How to apply for a Subclass 445 visa in 2026: paper Form 918 and Perth postal address

Updated 2026-09-29 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

A Subclass 445 (Dependent Child) visa cannot be lodged online. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445) page as at July 2026, you must apply on paper using Form 918 — Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child — pay the application charge before posting, and send the parcel by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with correct prepaid postage included. Because these lodgement rules are applied strictly, read what follows as general information about how the process is published rather than as advice on your own family's case; where your situation turns on particular facts, rely on the official page or on advice from a qualified professional.

Do I have to lodge a Subclass 445 application on paper?

Yes. The Department's page states plainly that you must apply for this visa on paper, and it adds two limits that catch families out: you cannot submit the application in person, and submitting it at any other office or in any other way makes it invalid. An invalid application is not considered further.

The form itself must be completed in English. If someone is helping the child's family prepare or manage the application, the official page limits who may give immigration assistance — a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person — and nominations are made on Form 956, while an authorised recipient for correspondence is appointed on Form 956A. Anyone at all can be appointed to receive documents on your behalf.

What has to be in the envelope before it goes in the post?

Three things, at minimum: the completed Form 918, proof that you have paid the application charge, and all relevant supporting documents. The Department also repeats the accuracy requirement at this stage — information provided must be true and complete, and there are consequences where identity cannot be proven or information is not accurate.

Send certified copies, not originals, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records. Include correct prepaid postage; a parcel that arrives short-paid is your problem to fix, not the processing centre's.

Which Perth address do I post or courier it to?

Both addresses belong to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre, and which one you use depends on how you send it.

By post: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865, AUSTRALIA.

By courier: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005, AUSTRALIA.

Posting to the wrong office is not a clerical slip the Department fixes for you — the official page treats lodgement anywhere else as invalid.

Do I have to pay before posting, and what if I don't?

Payment comes first. The official page says you must pay the application charge before you post your application, and that the Department will not process the application until you pay. The parcel should include proof of payment, and the page warns that applications can take longer where full payment is not made at the time of initial lodgement. If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the Department cannot process the application; it will let you know and may return it.

The page's cost section sets a charge for the main applicant and an additional charge for each dependent child who applies for the visa with the main applicant. It directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out what the visa will cost, and notes that other costs — health checks, police certificates and biometrics — sit outside the estimator. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application; eligibility is recognised through a valid passport from one of the listed countries, and family members are eligible based on the primary applicant's passport. Whether a concession applies to your family is something to confirm against the Department's current published settings.

What makes a paper 445 application invalid?

The official page says an application submitted at any other office or in any other way, or submitted in person, will not be valid, and adds that if any of the required steps are incomplete the application may be invalid; Completed forms must be in English. Where an application is invalid, the Department does not process it and will notify you; if you request it, the application is returned.

Think of it as a checklist rather than a set of guidelines. Suppose an applicant completes Form 918 carefully, gathers every document, pays the right charge — and then hands the parcel to a reception desk at a local office because it feels safer than the mail. On the published rules there is no discretion to accept that: it is not a valid lodgement, and it will not be considered further.

What documents does the Perth centre expect for the child?

Identity comes first: the pages of the child's current passport showing photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if the child has one and proof of any change of name. Four recent passport-size photographs (45mm x 35mm) are required for the child and for any other dependent child included in the application; they must be less than six months old, good quality colour (no laser copies), a full-face view against a plain light-coloured background. Untinted prescription glasses are acceptable, and a head covering worn for religious reasons may stay on provided the face is shown.

For relationship evidence, the page points to a birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book. Character requirements start at 16: 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, and the Department accepts only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship issued by the Australian Federal Police — not standard disclosure certificates or state and territory police certificates. Those certificates are treated as valid for 12 months from the issue date. Children over 16 must also complete Form 80, and anyone included who served in a country's armed forces must provide military service records or discharge papers.

Two other categories matter in partner visa families. If the child is over 18 when the application is made, the page asks for evidence they are dependent on the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and for how long that support has been provided — bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts are given as examples. And where an applicant over 18 has a disability, evidence from a qualified medical practitioner is required of a total or partial loss of mental or bodily function that stops them from working. Each dependent child under 18 applying with the child needs identity documents, proof of relationship, and character documents where applicable.

