My Child Turns 23 During My Subclass 103 Wait: Can They Still Be a Dependent in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Turning 23 does not automatically remove your child from a Parent visa (Subclass 103) application, but it does change the test they have to meet. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Parent visa (Subclass 103) page, a dependent child over 23 can still be included only if they are unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and are dependent on you or your partner. Age alone is no longer enough once they pass 23; the child must also be unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and must be dependent on you or your partner.

The same page deals directly with the queue problem that creates this situation: if your child is likely to turn 23 while the application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability. With Parent visa applications subject to capping and queueing and assessed in two stages, children listed as dependants at lodgement can cross this line long before a decision is reached.

This article is general information only and is not personalised professional advice; because the outcome depends on individual medical and financial circumstances, check the current official requirements or speak with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner about your own case.

What are the three ways a child can count as a dependent?

Home Affairs sets out three dependent child categories for Subclass 103:

Child's situation	Requirement to be included as a dependent child
Under 18	Relationship evidence; no dependency test
Over 18 but not yet turned 23	Must be dependent on you or your partner
23 or over	Must be unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner

The jump from the second row to the third is the one that catches families in long queues. Dependency between 18 and 23 is a normal financial-dependence question. After 23, two separate conditions must both be met: the child must be unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and must also be dependent on you or your partner — which is why proof of dependency is still listed as a required document.

Why does the 103 queue make this question so common?

The Parent visa (Subclass 103) page states that demand for Parent visas exceeds the places available each year, so applications are capped and queued and processed in the order received. Assessment happens in two stages: an initial assessment to decide whether to add the application to the queue or refuse it, and then a final assessment as places become available.

That structure means the time between lodgement and final assessment is measured in years, not months. A child who is 19 when you lodge comfortably satisfies the second row of the table; by the time your application leaves the queue, they may be well past 23 and inside the third row instead.

What happens if my child turns 23 while we are waiting?

The Home Affairs page anticipates exactly this: if your child is likely to turn 23 while the application is processed, you need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability. In practice, the file has to be able to answer the over-23 test at the point of decision, not just the under-23 test at the point of lodgement.

It also means the dependency evidence you lodged for an 18-to-22-year-old may no longer be the right evidence. University enrolment or the fact that a young adult lives at home answers the question "are they dependent on you"; it does not answer "are they unable to earn a living because of a physical or cognitive limitation".

What documents do we need for a dependent child aged 18 or over?

For every dependant 18 years of age or older applying with you, the Parent visa (Subclass 103) page lists:

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 "proof of dependency" line is the one that carries the weight here. Its content shifts with age: general financial dependence for someone under 23, and dependence linked to physical or cognitive limitations for someone 23 or over who cannot earn a living. Four recent passport-size photographs are also required for anyone included in the application.

Can I add my child to the application later?

Home Affairs says you might be able to add family members before a decision is made, using Form 1436 "Adding an additional applicant after lodgement". You also need to give evidence of your relationship and a copy of the family member's passport. A dependent child can be in or outside Australia when you add them.

Two cautions follow from the rules already described. Adding a child does not exempt them from the dependent child definition, so a child added after they turn 23 still has to meet the disability-based test. And the department must be told about changes in your situation, including changes to family composition, as well as changes to contact details, passport and relationship status; the page also points to Form 1023 "Notification of incorrect answers" for correcting mistakes.

What if I applied through the retiree pathway?

Different rules apply. If you apply for Subclass 103 as a retiree under the Retirement visa pathway, you cannot include your children — or your partner's children — in your application. The retiree pathway also removes the sponsor, Assurance of Support and balance of family test requirements for you, and you may include your partner only if they are also a Retirement visa or Investor Retirement visa holder. For a retiree applicant, a child's age and dependency evidence are therefore not the issue; there is no child place on the application to contest.

What about health, character and family members who are not migrating?

Family members who apply for the visa must meet Australia's health and character requirements, and non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet them. Details of all family members go in the application form even if they are not migrating. Health examinations are requested when the department needs them, and police certificates should not be arranged until asked. So a child's inclusion raises the same health and character questions as any other applicant member, plus the dependency question specific to their age.

Should we switch to a contributory parent visa instead?

The Parent visa (Subclass 103) page lists the alternatives without presenting them as the better choice. The Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143) is permanent and may be processed faster but costs more, and Contributory Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 173) followed by Subclass 143 spreads a higher total cost across two stages. If you switch, the date you originally applied for Subclass 103 is taken into account for the new application, and switching will not disadvantage you. One applicant changing their application does not affect the other.

For a family whose main worry is a child ageing past 23, shorter processing time is relevant to that risk, but cost is the trade-off described on the same page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child still be a dependent after turning 23?

Yes, but only if they are unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and are dependent on you or your partner. Being a full-time student or simply financially reliant is not sufficient once they have turned 23.

What should I do if my child will turn 23 during processing?

Home Affairs states that if your child is likely to turn 23 while the application is processed, you must provide evidence they are dependent on you due to disability. Preparing that evidence early avoids a request arriving at the final-assessment stage.

Is the disability test based on the Australian government's definition of disability?

The Parent visa (Subclass 103) page frames it as an inability to earn a living to support oneself due to physical or cognitive limitations, together with dependency on you or your partner. It does not refer to a specific disability scheme or certification, so the practical question is whether the evidence shows both halves.

Does adding my child later avoid the age problem?

No. Form 1436 can add family members before a decision, but a dependent child still has to satisfy the same dependent child definition at that point, including the over-23 disability-based test if they have already turned 23.

Can a retiree-pathway applicant include an adult dependent child?

No. Retiree applicants cannot include their children or their partner's children in a Subclass 103 application; only a partner who also holds a Retirement or Investor Retirement visa can be included.

Do non-migrating dependants still have to meet requirements?

Family members who apply for the visa must meet health and character requirements, and non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet them. All family members must still be listed in the application form even if they are not migrating.

Will the department tell us before asking for more evidence?

Home Affairs says it will let you know if anything more is needed, that it does not provide progress updates within normal processing times, and that further documents can be uploaded through ImmiAccount or sent with the Parent visa processing centre form.