Australia Subclass 445 for adult children in 2026: dependency, disability and study evidence
Yes — a child who has already turned 18 can still be granted a Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), but only through a narrower test than the one that applies to younger children. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official page for the Dependent Child visa (subclass 445), as of the July 2026 version of that page, an applicant must be either under 18, or over 18 and financially dependent on the parent who holds the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa. A separate evidence route exists for an adult applicant with a disability: a report from a qualified medical practitioner confirming a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops them from working. This article sets out the published rules for general reference; it is not advice on any individual case, and the Department's current official page — or a qualified practitioner — remains the authority for a specific application.
Who must the adult child be dependent on?
The dependency has to run to a parent who holds one of a short list of visas. The official page names the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309), the Partner visa (subclass 820), and the Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) itself. The Migration Regulations 1994 (clause 445.111) and the Department's PAM3 guidance describe the same "visa-holding parent" concept as covering subclasses 309, 310, 445, 820 and 826, so the exact list is worth re-checking against the official page before you rely on a borderline case.
Two consequences follow from that structure. First, the adult child has to be sponsored by the same person who sponsored or nominated the parent's permanent Partner visa application, and the Department must approve that sponsorship before the visa can be granted. If the sponsor, or their spouse or de facto partner, has a pending registrable offence charge, the official page states the sponsorship and visa application will be refused; where there is a registrable offence conviction, sponsorship can be approved only in very limited circumstances. Second, once the 445 is granted, the child must apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application — the 445 is a bridge, not an endpoint.
What does "over 18 and financially dependent" actually cover?
The official page frames the test around basic needs, not general closeness or occasional help. For a child who is over 18 when the application is made, the documents section asks for evidence that the child is dependent on that parent for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and for evidence of how long the support has been provided.
| Route for an applicant over 18 | What the official page asks for | Documents it names |
|---|---|---|
| Financial dependency | Dependence on the parent for basic needs (food, shelter, clothing), plus how long support has been given | Bank statements, money transfers, rent receipts |
| Disability | Evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops the applicant from working | Medical practitioner's evidence |
The phrase "how long this support has been provided" is the part applicants most often under-document. A single recent transfer shows a payment; a run of statements, transfers and rent receipts shows a pattern, which is what the criterion is aimed at.
What if the adult child cannot work because of a disability?
The official page treats disability as its own documentary requirement rather than a variation on the financial test: an applicant over 18 with a disability must provide evidence from a qualified medical practitioner that the applicant has a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops them from working.
Two features of that wording matter. It is functional, not diagnostic — the question is whether the loss of function stops the applicant from working, so a report that names a condition without addressing work capacity does not address the stated criterion. And it covers partial loss, so the test is not limited to total incapacity. The official page does not specify a particular report format or a required period of currency, so the report should be prepared by a practitioner qualified to speak to the applicant's functional capacity.
Where does study fit?
The Regulation 1.03 definition of a "dependent child" in the Migration Regulations 1994, read with the Department's PAM3 guidance, describes an adult child as dependent where the child relies on the parent, with full-time study referred to as one of the situations in which that reliance is assessed.
The Department's official page, however, does not list study documents as a separate item. Its document checklist for an applicant over 18 names financial dependency evidence — bank statements, money transfers, rent receipts — and, for disability, the medical practitioner's evidence. So if you are planning to rely on full-time study rather than on either listed route, treat the position as one to confirm against the Department's current publication: study records can support the financial dependency story by showing the child is not self-supporting, but the official page does not present enrolment or attendance evidence as a standalone substitute.
Does dependency have to continue while the application is decided?
Yes, and the obligation runs to the decision, not just the lodgement date. The Migration Regulations 1994 require that at the time of decision the applicant must still be a dependent child of the visa-holding parent, and that the parent must still hold one of the qualifying temporary visas. If the parent's permanent Partner visa is granted first, that condition can no longer be met.
The PAM3 discussion adds a practical timing point: where an over-18 applicant was assessed as dependent at the time of application and no more than six months have passed, policy assumes continuing dependency; beyond six months, the officer is expected to take reasonable steps to verify that dependency has not materially changed. Treat that six-month figure as guidance rather than a lodged rule — the official page does not state it, so check the current official position. The same guidance refers to Form 1002 as the mechanism for adding the child to the parent's permanent Partner visa application after the 445 is granted.
Separately, the official page requires applicants to tell the Department about changes such as a change in relationship status, contact details or passport. For an adult dependent, a change in relationship status is directly relevant: the dependent child test under Regulation 1.03 requires that the child is unmarried and not in a de facto relationship.
What else does an adult applicant have to satisfy?
An 18-year-old applicant carries requirements that a younger child does not:
- Australian values statement. At 18 or over, the applicant must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet and sign an Australian Values Statement.
- Character. Anyone aged 16 or over must meet the character requirement. The Department's step-by-step guide adds that children over 16 must provide a police certificate from every country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, issued as a National Police Certificate applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship by the Australian Federal Police, valid for 12 months from issue, plus Form 80.
- Health. The applicant and any dependent children applying with them must meet the health requirement; the Department's PAM3 guidance notes that health is assessed against the permanent visa standard.
- Debt to the Australian Government. Any money owed must be repaid or covered by a formal arrangement to repay.
- Photos. Four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm), less than six months old.
- If in Australia. The applicant cannot hold another visa carrying a "No further stay" condition.
The "best interests of the child" consideration and the consent-to-travel requirement on the official page are framed around applicants under 18, so they do not carry the same weight for an adult child.
How is the application lodged, and what happens next?
The subclass 445 is a paper application. The official guide directs applicants to complete Form 918 (Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child) and send it by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with correct prepaid postage. Applications submitted in person or at another office are not valid.
The application charge must be paid before the application is posted; the Department does not process the application until it is paid, and it does not refund the fee if the application is refused. If the child was in Australia when the application was submitted, they are granted a bridging visa, which starts if their current visa expires before the decision. The child's own dependent children can be added to the application at any time before a decision is made, and the child can be inside or outside Australia when the decision is made. Only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person can give immigration assistance on the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my 20-year-old child still get a subclass 445 if they are studying full time?
The Department's official page sets out two routes for an applicant over 18: financial dependency for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, or medical evidence of loss of function that prevents work. Full-time study appears in the regulations-level discussion of the "dependent child" definition rather than as a listed document category on the official page, so study records are best used to support a financial dependency claim, and the current official position should be confirmed.
What documents prove financial dependency for an adult child?
The official page names bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts, and asks for evidence of dependence for basic needs — food, shelter and clothing — together with evidence of how long the support has been provided. The "how long" element means a sequence of documents usually carries more weight than one recent payment.
Does a disability diagnosis by itself qualify an adult child?
No. The official page requires evidence from a qualified medical practitioner that the applicant has a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops them from working, so the report has to address work capacity, not only the condition.
Which visa must the parent hold?
The official page lists the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309), the Partner visa (subclass 820) and the Dependent Child visa (subclass 445). The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's PAM3 guidance also refer to subclasses 310 and 826, so confirm the list on the current official page.
Who sponsors the adult child's application?
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 means the sponsorship and visa application will be refused; a conviction can be approved only in very limited circumstances.
Can the application be lodged online?
No. The official guide states the application must be made on paper using Form 918, posted or couriered to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with the application charge paid first. Applications lodged in person or elsewhere are not valid.
What happens to the 445 after it is granted?
The child must apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application; the Department's PAM3 guidance refers to Form 1002 for that step. The applicant must still be a dependent child of the visa-holding parent at the time of decision, so dependency has to be maintained through to that point.