Can I Bring My Family On An Australian Student Visa?

Can international students bring family to Australia? Get current dependant eligibility, financial requirements, and partner work rights — plus the latest on Australia's proposed 2026 student dependant restrictions from Australian Immigration Consultants.

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Important update: As of today, 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has outlined plans to significantly restrict international students from bringing family members to Australia, as part of a broader migration reduction package. No legislation or start date has been confirmed yet, so the rules below reflect what currently applies — but if you're planning to bring a partner or child, this is a critical moment to get up-to-date advice before you commit.

If you're weighing whether your partner or children can join you while you study in Australia, here's what a Subclass 500 Student Visa currently allows, who qualifies, what it costs, and what may be about to change.

1. Who Currently Qualifies as a Dependant on a Student Visa

Under current settings, a primary Subclass 500 visa holder can include the following as dependants in their application:

Family Member	Eligible?	Notes
Spouse or de facto partner	Yes	Must be declared in your application
Unmarried children under 18	Yes	Must be declared and meet dependant criteria
Children turning 18 during your course	Visa remains valid, no new grant	Cannot be added fresh once 18+
Parents, siblings, grandparents	No	Must apply for a separate visa in their own right
Extended family	No	Not eligible under the dependant category

Your family members' visas are granted for the same period as yours and remain tied to your visa — if your student visa is cancelled or ceases, their status is directly affected too.

2. The Financial Requirement for Bringing Family

Adding dependants significantly raises the funds you need to demonstrate to Home Affairs. On top of your own AUD 29,710 living-cost benchmark, you currently need to show:

AUD 10,394 per year for a spouse or de facto partner
AUD 4,449 per year for each dependent child
An additional school-cost benchmark of roughly AUD 13,502 per child if they'll attend school in Australia
A separate, non-refundable visa application charge for each family member added to your application

These figures are reviewed periodically — always confirm current amounts before budgeting, since outdated figures circulate widely online.

3. Can Your Partner Work While You Study?

Yes, but their work rights sit under a different visa condition (8104) than yours as the student (8105). Under condition 8104:

Your partner generally cannot start work until your course commences
Once your course starts, the default limit is 48 hours per fortnight
If you're studying a masters or doctoral degree, that limit doesn't apply — your partner can work unlimited hours

4. School Fees and Enrolling Children in Australia

If your children will attend school while you study, be aware that:

School fees for dependants are set individually by each state and territory education department
International student contributions usually apply on top of standard fees
Some states offer exemptions or reductions for dependants of certain research students or scholarship holders
The financial difference between states can run to five figures per child, per year

Confirm exact costs with the relevant state education department and your own institution before finalising your family budget.

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5. What Happens When a Dependent Child Turns 18?

This catches many families off guard. If your child turns 18 while you're studying:

Their existing student dependant visa remains valid until its original expiry date
They cannot be granted a new dependant visa once they turn 18
They would need to apply for their own separate visa (such as their own student visa) to remain in Australia beyond that point

Planning ahead for this transition is essential if your course runs several years and your child is approaching 18.

6. Breaking: Proposed Changes to Student Dependant Rules (September 2026)

On 17 September 2026, at a National Press Club address titled "The work of managing the migration program: who arrives, who stays, who leaves," Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke outlined a package of migration reforms aimed at cutting net overseas migration from around 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028. A central measure under consideration is a major restriction on international students bringing dependants — with reporting indicating most students would be expected to travel to Australia without their partner or children.

Key points as they currently stand:

The change is reportedly expected to be implemented through regulation rather than new legislation, which could allow faster rollout than a parliamentary process
Reporting indicates the number of primary student visas issued is not being targeted — the restriction is focused on secondary applicants (partners and children)
No official start date has been confirmed as of this writing
Around 45,000 dependant visas were granted alongside over 337,000 student visas in the past year, giving a sense of how many families this could affect

Because this is a fast-moving policy area, treat any dependant-related plans as provisional until the specific Ministerial Direction is formally published.

Trying to work out whether your partner's work rights are capped or unlimited, or how much you'll need to show for your whole family?

Australian Immigration Consultants can calculate your exact family financial requirement and confirm your partner's specific work entitlements before you apply. Call +61 424 295 050 or email contact@australianimmigrationconsultants.com.

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7. What This Means If You're Planning to Apply Soon

If you're currently preparing a student visa application and intend to bring a partner or child, timing may matter more than usual right now:

Applications lodged and finalised before any new restriction takes effect would generally be assessed under current rules
If you're mid-planning, it's worth confirming your options before locking in a course start date tied to bringing family
Students already in Australia with dependants should watch for guidance on how any transition arrangements might apply to existing visa holders

8. How Australian Immigration Consultants Helps You Navigate This

Family decisions shouldn't be made on rumour or outdated blog posts — especially with a major policy shift potentially days or weeks away. Australian Immigration Consultants helps students and families by:

Confirming the current, accurate dependant eligibility rules before you apply
Calculating the full financial requirement for you and every family member
Advising on partner work rights under condition 8104 based on your specific course level
Monitoring the Ministerial Direction as it's formally published and advising how it affects your timeline
Helping you decide whether to lodge now under current settings or wait for confirmed details

Given how quickly this policy area is moving, a direct consultation is the safest way to plan your family's move to Australia.