Form 1229: consent to grant a visa to a child under 18

When a child under 18 is applying with you. The 820, 309 and 300 pages say you must get consent for any applicant under 18 to migrate to Australia from anyone who “has a legal right to decide where the child lives” and “is not coming to Australia with the child”, using Form 1229.

Instead, the pages say you can show an Australian court order that allows the child to migrate, or that the laws of the child’s home country allow them to leave permanently.

The form is for the child’s non-accompanying parent(s) or person(s) with parental responsibility, which it defines as anyone who can lawfully determine where the child lives. If parental responsibility is shared, there is space for two people, each with their own declaration and signature. If one person has lawfully been made solely responsible, the form says only they need to sign.

• Part A, the children: up to four children, with family name, given names, date of birth, country of passport and passport number, as shown in the passport.
• Part B, each consenting parent or person: name, address, phone numbers, relationship to the child, a passport, ID card or driver’s licence number, and the purpose of travel (temporary visit, permanent residence or both), then a signed and dated declaration.
• The Transaction Reference Number, if the consent is for an electronic application.

The form lists:

• a certified copy of each child’s birth certificate, if it isn’t already lodged with the application;
• a certified copy of the personal details page of the consenting parent’s passport, driver’s licence, national ID card or birth certificate;
• if it applies, a certified copy of any evidence making a person solely responsible for deciding where the child lives, such as court orders.

It adds that one of the identity documents must include the parent’s signature. The partner visa pages similarly ask for an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form.

Certified copies: Form 1229 asks for certified copies, while the partner visa pages say generally that you don’t need documents certified. Follow the current form and visa page for your application, and ask a registered migration agent or lawyer if you’re unsure.

In English: the form says to open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and type in the fields, or print it and complete it in BLOCK LETTERS. Each consenting person signs and dates their own declaration. Then it goes to the processing office, or into ImmiAccount for an online application. See the partner visa document checklist for the other documents for children applying with you.