# Member of the family unit > reg-1.12 — as in force on 2026-06-01 — F2026C00497 · Compilation No. 287 — https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026C00497/latest/text 1.12 Member of the family unit Scope (1) This regulation has effect for the purposes of the definition (the main definition) of member of the family unit in subsection 5(1) of the Act. General rule (2) A person is a member of the family unit of another person (the family head) if the person: (a) is a spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (b) is a child or step-child of the family head or of a spouse or de facto partner of the family head (other than a child or step-child who is engaged to be married or has a spouse or de facto partner) and: (i) has not turned 18; or (ii) has turned 18, but has not turned 23, and is dependent on the family head or on the spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (iii) has turned 23 and is under paragraph 1.05A(1)(b) dependent on the family head or on the spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (c) is a dependent child of a person who meets the conditions in paragraph (b). This subregulation has effect subject to the later subregulations of this regulation. Protection, refugee and humanitarian visas (3) Subregulation (4) has effect for the purposes of the main definition so far as it is relevant to a provision of the Act or these Regulations applying in relation to any of the following visas: (a) a Protection (Class XA) visa; (b) a Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa; (c) a Temporary Protection (Class XD) visa; (d) a Safe Haven Enterprise (Class XE) visa; (e) a Resolution of Status (Class CD) visa; (f) a Temporary Safe Haven (Class UJ) visa; (g) a Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) (Class UO) visa; (h) a Territorial Asylum (Residence) (Class BE) visa. (4) A person is a member of the family unit of another person (the family head) if the person is: (a) a spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (b) a dependent child of: (i) the family head; or (ii) a spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (c) a dependent child of a dependent child of: (i) the family head; or (ii) a spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or (d) a relative, of the family head or of a spouse or de facto partner of the family head, who: (i) does not have a spouse or de facto partner; and (ii) is usually resident in the family head’s household; and (iii) is dependent on the family head. Member of the family unit of applicant for a new visa on the basis of earlier status as member of the family unit (5) In addition to subregulation (2), a person is a member of the family unit, of an applicant for a visa (the new visa) described in column 1 of an item of the following table who seeks to satisfy the primary criteria for the new visa, if, at the time of the application for the new visa, the person: (a) is included in the application for the new visa; and (b) holds a visa (the old visa) described in column 2 of the item granted on the basis that the person was a member of the family unit of a person who held a visa of the same kind as the old visa. Members of the family units of applicants for new visas Column 1 Column 2 New visa applied for Old visa person holds at time of application for new visa 1 Contributory Parent (Migrant) (Class CA) Contributory Parent (Temporary) (Class UT) visa visa 2 Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) (Class Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) (Class DG) visa UU) visa 3 Business Skills (Residence) (Class DF) visa Business Skills (Provisional) (Class UR) visa 4 Business Skills (Permanent) (Class EC) visa Business Skills (Provisional) (Class EB) visa 5 Employer Nomination (Permanent) (Class Any of the following visas: EN) visa (a) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa; (ab) Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa; (b) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa 6 Regional Employer Nomination (Permanent) Any of the following visas: (Class RN) visa (a) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa; (ab) Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa; (b) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa 7 Skilled (Residence) (Class VB) visa Any of the following visas: (a) Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; (b) Bridging A (Class WA) visa or Bridging B (Class WB) visa granted on the basis of a valid application for: (i) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; or (ii) a Skilled (Provisional) (Class VC) visa; or (iii) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa; (c) Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) visa; (d) Subclass 475 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa; (e) Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa; (f) Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa Members of the family units of applicants for new visas Column 1 Column 2 New visa applied for Old visa person holds at time of application for new visa 8 Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa Any of the following visas: (a) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa; (ab) Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa; (b) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa 9 Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent) visa in Any of the following visas: the Hong Kong stream (a) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa; (ab) Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa; (b) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa; (c) Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa 10 Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Any of the following visas: Regional)) visa in the Regional Provisional (a) Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Visas stream (Provisional)) visa; (b) Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)) visa 11 Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Any of the following visas: Regional)) visa in the Hong Kong (Regional) (a) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) stream visa; (ab) Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa; (b) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa; (c) Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visas (6) A person is a member of the family unit of an applicant for, or of a holder of, a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa if the person is: (a) a spouse or de facto partner of the applicant or holder; or (b) a dependent child of the applicant or holder, or of that spouse or de facto partner of the applicant or holder, who is unmarried and has not turned 18. National Innovation (Class BX) visas (7) A person is a member of the family unit of an applicant for a National Innovation (Class BX) visa who has not turned 18 at the time of application if: (a) the person is: (i) a parent of the applicant who has made a combined application with the applicant for the visa; or (ii) under subregulation (2), a member of the family unit of a parent of the applicant who has made a combined application with the applicant for the visa; and (b) no person is being treated under subregulation (2) as a member of the family unit of the applicant, in relation to the applicant’s application for the visa; and (c) no other parent of the applicant is being treated as a member of the family unit of the applicant in accordance with this subregulation.