Dependent Child Visa 445: What to Do Before the Parent’s 801 or 100 Is Granted
A parent’s permanent Partner Visa decision can be an important turning point for a child who was not included earlier. Subclass 445 is designed around an eligible visa-holding parent and a later permanent-stage addition. Families should not assume that declaring the child or lodging 445 automatically completes every step before the parent’s 801 or 100 is decided.
Explore our Australian Child Visa hub and our Dependent Child Visa 445 service for the underlying visa pathway.
Discuss your child’s visa options
Tell us the child’s age and location, the parent’s visa or citizenship status, and any approaching deadline. Call 1300 807 134 or request a call back below.
Identify the parent’s actual stage
Obtain the parent’s temporary grant, permanent-stage application records and recent correspondence. A person who has applied for a temporary Partner Visa but has not yet received it is in a different position from a holder of 309 or 820. A parent already granted 100 or 801 is different again. The child strategy must be based on the actual stage.
The 445 criteria refer to an eligible visa-holding parent, and the parent’s continued status matters at decision. Do not rely on an old screenshot saying the permanent application is received. Check whether a decision has already been made or information has been requested. Timing is particularly important when the parent is approaching permanent-stage finalisation.
Declared, included and granted are not the same
A child may have been listed in family details without being an applicant for the parent’s visa. That declaration is important, but it does not itself grant the child a visa or establish that they are included at the permanent stage. Read the application record and grant notices rather than assuming every listed family member received the same status.
If the child was omitted or an earlier answer was incorrect, obtain advice on the proper correction and consequences. Do not create a new narrative to conceal the history. A lawyer needs the full original record to assess the available pathway and any disclosure issue. The existing 445 application guide explains the general process; this article focuses on timing.
Sponsorship and dependency still need to be established
The ordinary 445 pathway involves sponsorship by the nominator or sponsor of the visa-holding parent, with specific provisions for certain changed circumstances. It is not enough that someone in the household is willing to pay the charge. Confirm the relevant sponsor and whether the applicable arrangement remains available.
The child’s dependency must also be assessed under the 445 rules, which should not be replaced with a copied checklist for adult 101 or 802 applicants. Age, relationship status and support circumstances can matter. If the parent’s relationship has ceased, or death or family-violence provisions are involved, specialist analysis is needed; do not assume either that the child is automatically excluded or that the original sponsorship simply continues unchanged.
After 445 grant, complete the permanent-stage step
Home Affairs states that once 445 is granted, the child must apply to be added to the parent’s permanent Partner Visa application. Keep proof of the request, the documents provided and the Department’s acknowledgement or other confirmation. A temporary grant is not the same as the permanent visa outcome.
Do not wait for an assumed automatic addition. Coordinate with the person handling the parent’s matter so the files contain consistent information. Home Affairs also links this permanent-stage application step to Medicare enrolment for the child. If the parent receives a permanent decision before the child’s position is resolved, obtain advice promptly based on the actual chronology and notices.
Need advice on the difficult part of your case?
Tell us the child’s age and location, the parent’s visa or citizenship status, and any approaching deadline. Call 1300 807 134 or request a call back below.
What if the parent’s permanent visa is about to be decided?
Provide the parent’s representative with the child’s details and the current application record immediately. A supported communication may be needed to explain the child’s position and request appropriate coordination. There is no guarantee that a request will suspend the parent’s decision, and the family should not assume silence means finalisation has been paused.
Avoid withdrawing applications or making last-minute travel arrangements without advice. The consequences can involve a different visa pathway, another government charge and further waiting. The correct response depends on whether 445 has been lodged, granted or followed by a permanent-stage addition, and on the parent’s actual visa status at each point.
If 100 or 801 has already been granted
A parent who now holds permanent residence may need to consider a standard Child Visa pathway for an eligible child, such as 101 or 802 depending on location and other requirements. That does not mean the child automatically qualifies or that an existing 445 application is simply relabelled.
Review the chronology, dependency, sponsor, consent and any current status issues. A new application may have different costs and criteria. Obtain the complete decision record and advice before assuming that a delay can be fixed with a single form. Families can reduce this risk by coordinating the child’s case early rather than waiting until the parent’s permanent grant arrives.
Department fees and the total cost of a child visa matter
The Department’s standard base application charge, checked on 29 September 2026 against Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations, is AUD 4,040 for subclasses 101, 802, 102 and 445. For Orphan Relative subclasses 117 and 837, the standard base charge is AUD 2,475. These are government charges, not Emigrate Lawyers’ professional fees. The charge applicable when a valid application is made must be checked before payment.
