Family · Children
Form 1229: consent for a child under 18 to be granted a visa
Any child under 18 included in a visa application needs the consent of every parent with a say in where the child lives, unless that parent is applying too. Form 1229 is how that consent is given. Who signs, what to do when a parent will not, and what evidence replaces it.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Needed when
- A parent is not applying with the child
- Signed by
- Each non-applying parent
- Sole custody
- Court order instead
- Parent refuses
- Best-interests evidence, often a court
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Most Australian visas carry a requirement that a child under 18 can only be granted the visa if every person who can lawfully decide where the child lives has consented, or the law of the child's home country allows the child to travel. If both parents are applying with the child, their applications are the consent. If one parent is not applying, for example a separated parent staying overseas, that parent gives consent on Form 1229, Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years.
Who signs, and what to attach
- Each non-applying parent, and anyone else with parental responsibility under a court order
- A copy of the signing parent's identity document showing their signature, certified as the form or the Department requires
- The current version of the form, downloaded from the Department of Home Affairs website; old versions are a common reason for a request for more information
- The child's birth certificate showing the parents, so the decision-maker can see who has to consent
When one parent has sole custody
If a court has given the applying parent sole responsibility for where the child lives, provide the order instead of the other parent's consent. The order must be current and must actually cover relocation or living arrangements; a general custody order that is silent on travel may not be enough. If the other parent has died, a death certificate takes the place of consent.
When a parent will not sign, or cannot be found
A refusal to sign does not always end the application. Many visas allow the decision-maker to grant the visa if it is in the child's best interests, but that requires evidence: the history of the relationship, the efforts made to contact the other parent, who has cared for the child, and often an order from a court in the child's home country. A parent who cannot be found needs a documented search. This is the point to get advice, before the application is lodged.
Mistakes that hold applications up
- No identity document with the signature, so the consent cannot be matched to the parent
- A signature that does not match the identity document or the birth certificate
- A custody order that does not cover relocation, provided as if it did
- Consent given for a different visa or an earlier application
- Waiting until the Department asks: the other parent's cooperation can take months, so ask early
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General information only. Forms and the evidence the Department accepts change; download the current form and check the instructions before signing. Family law advice about custody orders is a lawyer's. Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent, MARN 1576536.
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Questions we get asked first
When is Form 1229 needed?
When a child under 18 is included in a visa application and a parent, or another person with a legal right to decide where the child lives, is not applying with them. That person consents to the visa being granted on Form 1229.
Who signs Form 1229?
Each parent or person with parental responsibility who is not travelling with the child. The Department’s guidance is that where one or both parents are not applying, they complete and sign the form, with a copy of their identity document.
What if one parent has sole custody?
A court order or other legal evidence that the applying parent has sole responsibility for where the child lives can be provided in place of the other parent’s consent. The evidence has to be clear and current.
What if the other parent will not sign or cannot be found?
The visa can still be granted in some cases if it is in the child’s best interests, but the application needs evidence of the efforts made, the circumstances, and often an order from a court. This is a matter to get advice on before lodging.
Does Form 1229 have to be witnessed?
Check the current version of the form on the Department of Home Affairs website before signing. Whatever the form asks for, include a certified copy of the signing parent’s identity document showing their signature.
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