Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Include the family member vs Declare them as non-migrating
Every member of the family unit is declared on a permanent visa application whether or not they migrate, and most permanent visas require the non-migrating members to meet the health requirement too unless it would be unreasonable to ask; so leaving a spouse or a child off the application does not take them out of the health question, it takes them out of the visa. Include the family member who will come, now or later, because adding them after grant is harder and for some visas impossible; declare as non-migrating the family member who genuinely will not come, with the health examinations done where required, and never omit a member of the family unit, because an undeclared child or spouse found later is false information.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Who is declared
- Every member of the family unit, included or not · Every member of the family unit, included or not
- Health
- Included members meet the health requirement · Non-migrating members meet it too for most permanent visas, unless unreasonable
- Charges
- The additional applicant charge for each included member · None for a non-migrating member
- Later
- They hold the visa with you · A later visa for them is a new application, with the family-unit rules read then; some visas close the door after grant
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| Include the family member | Declare them as non-migrating | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is declared | Every member of the family unit, included or not | Every member of the family unit, included or not |
| Health | Included members meet the health requirement | Non-migrating members meet it too for most permanent visas, unless unreasonable |
| Charges | The additional applicant charge for each included member | None for a non-migrating member |
| Later | They hold the visa with you | A later visa for them is a new application, with the family-unit rules read then; some visas close the door after grant |
| Evidence | Identity, relationship, health, character for each | Identity and the declaration; health where required |
| Watch out | A member who cannot pass health can sink the whole application under a 4005 visa | An omitted member is a PIC 4020 problem, not a saving |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
Every member of the family unit is declared on a permanent visa application whether or not they migrate, and most permanent visas require the non-migrating members to meet the health requirement too unless it would be unreasonable to ask; so leaving a spouse or a child off the application does not take them out of the health question, it takes them out of the visa. Include the family member who will come, now or later, because adding them after grant is harder and for some visas impossible; declare as non-migrating the family member who genuinely will not come, with the health examinations done where required, and never omit a member of the family unit, because an undeclared child or spouse found later is false information.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Free questions are closed: advice on your own case is the consultation.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Questions we get asked first
Include the family member or Declare them as non-migrating — which is better?
Every member of the family unit is declared on a permanent visa application whether or not they migrate, and most permanent visas require the non-migrating members to meet the health requirement too unless it would be unreasonable to ask; so leaving a spouse or a child off the application does not take them out of the health question, it takes them out of the visa. Include the family member who will come, now or later, because adding them after grant is harder and for some visas impossible; declare as non-migrating the family member who genuinely will not come, with the health examinations done where required, and never omit a member of the family unit, because an undeclared child or spouse found later is false information.
What is the main difference between the Include the family member and the Declare them as non-migrating?
Who is declared: Include the family member — Every member of the family unit, included or not; Declare them as non-migrating — Every member of the family unit, included or not. Health: Include the family member — Included members meet the health requirement; Declare them as non-migrating — Non-migrating members meet it too for most permanent visas, unless unreasonable. Charges: Include the family member — The additional applicant charge for each included member; Declare them as non-migrating — None for a non-migrating member.
Keep reading