Balance of Family Test Australia: Only Child, Siblings, Stepchildren & Children Overseas
The Balance of Family Test is a mathematical eligibility test, not a discretionary assessment of which child is emotionally closest to the parent. It applies to the main permanent and contributory Parent Visa subclasses — 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884 — and Home Affairs states that it cannot be waived even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.
This guide explains how the test works in 2026, how children, stepchildren and adopted children are counted, what happens with an only child, how siblings in different countries affect the calculation, and why families should complete the test before paying substantial Parent Visa charges.
Which Parent Visas use the Balance of Family Test?
- Parent Visa Subclass 103
- Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 143
- Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 173
- Aged Parent Visa Subclass 804
- Contributory Aged Parent Visa Subclass 864
- Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 884
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 870 does not use the Balance of Family Test, which is one reason some families consider it for temporary reunification where a permanent Parent Visa is unavailable.
How do you pass the Balance of Family Test?
A parent passes if either:
- at least half of the parent’s children and stepchildren are eligible children; or
- there are more eligible children in Australia than children living in any other single country.
The second limb is important. A parent can sometimes pass even where fewer than half of all children live in Australia, provided Australia has more eligible children than any one other country.
Who is an eligible child?
Home Affairs treats an eligible child as a child who meets the relevant Australian status and residence requirements — generally an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident usually resident in Australia, or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia.
A child merely visiting Australia or holding a temporary visa is not automatically an eligible child for the test.
Do stepchildren count?
Yes. Home Affairs expressly counts children and stepchildren of the parent and the parent’s partner. This can surprise families who calculate the test using only biological children.
Because family relationships can be complicated after remarriage, divorce or death, stepchild status should be mapped carefully against the legal definition rather than assumed from everyday family language.
Do adopted children count?
Adopted children are generally counted. Home Affairs also identifies limited categories of children who may be excluded from the calculation, including certain children removed permanently from parental custody through adoption or court arrangements and other specific circumstances.
What if the parent has only one child?
If there is only one child and that child is an eligible child in Australia, the parent ordinarily satisfies the test because at least half — indeed all — of the children are eligible.
If the only child does not meet the eligible-child requirements, the parent will generally fail the test.
Example: two children, one in Australia and one overseas
If the parent has two counted children and one is an eligible child in Australia while one lives overseas, at least half the children are eligible. The test can therefore be satisfied.
Example: three children in three countries
Assume one eligible child lives in Australia, one child lives in India and one child lives in the United Kingdom. Only one of three children is in Australia, so the “at least half” limb is not met. But Australia has one eligible child, and no other single country has more than one child. The second limb requires more eligible children in Australia than in any other single country, so a 1–1–1 distribution does not satisfy that limb.
Example: four children — two in Australia, one in Nepal, one in the USA
Two of four children are eligible children in Australia, so at least half are eligible. The parent passes the test.
Example: five children — two in Australia, two in India, one in Canada
Two of five is less than half. Australia also does not have more children than India because both have two. On those facts, the test is not met.
Example: five children — two in Australia, one in India, one in Canada, one in the UK
Two of five is less than half, but Australia has more eligible children than any other single country. On that distribution, the second limb can be satisfied.
What if a child has died?
Home Affairs identifies deceased children among the categories that can be excluded from the calculation. The family should still disclose the full family history and provide appropriate evidence rather than simply omit the child from forms.
What about a child who cannot be located or has no relationship with the parent?
Estrangement alone does not necessarily remove a child from the test. The legislation and Department guidance use defined exclusion categories. Emotional distance or lack of contact should not be assumed to mean the child disappears from the calculation.
What about a refugee child or a child affected by persecution?
Home Affairs identifies specific exceptions for children in certain refugee-camp or persecution/human-rights circumstances where reunion with the parent is not possible. These are fact-sensitive exceptions and need evidence.
Can Home Affairs waive the Balance of Family Test?
No. Home Affairs states clearly that the Balance of Family Test is not waived even in compelling or exceptional circumstances. This makes pre-lodgement calculation critical.
If the test cannot be met, the family may need to explore a temporary option such as Subclass 870 or Visitor Visa rather than lodge a permanent Parent Visa that cannot satisfy the criterion.
Does the test change if a child later moves to Australia?
Changes in where children live or their Australian status can affect the factual calculation, but the relevant timing and visa criteria must be considered. Families should not assume a future plan by a sibling will cure an application at the required legal time.
Does a child on a Student or 482 visa count as an eligible child?
Temporary status alone does not make the child an eligible Australian child for the Balance of Family Test. The child’s citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand status and usual residence matter.
Do grandchildren count?
No. The test is based on the parent’s children and stepchildren, not the number of grandchildren in Australia. Grandchildren can be important to the family’s personal reasons for migration but do not substitute for the statutory formula.
