Subclass 445 expiry in 2026: next visa options after the parent’s Partner visa decision
A Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa cannot be extended. As of the Department of Home Affairs official page for the Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) in July 2026, the visa is temporary and lasts only until the Department decides the child's parent's permanent Partner visa application, or until the parent withdraws that application. The step the page requires while the 445 is still current is to add the child to the parent's permanent Partner visa (subclass 100 or 801) application using Form 1002, lodged before the decision. If that window has already closed, the next question is whether the child can move to a Child visa — subclass 101 for a child outside Australia, subclass 802 for a child in Australia. This is general information about published rules rather than advice on one family's situation, so the current official pages and a qualified professional should be the final check.
What actually ends a Subclass 445 visa?
Two events end it, and neither is an expiry date you choose.
The Department's page states that the child can stay until it decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application or the parent withdraws that application. The Regulations back this up from the eligibility side: clause 445.221 requires that the parent continues to be a "visa-holding parent" at the time of decision, and the parent qualifies only while holding a Subclass 309, 310, 445, 820 or 826 visa. Once the parent's permanent Partner visa (subclass 100 or 801) is granted, that criterion can no longer be met — which is why PAM3 summarises the 445 as an "event-based" visa that falls away when the parent's temporary stage ends. Clause 445.511 ties the visa period to the remaining validity of the parent's own temporary visa.
The practical consequence is that the child's lawful status depends on an action taken inside the parent's application, not on the child's own 445 grant.
Can the child extend the 445 instead?
No. The official page is explicit: "The child can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa," and it directs holders to explore other visa options.
Two related limits are worth noting. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa, even though travel to and from Australia is allowed as often as the child wishes while it is valid. And each sibling must apply for the 445 separately — there is no mechanism to add one child onto another child's grant after the fact.
What has to happen before the parent's permanent Partner visa is decided?
The child must apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application, and must do so before the Department decides it. The Department's instruction is to complete and lodge Form 1002 — Application by a subclass 445 dependent child for a permanent partner visa — and submit it before the parent's decision, which is what keeps the child lawful in Australia.
Location rules differ between the two permanent subclasses:
| Parent's permanent application | Where the 445 child must be | Who must qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Partner (subclass 100) | In or outside Australia | Must be members of the family unit |
| Partner (subclass 801) | In Australia | — |
Lodging is done by uploading the application to the parent's Partner visa application in ImmiAccount and then notifying the Department through the Partner Processing Enquiry Form. If the form cannot be uploaded to the parent's application, it can be uploaded directly to the Partner Processing Enquiry Form instead.
Once the application to be added has been submitted, the child can enrol in Medicare. The child may also work and study in Australia from the date the 445 is granted, and may attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible.
What if the 1002 was lodged too late, or the parent withdrew?
If the parent's application has already been decided, there is nothing left to join: the Department requires the Form 1002 request to be submitted before it decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application, so that decision closes this route. If the parent withdrew the permanent Partner application, the 445 ends on that withdrawal, and because the visa cannot be extended, the child needs a different visa to remain lawful.
Take a hypothetical: a parent's subclass 801 application is decided while a 445 child's Form 1002 is still sitting unlodged in draft. Nothing about the 445 saves the child's status at that point — the child's visa has ended, and the family is choosing between an offshore pathway (subclass 101) and an onshore one (subclass 802), or any other visa the child independently qualifies for.
Is the next step Subclass 101 or Subclass 802?
Both are Child visas, and the dividing line is the child's location at application: subclass 101 is the offshore stream and subclass 802 is the onshore stream. Note that these are the child's own visa application, separate from the mechanism of being added to a parent's subclass 100 or 801 application.
The harder part is the dependency test for older children. The dependent child concept in regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994 is not simply "the child of the parent": under 18, or 18 or over and still dependent — in practice through full-time study, or through being unable to work because of a physical or mental disability. PAM3 adds that for applicants over 18 whose dependency was assessed more than six months earlier, the decision maker is expected to take reasonable steps to confirm nothing material has changed. The current subclass criteria on the Department's official pages should be treated as authoritative.
Does a child over 18 still count as a dependent child?
It can, but the evidence carries the case rather than the relationship. The regulations require that the child is the child or step-child of the visa-holding parent, is not married or in a de facto relationship, and is either under 18 or — if 18 or over — dependent on the parent or incapacitated for work by a physical or mental condition.
Common documentary patterns for the over-18 case include proof that the parent pays tuition and living costs, evidence the child does not live independently, and, where relied upon, medical evidence of incapacity. PAM3 also flags that a child over 18 at the time of application must satisfy public interest criterion 4019, and that all applicants are assessed against the health requirement at permanent-visa standard.
What else needs managing while the 445 is current?
The child must enter Australia before the date in the grant letter; the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of grant. The child and any family members granted the visa must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws, and visa expiry, conditions and work and study entitlements can be checked in VEVO.
Changes must be reported — a new passport, the birth of a child, or a change of name — through the Department's change-in-situation process. Dependent children included in a 445 application must meet the health requirement, and family members who are not coming to Australia may also have to meet it. If a child is born after the application is lodged, the Department has a separate process for that.
On cost, the official page does not state a single visa application charge in its text and directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator; there is a charge for each dependent child who applies with the main applicant, plus possible separate costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, determined by a valid passport from a specified country, with family members covered based on the primary applicant's passport.
On timing, the global visa processing times tool is described as a guide only, showing processing times for recently decided applications and not specific to an individual case. Applicants should receive an acknowledgement of lodgement, including advice about any associated bridging visa, within approximately one month. Applications can take longer if they are not filled in correctly, documents are missing or verification is needed, or the correct visa application charge is not paid in full at lodgement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Subclass 445 visa be extended in 2026?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states directly that the child cannot stay longer by extending this visa, and points holders to other visa options. The visa is temporary and runs only until the parent's permanent Partner visa application is decided or withdrawn.
When must Form 1002 be lodged?
It must be submitted before the Department decides the child's parent's permanent Partner visa application. Lodging it in time is what keeps the child lawful in Australia, and it also allows the child to enrol in Medicare once submitted.
Can the child be outside Australia when joining the parent's subclass 100 application?
Yes. The Department's page says a 445 holder being added to a parent's subclass 100 application can be in or outside Australia, provided they are a member of the family unit. For a parent's subclass 801 application, the child must be in Australia.
What happens if the parent withdraws the permanent Partner visa application?
The 445 ends on that withdrawal, because the visa is defined by reference to the parent's application continuing. Since the visa cannot be extended, the child needs a different visa — commonly assessed as subclass 101 offshore or subclass 802 onshore — or another visa they independently qualify for.
How do Subclass 101 and Subclass 802 differ?
Subclass 101 is the Child visa applied for from outside Australia and subclass 802 the Child visa applied for in Australia. The current criteria on the Department's official pages govern each, and for children aged 18 or over the dependency test is the common obstacle.
Does a child over 18 still qualify as a dependent child?
Yes, but only on proof. The regulation 1.03 concept covers a child aged 18 or over who is dependent on the parent, generally through full-time study or because a physical or mental condition leaves them unable to work, and who is not married or in a de facto relationship.
Does travelling outside Australia extend the 445?
No. The child may travel to and from Australia as often as they wish while the visa is valid, but time spent outside Australia does not extend it. The same applies to the first entry date, which is generally 12 months from grant.