Do not assume a child pays an additional-applicant rate merely because they are young. A child who makes their own primary application generally attracts the base charge. Siblings normally require separate Child Visa applications. Additional-applicant charges concern eligible people properly included in an application, such as an applicant’s own dependent child.
| Cost component | What to budget for |
|---|---|
| Government charge | Standard base fee above; check concessions and any eligible additional applicants. |
| Evidence and checks | Translations, police certificates where required, panel medical examinations and document retrieval. |
| Professional assistance | An agreed legal scope and written fee quote, with GST treatment and disbursements identified. |
| Complex issues | Foreign-law advice, court proceedings, specialist reports or review work may need a separate scope. |
Eligible Pacific-regional passport holders can receive lower charges: the relevant Schedule 1 categories currently provide a base of AUD 3,315 for the usual Child/Adoption/445 pathways and AUD 2,030 for Orphan Relative applicants. Specific welfare-authority-supported onshore applications also have special rules. Eligibility, not financial hardship alone, determines the concession. Ask for a calculation for the actual applicant rather than relying on a generic fee screenshot. Check Home Affairs visa pricing.
Processing times: what the Department’s figures mean
The Home Affairs processing tool reports how long recently decided applications took. It does not reserve a decision date for your child, identify the case officer, or give a different service standard for each Australian city. The official processing-time guide should be checked for the exact subclass before making travel or school commitments.
At our 29 September 2026 check, the tool displayed 24 months for 50% and 31 months for 90% of Subclass 445 applications. These historical percentiles are not a minimum wait, a guarantee, or figures that can be transferred to another subclass. The tool showed an update date of 4 September 2026. An application outside the published range warrants a careful status check; it does not automatically establish an error or a right to immediate approval.
Keep the acknowledgement, payment evidence, application reference and copies of everything submitted. Monitor Department correspondence and update changed passports, addresses and relevant family circumstances. A targeted enquiry should explain what is outstanding and provide evidence of any urgent circumstances. Repeated identical emails, a school start date or payment of a higher legal fee do not create a guaranteed fast-track service.
Case example: a child left overseas while the parent approaches permanent residence
A parent holds 820 and has submitted permanent-stage material. Their child remains overseas and was declared but not included as an applicant. The family now asks about 445. The first step is to confirm the parent’s current status and whether a permanent decision has been made, then assess the child’s dependency and sponsor.
If the pathway is available, the child’s matter needs coordinated handling through the temporary and permanent-stage steps. A general email saying the child exists is not a substitute for a valid application. This example shows why timing and documented follow-through matter.
The Emigrate Lawyers method
Our approach starts with the legal question that could decide the matter. For this article’s scenario, that means coordinating the child’s application with the parent’s live Partner Visa stage and documenting the permanent-stage request. The file should explain why the evidence meets the relevant rule, rather than leave the decision-maker to infer the answer from a large collection of documents.
- Map the family and status history. Identify the applicant, proposed sponsor, parental responsibility, previous applications and relevant dates.
- Test the pathway before paying. Check the subclass, location, application validity, sponsorship and any exception that must be established.
- Build an evidence plan. Separate documents already available from material that needs translation, independent verification or specialist advice.
- Prepare a consistent application. Reconcile forms, supporting statements and earlier immigration records, explaining genuine discrepancies.
- Manage the period after lodgement. Track requests, changing circumstances, visa conditions and any time-sensitive response.
Emigrate Lawyers is based at Suite 807, 365 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 and assists clients throughout Australia and overseas through a paperless practice. Remote service does not remove a requirement to attend a medical examination, biometrics appointment or court process where one is needed. We explain the agreed work and professional fees before that work begins; no lawyer can guarantee a visa grant or Department processing speed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for 445 before my temporary Partner Visa is granted?
The relevant eligible visa-holding-parent requirement must be satisfied. A pending temporary application is not the same as holding 309 or 820; assess inclusion options for the actual stage.
Is my child automatically added to 801 after 445 grant?
Do not assume so. Home Affairs requires an application to add the child to the parent’s permanent Partner Visa application. Keep evidence of that step.
Can Home Affairs pause my permanent decision?
A supported request can be considered in the appropriate circumstances, but a representative cannot guarantee that a decision will be paused.
What if I already hold 801 or 100?
The child’s options need reassessment, potentially under 101 or 802. Do not assume the same 445 pathway remains available.
Does 445 have the same adult study rules as 101?
Do not transplant the 101 checklist. The 445 dependency and subclass criteria need to be applied directly to the child’s circumstances.
Request a Child Visa consultation
Tell us the child’s age and location, the parent’s visa or citizenship status, and any approaching deadline. Call 1300 807 134 or request a call back below.
Sources and further reading
Information checked on 29 September 2026. The applicable legislation and facts control the outcome; Department pages and processing figures can change.
- Home Affairs: Dependent Child Visa 445
- Migration Regulations: Subclass 445 application and decision criteria
- Home Affairs: Child Visa 101
- Home Affairs: Child Visa 802
- Home Affairs: processing-time guide
Madhab Kharel — Principal Lawyer
Madhab Kharel is Principal Lawyer and Director of Emigrate Lawyers. The firm assists with Australian immigration and family law matters, including child and partner migration, complex evidence issues and visa refusals.
General information: This article is not individual legal advice. Obtain advice on the child’s circumstances before lodging, travelling, withdrawing an application or allowing a visa or review deadline to expire.