What evidence proves the Balance of Family Test?
The application should disclose all children and stepchildren and support identity, relationship, status and residence. Depending on the family, evidence can include birth records, adoption documents, marriage and divorce records relevant to stepchildren, passports, citizenship evidence, Australian permanent-residence evidence and residence documents.
Calculate the Balance of Family Test before choosing the visa
The test can determine whether a 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 or 884 application is viable at all. A family should map every child and stepchild, their country of residence and Australian status before committing to a costly Parent Visa strategy.
Balance of Family Test FAQs
Does Subclass 870 require the Balance of Family Test?
No. The 870 is a temporary Sponsored Parent visa and does not use this test.
Can I ignore a child I have not spoken to for many years?
Not merely because of estrangement. The child must be assessed under the defined counting and exclusion rules.
Does a child living in Australia on a temporary visa help the test?
Temporary residence does not itself make that child an eligible child.
Can compelling circumstances waive the test?
No. Home Affairs expressly says it will not waive the Balance of Family Test even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.
Does the test count children from a previous marriage?
Yes, children and qualifying stepchildren can be relevant. Remarriage and blended families should be mapped carefully.
Is the Balance of Family Test assessed for both parents?
The family composition underlying the test is central to the primary Parent Visa criteria. Where parents apply together, the application structure and family relationships should be checked for the specific subclass.
How do you work out which country a child “lives” in?
The Balance of Family Test is not just a passport-counting exercise. The location of children matters, and the Department can look at where a child is usually resident. A child who is physically in Australia for a short visit is not necessarily an Australian-resident child for the test, just as an eligible Australian child temporarily travelling overseas may require a more careful residence analysis.
Where a child splits time between countries, use objective evidence such as immigration status, employment, home, family, tax, study and ordinary living arrangements rather than choosing whichever address produces the preferred calculation.
What if a child is an Australian citizen but permanently lives overseas?
Australian citizenship is important, but the Balance of Family Test still uses the concept of an eligible child and usual residence. A citizen child who has permanently established life overseas should not automatically be counted as an eligible child living in Australia.
What if a child has Australian permanent residence but has moved overseas?
Permanent residence by itself may not settle the question if the child is no longer usually resident in Australia. This is another reason the family should document actual residence instead of relying only on a visa label.
How do stepchildren after divorce affect the test?
Stepchild relationships can become legally complex after divorce, death and remarriage. Home Affairs counts stepchildren under the test, but the legal status of a person as a stepchild should be analysed against the family relationships at the relevant time. Where several marriages are involved, construct a written family tree and attach the civil records supporting it.
What if one child was adopted by another family?
Home Affairs recognises defined circumstances in which a child may not be counted, including cases where parental responsibility has been permanently removed through adoption or another legal process. The legal adoption documents matter. Informal care by another relative is not the same thing as a completed adoption.
What if the child is missing or cannot be contacted?
Being unable to contact a child is not automatically an exclusion. The family should distinguish between estrangement, unknown whereabouts and the specific categories that Home Affairs says are not counted. If an exclusion is claimed, evidence should address the legal basis for it.
Should you include children who are not migrating or not involved in the application?
Yes. The Balance of Family Test is based on the parent’s relevant children and stepchildren, not only those who support the visa application. Omitting an inconvenient child can create both a test problem and an accuracy/integrity problem.
Case example: blended family after remarriage
A mother has two biological children, her current husband has two children from an earlier marriage, and together they have one child. The test may require consideration of the relevant stepchildren as well as biological children. The family should not calculate only the mother’s two biological children simply because they are the people sponsoring the visa.
Case example: one Australian child and two children in different countries
One child is an Australian permanent resident usually living in Melbourne. A second child lives in Nepal and the third in Canada. The parent has fewer than half of the children in Australia, but Australia has one eligible child while each other individual country also has one child. Because the second limb requires Australia to have more eligible children than any other single country, this tied distribution does not satisfy that limb.
Case example: two Australian children and three overseas
Two eligible children live in Australia. The remaining three children each live in a different country. Less than half are in Australia, but Australia has more eligible children than any other single country. The second limb may therefore be satisfied.
Why a wrong Balance of Family calculation is expensive
This is a threshold criterion for major Parent Visa subclasses and cannot be waived. A family that pays substantial contributory charges without first checking the test can face refusal with no discretionary “compassionate circumstances” rescue. Pre-lodgement calculation is therefore one of the highest-value legal checks in Parent migration.
How Emigrate Lawyers handles Balance of Family issues
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Legal review: Reviewed by Madhab Kharel, Principal Lawyer, Emigrate Lawyers on 28 September 2026. General information only; not legal advice. Parent Visa law, sponsorship rules and procedures can change.
Official source: Department of Home Affairs — Balance of Family Test.
