Subclass 445 holders: adding the child to a parent’s Partner visa (100/801) in 2026
A child holding a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) is not carried into the parent’s permanent Partner visa automatically. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) official page (as of the July 2026 version), once the 445 is granted the child must apply to be added to the parent’s permanent Partner visa application, using Form 1002 – Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa, and must do it before the department decides the parent’s application. There are two lodgement routes: attach the completed form to the parent’s Partner visa application in ImmiAccount and then tell the department through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form, or — if you cannot upload it to that application — upload the completed form through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form itself.
This article is general reference material about published requirements, not advice tailored to one family, and it does not promise any outcome; confirm the current wording on the official pages or with a qualified professional before you lodge.
What does “adding the child” actually change?
The 445 is a bridging arrangement, not an endpoint. The official page describes it as a temporary visa that starts on the date of grant and lets the child stay in Australia until the department decides the parent’s permanent Partner visa application — or until the parent withdraws that application. The visa cannot be extended to buy more time.
The step that moves the child from that temporary footing onto the permanent one is the Form 1002 application to be added to the parent’s permanent Partner visa (subclass 100 or subclass 801) case. A useful side effect, noted on the same page, is that once an application to add the child has been submitted, the child can enrol in Australia’s public healthcare scheme, Medicare.
When does Form 1002 have to be lodged?
Before the parent’s permanent Partner visa application is decided. The official wording is direct: submit the form before the department decides the permanent Partner visa application of the child’s parent, and this is what ensures the child remains lawful in Australia. The 445 page also states the general rule that a dependant cannot be added after the application has been decided.
What the page does not give is a fixed number of days or a warning window. The operative rule is simply “before decision”, so the practical risk is a decision landing while the form is still unsigned, unattached or unacknowledged.
Does the child have to be in Australia?
That depends on which permanent Partner visa the parent is in line for. The two subclasses have different location rules for the 445 holder:
| Parent’s permanent Partner visa | Where the 445 child must be | Other stated condition |
|---|---|---|
| Partner (subclass 100) | In or outside Australia | Must be members of the family unit |
| Partner (subclass 801) | In Australia | — |
Assume a family where the parent’s subclass 801 case is still open and the 445 child is overseas for school: on the published rules, the child would not meet the 801 location condition at that moment, while the same child could still be added to a subclass 100 application from outside Australia. That difference is worth checking before booking travel around the lodgement date.
How do you lodge it through ImmiAccount?
The department sets out a three-part sequence rather than a single upload:
- Complete Form 1002.
- Upload the application to the parent’s Partner visa application in ImmiAccount.
- After attaching the form, tell the department using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
The notification step is part of the method, not an optional courtesy — an attachment inside a large Partner visa file is easy for a case officer to miss, and the enquiry form is the channel the department names for drawing attention to it.
What if you cannot upload to the parent’s ImmiAccount application?
Use the online route: upload the completed form to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. The department frames this as the alternative “if you cannot upload this application to the parent’s Partner visa application in ImmiAccount”, so it covers cases where the parent’s file is not accessible to the person lodging for the child, or where the upload function is not working.
Either way, keep in mind the sponsorship condition attached to the 445: the child must be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent’s permanent Partner visa application, and that sponsorship must be approved before the visa can be granted.
What happens if the parent’s Partner visa is decided first?
The 445 stops running at that point. The child can stay until the department decides the parent’s permanent Partner visa application or the parent withdraws it, and the 445 cannot be extended beyond that. Because a dependant cannot be added after the application has been decided, missing the window does not create a late-add option — it leaves the family looking at a different visa pathway through the department’s visa finder.
What can the child do while the add-on application is pending?
While the 445 is valid, the child can stay in Australia, travel to and from Australia as often as they wish, and work and study from the date the visa was granted; time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa. The grant letter specifies a first entry date, generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant, and the child must enter Australia before that date.
Two other obligations sit in the background: changes such as a new passport, a change of name or the birth of a child must be reported through the department’s change-in-situation process, and visa conditions and expiry should be checked in VEVO.
What does it cost?
The official 445 page does not publish a fixed figure on the page itself; it directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the cost, and notes that the estimator does not include other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Any charge that applies when lodging Form 1002 should be confirmed through that official pricing tool rather than assumed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the child lodge Form 1002 after the parent’s Partner visa is granted?
No. The official rule is that the form must be submitted before the department decides the parent’s permanent Partner visa application, and a dependant cannot be added after the application has been decided. If that window is missed, the next step is a different visa option rather than a late addition.
Can a subclass 445 child outside Australia still be added?
It depends on the parent’s subclass. For a parent’s subclass 100 application the child can be in or outside Australia, provided they are a member of the family unit; for a subclass 801 application the child must be in Australia.
Do I need to do anything after attaching the form in ImmiAccount?
Yes. After you have attached the form to the parent’s Partner visa application in ImmiAccount, the department asks you to tell it using the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. Treat the notification as the second half of the lodgement, not as an extra.
What if the parent’s ImmiAccount application will not accept the upload?
Upload the completed form to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form instead. The department lists this online form as the fallback method when the application cannot be uploaded to the parent’s Partner visa application in ImmiAccount.
Does submitting the add-on application give the child Medicare access?
Yes. The 445 page states that when an application to add the child to the parent’s permanent Partner visa application has been submitted, the child can enrol in Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare scheme.
How long does the child have to enter Australia on the 445?
The child must enter before the date specified in their grant letter, and that first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant. Exact dates should be read from the grant letter and checked in VEVO.
Is there a published fee for Form 1002?
The 445 page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator instead of listing a fixed amount, and warns that the estimator excludes health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Confirm any applicable charge on the official pricing tool before lodging.