and 4018 ask for in practice?

The Department's public page does not reproduce the wording of each criterion. What it does set out is the evidence it expects from an applicant under 18, and that list is where the three criteria take practical shape:

Identity and parentage. A copy of the birth certificate showing the names of both parents.
Guardianship. Where someone other than the biological parents holds legal guardianship — adoptive parents or a court-appointed guardian, for example — proof of that legal guardianship, plus adoption papers or parental court orders where they exist.
Consent. Every person with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling in Australia with the child must consent, on a form or by statutory declaration.
Care arrangements. Where the child is not staying with a relative or legal guardian, an undertaking declaration signed by the person the child will stay with.

Read together, the four items form a closed loop: the file has to show who the child is, who is legally entitled to speak for the child, that each such person agrees to the trip, and who is accountable for the child in Australia.

What if there is no birth certificate?

The official page accepts alternatives where a birth certificate cannot be provided. It asks for identification pages from one of:

a family book showing the names of both parents
an identification document issued by the government
a court-issued document that proves identity
a family census register

The family book is the only alternative that must show the names of both parents; the other options are identification pages from the listed documents.

Who has to consent, and on what form?

Anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives, and who is not travelling in Australia with the child, must complete either:

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 visit Australia on this visa.

Either way, the applicant must also include a document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration — a passport or a driver's licence is given as the example. That extra document is what turns a signature into an identifiable person; without it, the decision-maker cannot match the consent to the holder of the legal right.

The official page does not describe any substitute for consent where a person holding that right cannot be located or refuses to sign. The published wording sets the boundary of what can be evidenced.

When is Form 1257 needed?

Form 1257 – Undertaking declaration is required in addition to the consent material, and only where the child is not staying with a relative or legal guardian while in Australia. The person the child is staying with must sign it.

This is a separate question from consent, and the two are easy to conflate. Consent answers "may the child travel"; the undertaking answers "who is responsible for the child here". A child travelling with one biological parent while the other parent stays behind needs the non-travelling parent's consent but not a Form 1257; a child travelling alone to stay with a family friend needs both.

How the documents map to the criteria

What has to be shown	Document	Who provides it
The child's identity and both parents' names	Birth certificate, or family book, government ID, court identity document, or family census register	The applicant
Who holds legal guardianship	Proof of legal guardianship; adoption papers or parental court orders	The applicant
Agreement to the travel	Form 1229 or a statutory declaration, plus a signed photo ID of the signatory	Each person with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling in Australia with the child
Care arrangements in Australia	Form 1257 – Undertaking declaration	The person the child will stay with, where that person is not a relative or legal guardian

What else still applies to a child's Subclass 602 application?

The under-18 documents sit on top of the ordinary visa requirements, not instead of them. The child still has to meet the purpose requirements of clause 602.211 and one of the limbs of clause 602.212 — for a child coming for treatment, that is the medical treatment limb, which includes having arrangements concluded for the treatment and for payment of all costs, and not having a disease or condition that is a threat to public health. On the evidence side, the official page asks for a letter from the Australian treating doctor covering the medical condition, the treatment required, an estimate of the timeframe and an estimate of the cost; where the applicant applies in Australia and does not hold a substantive visa, Form 1507 Evidence of intended medical treatment is also required.

Three further points matter when preparing a child's file. Each applicant must submit a separate application unless they share a passport. A police certificate may be requested. And the application charge is not refunded if the application is refused.

This article is general information about published requirements, not advice on any individual case, and the way these criteria apply to a particular family's guardianship arrangements can turn on documents this page cannot see — the official wording and, where the position is unclear, a qualified professional's view should govern.

Who is allowed to be paid to prepare it?

The Department's page is explicit that only some people can help with an application for immigration assistance: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Anyone at all can be appointed to receive documents on the applicant's behalf. Form 956 is used to appoint an agent, legal practitioner or exempt person, and Form 956A to appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient; both are uploaded to ImmiAccount.

That distinction is worth keeping in view with a child applicant, because the parents or guardians who sign the consent and the undertaking are usually not the people preparing the visa application, and only the latter question turns on who may charge a fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a child need their own Subclass 602 application?

Yes. The official page states that each applicant must submit a separate application, unless they share a passport. A parent's or accompanying support person's application does not carry the child's under-18 requirements.

Is Form 1229 compulsory, or will a statutory declaration do?

The official page accepts either. A person with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling can complete Form 1229 or a statutory declaration giving consent, and either must be accompanied by a document showing that person's signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence.

Do both parents have to consent if one of them is travelling to Australia with the child?

The rule is directed at people who are not travelling in Australia with the child. A parent who is travelling with the child is not in that group; a parent who stays behind is, and needs Form 1229 or a statutory declaration.

When does Form 1257 become necessary?

It is required in addition to the consent documents, and only where the child is not staying with a relative or legal guardian. The person the child will be staying with must sign the undertaking declaration.

What proves guardianship when the carers are not the biological parents?

The official page requires proof of the legal guardianship held by anyone other than the biological parents — for example adoptive parents or a court-appointed guardian — and asks for adoption papers or parental court orders where they apply.

Are PIC 4012, 4017 and 4018 the only integrity criteria a child applicant faces?

No. Clause 602.218 requires PIC 4020 and 4021 for primary applicants, and clause 602.312 repeats that pair for secondary applicants alongside the under-18 criteria, so the criteria apply to every applicant. PIC 4020 concerns false or misleading information, which is why the identity and consent documents have to be internally consistent.