Family · Subsequent entrant
Adding a Partner or Child to Your Visa — Subsequent Entrant Applications
If your visa was granted without your partner or child, they can often be added later through a subsequent entrant application for the same subclass. The rules differ by visa, the student visa route closed in October 2026, and the relationship evidence is assessed to the same standard as a partner visa. This page sets out what is possible, for which visas, and what the application has to prove.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - 482 subsequent entrant
- $4,015 adult, $1,005 child (+$700 onshore)
- 485 subsequent entrant
- $2,875 adult, $1,450 child (+$700 onshore)
- 500 Student
- Family cannot be added after grant (from 2 Oct 2026)
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These applications are refused for the same reasons partner visas are refused: thin relationship evidence, or a status problem on the main visa. In the consultation I check the main visa, the relationship evidence and the timing against the date your visa ends, and set the document list.
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Student visa holders: from 2 October 2026 family members can no longer be added to a subclass 500 visa after it is granted. If your partner is overseas and you hold a student visa, the route is now a different visa for them, not a subsequent entrant application. See the student visa changes page.
What a subsequent entrant application is
A subsequent entrant application is an application by a member of the family unit of a visa holder for the same subclass of visa, made after the main visa was granted. The partner or child applies in their own right, pays the family-member charge, and must show that they are a member of the family unit: for a partner, a spouse or de facto partner in a genuine and continuing relationship; for a child, a dependent child. The grant is tied to the main visa: it ends when the main visa ends.
482 Skills in Demand
A partner or child of a 482 holder can apply as a subsequent entrant while the main visa is in effect. The sponsoring employer is identified in the application and its sponsorship obligations extend to the family member, which is why some employers ask to be told first; the employer does not lodge a new nomination. The partner receives full work rights on grant. The application can be made onshore if the family member is in Australia on a substantive visa, or offshore. The charge is $4,015 for an adult and $1,005 for a child, plus $700 subsequent temporary application charge if lodged in Australia.
485 Temporary Graduate
Announced 17 September 2026, not yet in force: new 485 applications are to exclude family members. Until a commencement date is set, subsequent entrant applications for the 485 remain open; lodge sooner rather than later.
A 485 holder’s partner or child can apply as a subsequent entrant for the remaining period of the 485. The partner needs to meet the health, character and, for some streams, English requirements, and the relationship must be evidenced to the partner-visa standard. The charge is $2,875 for an adult and $1,450 for a child, plus $700 if lodged onshore. Because the 485 cannot be extended, families should weigh the cost against the time left on the main visa and the plan after it.
500 Student visa — the October 2026 change
Until 1 October 2026 a student could add a partner or child after grant. From 2 October 2026 that is no longer possible: family members must be included in the original student visa application or they cannot join on the student visa at all. Partners of student visa holders now need their own visa, which for most means a visitor visa for short stays or a different substantive visa. The change also affects students already in Australia who married or formed a de facto relationship after their visa was granted.
Relationship evidence
The Department applies the partner-visa framework: financial aspects (joint accounts, shared expenses, support), the nature of the household (living arrangements, shared responsibilities), social aspects (how the relationship is known to family and friends, joint activities) and commitment (the length of the relationship, future plans, time apart). A marriage certificate alone is not enough; a de facto relationship generally needs twelve months of cohabitation or a registered relationship, with exceptions. Applications from couples who have lived apart for most of the relationship, or who married recently, are the ones that attract requests and refusals, and they are the ones to prepare carefully.
Cost, timing and work rights
- Charges as above; health examinations and police certificates for the family member in addition.
- Lodge while the main visa has enough time left for processing; a subsequent entrant visa cannot be granted after the main visa ends.
- Onshore applicants on a substantive visa receive a bridging visa when their current visa ends; offshore applicants wait outside Australia.
- Partners of 482 and 485 holders receive the same work rights as the main holder on grant.
General information only, current at October 2026; not advice on your own case. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
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Can I add my partner to my 482 visa after it is granted?
Yes, through a subsequent entrant application for the 482 while your visa is in effect. Your employer’s sponsorship obligations extend to your partner, so the employer is identified in the application, but no new nomination is required.
Can I add my partner to my student visa?
Not after grant, from 2 October 2026. Family members must be included in the original student visa application. Partners now need a visa in their own right.
How much does it cost to add a partner to a 485?
$2,875 for an adult and $1,450 for a child, plus $700 if the application is made in Australia, plus health and police checks.
What relationship evidence is needed?
The same four aspects as a partner visa: financial, household, social and commitment. A de facto relationship generally needs twelve months of living together or a registered relationship.
Will my partner be able to work?
Partners of 482 and 485 holders receive full work rights on grant of the subsequent entrant visa.
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