What happens after the parcel arrives?

The Department will tell you when it has received the application and documents, and the official page indicates you should receive an acknowledgement — including advice about any associated bridging visa — within approximately one month of lodgement. Beyond that, the page says the Department cannot provide progress updates within global visa processing times; it will contact you if anything further is needed, and otherwise with the outcome.

Paper does not mean disconnected. After you get the acknowledgement letter, you can import the application into ImmiAccount by entering your application ID, date of birth, and identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage). Once imported, online services let you attach supporting documents, view messages, update your details, check application status, apply for a Bridging Visa, or withdraw. The page confirms applications for this visa made in Australia can be imported, whether new or existing.

While processing runs, a child who was in Australia when the application was submitted is granted a bridging visa that starts if their current visa expires before a decision is made, keeping them lawful during processing. If the child wants to travel overseas during processing, they need a valid visa to return to Australia — time outside Australia does not extend a 445. Health examinations and biometrics are arranged when the Department asks for them, not in advance. Anything missing should be sent as soon as possible: through ImmiAccount if imported, or attached to the Child and Orphan Relative Visa Processing Centre online form if you cannot use ImmiAccount. Corrections to answers already given go on Form 1023, and changes in circumstances — contact details, passport, relationship status, a new baby, or withdrawal — must be notified too.

Where does the 445 sit in a partner visa family's timeline?

The 445 is a temporary visa built around a pending permanent application. The official page describes it as letting the child move to or stay in Australia until the Department decides their parent's permanent Partner visa application, and the child can stay until that decision is made or the parent withdraws the permanent application. It cannot be extended to stay longer; the pathway forward is being added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application, which the child must apply for once the 445 is granted. Medicare enrolment becomes available once that application to be added has been submitted.

Two structural points follow from this, and both are easy to miss. Each of the child's siblings must apply for a 445 separately — there is no family application — while the child's own dependent children can be included on their application, at lodgement or any time before a decision, subject to the health requirement. And because this visa is tied to the parent's permanent Partner application rather than to a calendar of its own, the practical job after lodgement is keeping the child lawful and the parent's file moving, not counting months on the 445.

While the visa is valid, the child can travel to and from Australia as often as they wish, work and study, and attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible. They must enter Australia before the date in their grant letter — generally set at 12 months from the date of grant — and they must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. The visa is digitally linked to the passport; no label is placed in it.

What does the decision look like?

The child can be inside or outside Australia when the decision is made, and the Department notifies the outcome in writing. A grant letter sets out the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any conditions attached. A refusal letter sets out why the application was refused and whether there is a right to review the decision. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge a Subclass 445 application online or in person?

No. The Department of Home Affairs states you must apply for this visa on paper, and you cannot submit applications for this visa in person. An application submitted at any other office or in any other way will not be valid and will not be considered further.

Which form do I use, and does it have to be in English?

You use Form 918, Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child. The official page states that you must complete the forms in English.

Where exactly do I send the paper application?

By post: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Locked Bag 7, NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865, AUSTRALIA. By courier: Department of Home Affairs, Child and Other Family Processing Centre, Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005, AUSTRALIA. Correct prepaid postage must be included.

Do I send original documents with the application?

No — the Department tells applicants not to send original documents, only certified copies. Keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records in case anything needs to be re-submitted later.

When do I pay, and is the fee refunded if the visa is refused?

You must pay the application charge before you post the application, and the Department will not process it until payment is made; proof of payment should go in the parcel. Other costs, such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics, sit outside the visa charge. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

How do I track a paper application after posting it?

After you receive the acknowledgement letter, import the application into ImmiAccount using your application ID, date of birth, and identity document number. Imported applications can then be managed online — attaching documents, viewing messages, updating details and checking status — though the Department does not provide progress updates within global processing times.

What happens if my child needs to travel while the 445 is processing?

If the child was onshore when they applied, they need a valid visa to return to Australia if they travel overseas during processing. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa, so travel plans have to fit around the visa they already hold.

Does every child in the family need their own application?

Each of the child's siblings must apply for the 445 separately. The child's own dependent children can be included on their application, either at the time of applying or at any time before a decision is made, provided they meet the health requirement.