Where can a Subclass 445 application be lodged and decided in 2026?
A Subclass 445 (Dependent Child) application can be lodged while the child is in Australia or outside Australia, and the child can equally be inside or outside Australia when the Department makes its decision. That is stated on the Department of Home Affairs official page for the Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445), as at the version of that page current in July 2026. The one location rule that overrides everything else is narrower: the child must not be in immigration clearance at the moment the application is made. This article is general information only and is not tailored advice about any one family's circumstances, so the official page and current legislative requirements should be treated as the authority for your own situation.
Can the child be outside Australia when you lodge?
Yes. The official page states plainly that the child can be in or outside Australia when the visa application is submitted. There is no requirement that the child first travel to Australia, hold a bridging visa, or enter on some other visa before the 445 application goes in.
This matters most for partner visa families where the parent already holds a temporary Partner visa such as the Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional)) or Subclass 820 (Partner (Temporary)) and the child has stayed behind — finishing a school year, living with another parent or relative, or waiting on passport or consent documents. Those families do not have to fly the child in first.
The substantive conditions sit elsewhere. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the child must be a dependent child of a visa-holding parent and be sponsored by that parent's nominator or sponsor; the parent must continue to hold one of the specified temporary visas (Subclasses 309, 310, 445, 820 or 826) at the time of decision. Location is not one of the criteria — it only affects validity and what happens after lodgement.
Can the child be outside Australia when the visa is decided?
Yes. The official page says the child can be inside or outside Australia when the Department makes its decision, and that the decision is given in writing. Location does not need to be frozen between lodgement and outcome either: a child who was offshore when the application was posted can be onshore when it is granted, and the reverse is also true.
What follows the grant is what actually constrains travel planning. The child must enter Australia before the date specified in the grant letter, and the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa, and the visa itself is temporary — it starts on the grant date and runs until the Department decides the parent's permanent Partner visa application, or until the parent withdraws that application. Once granted, the child must apply to be added to the parent's permanent Partner visa application.
When does location invalidate the application?
Two situations invalidate a 445 application, and they are easy to confuse with each other.
First, the child must not be in immigration clearance. The Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's PAM3 guidance describe the application as one that may be made in or outside Australia, but not while the person is in immigration clearance — in practical terms, not at the airport counter or passport control on arrival. An application handed over in that state is not a valid application.
Second, the method and address are fixed. The official page states that an application submitted at any other office, or in any other way, is not valid, and that applications cannot be submitted in person. Invalid applications are not considered further.
How is the application actually lodged?
This is a paper-only visa. Form 918 (Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child) must be completed in English and sent by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with correct prepaid postage. The postal address is Locked Bag 7, Northbridge WA 6865; the courier address is Wellington Central, 836 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005.
Payment must be made before posting, and the application must include proof of that payment plus supporting documents. Only certified copies should be sent, not originals. The official page notes that the Department will not process the application until the charge is paid, and that applicants should receive an acknowledgement within approximately one month after lodgement. After the acknowledgement letter arrives, the paper application can be imported into ImmiAccount to attach documents, view messages, update details and check status.
No visa application charge figure is published on the official page for this visa; the Department directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for the amount, which excludes health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
What changes depending on where the child is?
Lodging onshore brings two practical effects that do not apply to an offshore child. A child who applies in Australia is granted a bridging visa; if their current visa expires before the decision, the bridging visa starts and keeps them lawful while the application is processed. And if a child who applied onshore wants to travel overseas during processing, they need a valid visa to return to Australia — the pending application is not a travel facility.
For a child who applied offshore, the planning runs the other way: nothing happens until the grant, and the first entry deadline in the grant letter becomes the date to work backwards from. Either way, the child can travel to and from Australia as often as they wish once the visa is in effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the 445 application be lodged while the child is overseas?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs states the child can be in or outside Australia when the application is submitted. Being overseas does not make the paper application invalid, provided it is sent to the Perth processing centre with the correct form and payment.
Does the child need to be in Australia when the visa is granted?
No. The official page confirms the child can be inside or outside Australia when the decision is made. If the grant happens while the child is offshore, they must still enter Australia before the first entry date given in the grant letter, generally 12 months from the date of grant.
Can the application be lodged at the airport on arrival?
No. The Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 guidance treat an application made while the child is in immigration clearance as invalid. An application must be made either in Australia or outside Australia, not in the clearance process between the two.
Can the application be lodged online or handed in at an office?
No. Subclass 445 must be applied for on paper using Form 918, posted or couriered to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. Applications cannot be submitted in person, and one submitted at another office or by another method is not valid.
Does an onshore applicant get a bridging visa?
Yes. A child who applies in Australia is granted a bridging visa. If their current visa expires before the Department decides the application, the bridging visa starts and allows them to stay in Australia lawfully while it is processed.
Can the child travel while the application is being processed?
A child who applied onshore and travels overseas needs a valid visa to return to Australia. After the 445 visa is granted, the child can travel to and from Australia as often as they wish while it remains valid, though time outside Australia does not extend it.
Is the fee refunded if the application is refused?
No. The official page states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused. The decision letter will explain why the visa was refused and whether there is a right to a review of the decision.