V4.15 Family relationship requirements

V4.15.1 Who are considered to be children of the applicant?

1. For the purposes of Parent Boost visitor visa instructions, children of the applicant include:
   1. all biological or adopted children of the applicant; and
   2. any child of the applicant's partner (whether or not the partner is included in the application) if that child has lived with the principal applicant for a predominant period of the child's life between the time their relationship with the principal applicant began and until the time the child turned 18 years of age.
2. For the purposes of Parent Boost visitor visa instructions, where the applicant is/was a legal guardian, children of the applicant include:
   1. all biological and adopted children of the applicant; and
   2. any children of whom they are (or were) legal guardians by reason of the parents of those children being deceased; and
   3. any child of the applicant's partner (whether or not the partner is included in the application), if that child has lived with the applicant for a predominant period of the child's life between the time their relationship with the applicant began and until the time the child turned 18 years of age.
3. For the purposes of Parent Boost visitor visa instructions, where the applicant is a grandparent, children of the applicant include:
   1. all biological and adopted children of the applicant; and
   2. any child of the applicant's partner (whether or not the partner is included in the application), if that child has lived with the applicant for a predominant period of the child's life between the time their relationship with the applicant began and until the time the child turned 18 years of age.

V4.15.5 Applicants who have dependent children

1. Applicant(s) applying for a Parent Boost visitor visa must not have any dependent children (see (c) below).
2. An application will be declined if any applicants included in the application have dependent children (see (c) below).
3. For the purpose of the Parent Boost visitor visa instructions, and despite the definition in section 4 of the Immigration Act 2009, a child is dependent if:
   1. they are under 18 years of age; and
      • they are single; and
      • they are totally or substantially reliant on their parents for financial support, whether living with them or not; or
   2. they are aged 18 or 19 years of age; and
      • they are single with no child(ren) of their own; and
      • they are totally or substantially reliant on their parents for financial support, whether living with them or not
4. An unmarried child under 18 years of age is presumed to be dependent unless there is evidence to the contrary.
5. For children aged 18 or 19 years of age, evidence of actual dependence may be required.

V4.15.10 Grandparents

A sponsoring adult child’s grandparent and their partner will be considered to be ‘parent(s)', and the sponsor will be considered to be an ‘adult child' under the Parent Boost visitor visa instructions if both the sponsor's parents are deceased (V4.15.5 and V4.15.20).

V4.15.15 Legal guardians

A sponsoring adult child’s legal guardian and their partner will be considered to be ‘parent(s)' and the sponsor will be considered to be an 'adult child' under the Parent Boost visitor visa instructions if:

1. both the sponsor's parents died before the sponsor attained the age of 18 years; and
2. the applicant had legal guardianship of the sponsor (that is, custody of the sponsor and the right to control the sponsor's upbringing) before the sponsor attained the age of 18 years; and
3. the applicant was the most recent legal guardian of the sponsor.

V4.15.20 Grandparents and legal guardians

Only one grandparent and their partner, or one legal guardian and their partner, may be sponsored under the Parent Boost visitor visa instructions.

Effective 29/09/2025