Who can be included in a 2026 subclass 173 parent visa application — partner, dependent children and non-migrating family?

Updated 2026-09-28 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

A 2026 subclass 173 (Contributory Parent (Temporary)) application can cover three different groups of people: your partner, your dependent children, and family members you declare but who are not coming to Australia. The Department of Home Affairs states on its Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) official page that you can include members of your family in your application when you apply, and that you must include details of all your family members in the application form even if they are not migrating. The same page adds that family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements, and that family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet them.

The practical distinction, then, is not between "family" and "non-family" but between people who are listed and people who are also migrating. Everyone in the first group appears on the form; those who are also migrating must provide passport and relationship evidence and must meet the health and character requirements, while non-migrating family members might also be asked to meet them.

Who counts as a family member on a subclass 173 application?

The subclass is built around a primary parent applicant and the people who travel with them as part of the same household. The Migration Regulations 1994 describe secondary applicants for this subclass as members of the family unit who apply at the same time in a combined application, and the sponsorship has to cover them. On the Home Affairs page this shows up as an instruction to gather documents for "any partner or dependants who might be applying with you", alongside your own documents and your sponsor's documents.

Family members are not a separate visa stream. They do not lodge their own parent application; their outcome rides on yours, which is why their identity, relationship and dependency evidence is assessed as part of one file.

Can my partner be included, and what evidence does that require?

Yes. A partner is one of the people you can include when you apply, and the Home Affairs page sets out what the department wants for them:

identity documents
character documents
evidence of your relationship — for example your current marriage certificate, or documents proving you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you apply
documents about other relationships, if applicable

The de facto evidence listed includes joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages, and documents showing you lived at the same address. The "other relationships" line matters in blended families: if either of you has been married or in a de facto relationship before, that history forms part of the picture the department checks.

Assume a parent applies with a second spouse while an earlier marriage was never formally ended. The relationship evidence would not be the weak point; the unresolved earlier relationship would be, because the form asks about it.

Which children count as dependent children?

Age and dependency decide this. The Home Affairs page says that to be included as a dependent child, your child must be:

under 18 years of age
over 18 but not yet turned 23, and dependent on you or your partner
over 23, unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner

Children are not automatically included because they are your children — a 25-year-old who works and lives independently does not fit any of these three categories. Note also the separate rule that the department will not grant this visa if granting it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

What if my child is near 23 when the application is still in the queue?

This is the awkward case for parent visas, because subclass 173 applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received. The Home Affairs page addresses it directly: if your child is likely to turn 23 while the department processes your application, you will need to provide evidence that they are dependent on you due to disability. In other words, the third category is the one that survives past 23, and it has to be evidenced rather than assumed.

The same page points to the Parent visa queue release dates page for processing-time information, and warns that applications take longer if they are not completed correctly, if documents are missing, or if information takes a long time to verify.

Do non-migrating family members really have to be listed?

Yes, and this is the part applicants most often treat as optional. Home Affairs requires details of all family members in the application form even if they are not migrating, and says non-migrating family members might also be asked to meet the health and character requirements. Listing someone is not a request for a visa for them.

The consequence of getting identity or family details wrong is not limited to the person concerned. If you cannot prove your identity, the department will refuse your application, might not grant you another visa for 10 years, and might not grant any family members you listed on your application a visa for 10 years.

Which forms does each person have to complete?

Subclass 173 is a paper application; online lodgement is not available for temporary Contributory visa applicants. The forms are divided by role:

Form 47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia — completed by you, the parent applicant
Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia — completed by your sponsor
Form 47A Details of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over — completed by each member of your family aged 18 or over

The Form 47A requirement is the one that surprises people: the Home Affairs page states it applies even if they are not migrating. A 30-year-old child who lives overseas, is not on this visa and never intends to be may still have to complete a Form 47A. All forms must be completed in English, and applications are sent by post or courier to the address on the form rather than lodged in person.

What documents are needed for each included person?

The requirements scale with age and role:

Every person included — four recent passport-size (45mm x 35mm) photographs, less than six months old, colour, full face against a plain light-coloured background; you and anyone applying with you must also have a valid passport before the visa is granted
Dependants under 18 — identity documents, proof of your relationship with them (for example a birth or marriage certificate), and character documents if applicable
Dependants 18 or over — identity documents, evidence of the relationship, documents about their other relationships if applicable, character documents, and proof of dependency
Your partner — the relationship and character evidence described above

On top of this sit the documents that apply to the file as a whole: balance of family test documents (evidence of how you are related to each child, each child's Australian citizenship or country of permanent residence, and evidence that a child should not be counted, such as a death certificate), and sponsor documents. Police certificates should not be arranged until the department asks for them.

Can family members be added after lodgement?

Sometimes. Home Affairs says you might be able to add family members to your application before it makes a decision, by completing and sending Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement, together with evidence of your relationship and a copy of that family member's passport. The form can be sent through ImmiAccount or the Parent visa processing centre form.

Two related situations are handled separately. A newborn child falls under the department's guidance on what to do if you had a child, and a change in family composition is one of the changes you must tell the department about. If you made a mistake on the application, that is reported on Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.

What does including family do to the cost?

Home Affairs states that this visa costs from AUD33,375 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies with you, and that concessions apply in limited circumstances. The cost is paid in two instalments — the first when you apply, the second when the department invoices you before grant; if the second instalment is not paid, the application will be refused. There may also be related costs for each applicant for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, and family members are also eligible for the lower cost. Eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant, who must hold a valid passport issued by one of the listed countries, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste and the others named on the Home Affairs page. Because the headline figure is a "from" price and charges are per person, the current visa pricing page is the place to check what a particular household actually owes.

What happens if family details are wrong or incomplete?

Incomplete steps can make the application invalid, and the department does not process invalid applications — it will notify you and return the application if requested. Beyond that, the department's guidance on providing accurate information carries consequences for false or incomplete information, and these attach to the file rather than to one person.

Because these rules turn on individual circumstances — who is in your family, who depends on whom, who holds which passport — this page is general reference material about the published requirements and is not personalised advice for any one family. Where a household's situation is unusual, the safest reading is the one confirmed against the department's current published requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to list adult children who are staying behind?

Yes. Home Affairs requires details of all family members in the application form even if they are not migrating, and each family member aged 18 or over must complete Form 47A even if they are not migrating. Listing them is a declaration, not an application for them.

Can non-migrating family members still be asked for health checks or police certificates?

They can. The Home Affairs page says family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements, and that family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet them. Do not arrange a police check until the department asks you to.

Can my partner be included if we are in a de facto relationship rather than married?

Yes. Home Affairs asks for documents proving you have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you apply, such as joint bank account statements, joint billing accounts, joint leases or mortgages, or documents showing you lived at the same address.

Can a child over 23 still be included as a dependant?

Only in the third category: they are over 23, unable to earn a living to support themselves because of physical or cognitive limitations, and dependent on you or your partner. If a child is likely to turn 23 during processing, you need evidence of dependency due to disability.

Can I add a family member after I have lodged the paper application?

You might be able to, before the department makes its decision. You complete Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement and provide evidence of your relationship plus a copy of that family member's passport.

Does everyone included need photographs and a passport?

Everyone included needs four recent passport-size photographs taken to the department's specifications. You and anyone applying with you must also have valid passports before the visa is granted, which is why the passport pages showing photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates are part of the identity documents.