Adding/Including Family Members To Visa

Adding Family Members To Visa Application or Visa

When you make a visa application, you can add or include family members in a combined application for the same visa.

Generally, a person is a member of your family unit if he or she is your partner (spouse or de facto partner) or your child or step-child. However, your child or step-child must not be engaged to be married or is married. Furthermore, your child or step-child must be under 18 or if over 18 but under 23 must be dependent on you or your partner. If your child or step-child is over 23 must be incapacitated for work.

How do they become a dependent?

If your child or step-child is dependent on you or your partner, they must have been for a substantial period wholly or substantially reliant on you or your partner for financial support to meet their basic needs for food, clothing and accommodation. They must be more reliant on you or your partner than on any other person or organisation.

If your dependent child or step-child is over 23, he or she must not be able to work because of the total or partial loss of his or her bodily or mental functions.

Can they be granted the same visa afterward?

If you have declared your non-accompanying family members in your temporary visa application, they can be added to your visa after you have been granted the visa. However, if you did not declare them in your visa application, and you have been granted the visa (click here to learn more about, for example, Student visa), you cannot later add them to your visa.

Your family members can apply for the same visa as “subsequent entrant”. However, if you have been granted a permanent visa or temporary Partner visa (click here to learn more about Partner Subclass 309 visa and Subclass 820 visa) you will have to sponsor them for another visa (click here to learn more about Child Subclass 445 visa or click here).

If you have already been granted a permanent visa, your family members cannot be added to the same visa. However, you can sponsor them for other permanent visa, for example, Child visa (click here to learn more about Child Subclass 101 visa or Subclass 802 visa).

Australian migration law is complex and difficult to understand, contact our immigration lawyer for a consultation (fee applies) to help under visa application processes. You may also refer to our FAQs for answers regarding visa application or visa cancellation by clicking here.

This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.