Was your baby born in Australia? – YES
Was one parent an Australian citizen, a permanent residence visa holder or an eligible New Zealand citizen at the time of the baby’s birth? – NO
Did one parent hold a temporary visa at the time of the baby’s birth? For example, a Student (subclass 500) visa or temporary work (subclass 457 or 482) visas – NO
Did one parent have a visa application in progress at the time of the baby’s birth? – YES

Your baby’s status

Your baby does not hold a visa and is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

If you currently have an unfinalized visa application before the Department, then we will consider your baby to have made the same visa application as you once we receive your baby’s required documents.

Tell us about your baby

You must tell us about your baby as soon as possible (even if they don’t have a passport yet) so we can add your baby to your current visa application.

If the baby doesn’t have a passport yet, you can give us copies of your baby’s passport pages later. However, you must send them as soon as you can.

Using ImmiAccount

If you currently have a visa application in ImmiAccount that is not yet finalised, sign in and upload these documents:

Form 1022 – Notification of changes in circumstances
a colour scan of your baby’s Australian birth certificate
a colour scan of your baby’s passport pages (showing photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates)
By post
If your visa application in ImmiAccount is finalised or you did not apply for your visa via ImmiAccount, post these documents to your nearest Department of Home Affairs office.

Form 1022 – Notification of changes in circumstances
a certified copy of your baby’s Australian birth certificate
a certified copy of your baby’s passport pages (showing photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates)
We recommend you send them by express or registered post so you can track their delivery.

Cost

It is free to add your baby to your visa application.

What happens next

We will let you know if you need to do anything else. When you have given us everything we need, we will include the baby in any unfinalised visa applications you have before the Department and the baby will be assessed along with yourself and any other dependents for a decision on your visa.

Your baby must, however, meet all requirements for visa grant. For example, this includes:

• being included in a sponsorship (where applicable)
• meeting the health requirement
• having a valid passport for travel (where applicable)

If you do not tell us about your baby:

• you cannot access Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) for your baby
• you and your baby might be delayed at the airport if your baby attempts to travel
• your baby’s immigration status might be adversely impacted. This could, in turn, adversely impact on your own immigration status
• What if my visa application has already been refused by the time I notify the department of my baby’s birth?

In such cases, you must still notify us of your baby’s birth as soon as possible, even if your baby does not have a passport yet.

Your baby’s visa application will most likely be refused as well. This will, however, allow your baby to also seek merits review where applicable and ensure that your baby remains lawful in Australia while your application for merits review is being considered.

If your baby has not had a refusal in their own right, the merits review tribunal will most likely have no jurisdiction to consider their application for merits review until we have refused your baby first.

Applying for another visa

First, you need to tell us about the baby as soon as possible, even if the baby does not have a passport yet.

Next, we can link the baby’s current visa to their passport.

Then, if you apply for a temporary or permanent visa after your baby’s birth, you can include your baby in your application.

If you cannot obtain a passport for your baby, please contact us.