Subclass 445 supporting documents in 2026: what partner visa families must gather
For a subclass 445 (Dependent Child) application in 2026, the documents you need fall into five groups: the child's passport identity pages, four passport-size photos taken within the last six months, evidence of the child's relationship to the parent, age-triggered character documents for anyone over 16, and — if the child is already 18 or older when you apply — evidence of dependency on the parent who holds the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa. This follows the Department of Home Affairs' official page for the Dependent Child visa (Subclass 445), as of the July 2026 version of that page.
What identity documents does the child need?
The department asks for the pages of the child's current passport that show their photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. If the child has a national identity card, provide that too. Where a name has changed, you need proof of the change: documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names the child has been known by.
The passport check matters more here than families sometimes expect, because step one of the official process is literally to check that the child's passport is valid before anything else is assembled. A child whose passport is close to expiry, or whose name on the passport differs from the name on their birth certificate, creates the same identity gap twice — once in the 445 file and once in the parent's file.
Do the photos have to meet an exact specification?
Yes, and there are four of them. You must provide 4 recent passport-size photos (45mm x 35mm) of the child, and of any other dependent child included in the application. The photos must be:
- passport-size (45mm x 35mm)
- less than 6 months old
- good quality colour — laser copies are not accepted
- a view of the full face
- taken against a plain light-coloured background
The child may wear untinted prescription glasses. If the child wears a head covering for religious reasons, only the face needs to be shown.
How does the child's relationship evidence connect to the parent's Partner visa evidence?
This is the part where partner visa families can save themselves real duplication. For the child's relationship to the parent, the department lists a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, an adoption certificate, or a family status certificate or family book — the last two only if officially issued and maintained.
The connecting point is the parent. The 445 financial limb is explicitly tied to "their parent who holds the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa". So the documents that prove the child is the applicant's child, and the documents that prove the parent holds a temporary Partner visa, belong to the same evidential chain. In practice, the same officially issued birth certificate or family book that sits in the parent's partner file is the document the 445 file needs; what the 445 file adds is the child's own identity, photos, and any age-based character or dependency material.
Treat everything below as general information rather than advice tailored to one family — a subclass 445 decision turns on your own circumstances and on the department's requirements at the time you lodge, so where your situation is unusual, check the official page and any professional guidance you rely on before sending anything.
What changes once the child turns 16?
Children over 16 must provide a police certificate from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years since turning 16. Only National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted; the Australian Federal Police issue these, and standard disclosure certificates or certificates from Australian state or territory police are not accepted. For immigration purposes, police certificates are valid for 12 months from the issue date.
There are two further character requirements. If anyone included in the application served in the armed forces of any country, military service records or discharge papers are required. And children over 16 must complete and provide Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment).
The Code 33 point is a common source of wasted time in family applications: a police check ordered for a job or a tenancy is usually not the same product, and the 12-month validity clock starts from the issue date, not from the date you post the application.
What if the child is 18 or older when you apply?
If the child is over 18 at the time the application is made, you must provide evidence that they are dependent on their parent — the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa — for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, plus evidence of how long that support has been provided. The department gives three examples: bank statements, money transfers, and rent receipts.
There is a separate track for applicants over 18 with a disability: provide evidence from a qualified medical practitioner that the applicant has a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops them from working.
What about the child's own dependent children?
For every dependent under 18 who is applying with the child, you provide identity documents, proof of their relationship with the applicant (such as a birth certificate), and character documents if applicable. The four-photo requirement also covers "any other dependent child included in the application," so the photo count scales with the number of children on the one form.
How do the documents actually reach the department?
A subclass 445 application must be made on paper, using Form 918 (Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child), sent by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth with correct prepaid postage. The application charge must be paid before you post the application, and the department will not process it until payment is made; your package should include proof that you paid the charge and all relevant supporting documents. Forms must be completed in English.
Send certified copies only, not original documents, and keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for your own records.
Can you add documents after lodging?
Yes, and for paper applications there is a specific route. After submitting, you can import the application into ImmiAccount once you receive your acknowledgement letter, using the application ID, the child's date of birth, and an identity document number (passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number). Importing gives access to online services, including attaching supporting documents and viewing messages and application status.
If you did not include everything when you applied, provide the missing documents as soon as you can. The department also asks for health examinations and biometrics separately when they are needed, and will tell you when to arrange them. If you find a mistake on a lodged application, the notification route is Form 1023 (Notification of incorrect answers), and you can add the dependent children of the child at any time before a decision is made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a subclass 445 application need the parents' relationship evidence again?
The 445 document list asks for evidence of the child's relationship to the parent — a birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption certificate, or an officially issued and maintained family status certificate or family book — rather than evidence of the couple's relationship. The parent's status enters through the dependency limb, which is tied to the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa. That means the same identity and relationship records often already exist in the partner file and can be reused as certified copies.
How recent do the child's photos need to be?
Photos must be less than 6 months old, passport-size at 45mm x 35mm, good quality colour, full face, and taken against a plain light-coloured background. Laser copies are not accepted, untinted prescription glasses are allowed, and a child wearing a head covering for religious reasons can show only the face. You need four photos for the child and for any other dependent child included in the application.
Does a 17-year-old need a police certificate?
Yes. Children over 16 must provide a police certificate from every country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years since turning 16, and must complete Form 80. Only AFP National Police Certificates applied for under Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship are accepted; certificates from state or territory police and standard disclosure certificates are not, and the certificate is valid for 12 months from its issue date.
What counts as dependency evidence for a child over 18?
You need evidence that the child depends on the parent holding the temporary Partner or Dependent Child visa for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and evidence of how long that support has been provided. The department's examples are bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts. A separate medical route applies to applicants over 18 with a disability: evidence from a qualified medical practitioner of a total or partial loss of mental or body function that stops them from working.
Should I send original birth certificates or copies?
Only certified copies. The department instructs applicants not to send original documents with the application, and to keep a copy of the completed application and supporting documents for their own records. If you later need to add documents, you can upload them into ImmiAccount after importing the paper application using the application ID, date of birth and identity document number.
Is the fee refunded if the application is refused?
No. The department states that it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused, and that a refusal notice will set out why the visa was refused and whether there is a right to a review of the decision.