You’ve been offered a place at an Australian university or college, and the first question at home is simple. Can your partner and children come with you?
For most students, the answer changed on 2 October 2026. Most people applying for a Student visa (subclass 500) can no longer include family members.
That doesn’t mean every door is closed. Some students can still bring family; applications lodged before 2 October are assessed under the old rules, and family can still visit you.
You can now include your partner and children only if you fit one of five exemption groups. These cover PhD students, sponsored students, some scholarship holders and Pacific and ASEAN nationals.
This guide explains who can still bring family on a student visa in Australia, what it costs and which documents you need. It also covers what to do if you don’t qualify.
If you’d like your own situation checked, you can book a consultation with our team.
Who can I bring to Australia on a student visa?
If you meet an exemption, you can include your partner and your or your partner’s children under 18. Home Affairs calls them “family members”, and each one gets their own Subclass 500 visa linked to yours.
Who counts as a family member for a student visa?
- Spouse or de facto partner: a married partner or a de facto partner in a genuine, ongoing relationship. Same-sex relationships are recognised.
- Your dependent children: biological, adopted or step-children who are unmarried and under 18.
- Your partner’s dependent children: unmarried children under 18 whom you have agreed to support.
- Children turning 18: a child must still be under 18 when the visa is decided. If they turn 18 first, they need their own visa.
Parents, brothers and sisters are not family members for a student visa. They can visit you, but they can’t be included in your application.
What are the new rules for bringing family on a student visa in 2026?
From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can’t include family members, and family can’t join you later in any case. The only way to bring family is to fit an exemption and include them when you lodge.
Many students worry this ends their plans. Some still have options, so check the exemptions first.
Which students can still bring family under the 2026 rules?
- PhD students: you must be applying to study a Doctoral Degree. Master’s by Research students are not covered by this exemption.
- Sponsored students: you are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence.
- Foreign government scholarship holders: your scholarship must pay for all of your study in Australia.
- Pacific and ASEAN nationals: for example, citizens of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam or Timor-Leste. The full list is on the Home Affairs page.
- Current student visa families: if your family already holds a student visa with you, they can stay on your next visa in some cases. One example is needing up to 12 more months to finish your course.
If you lodged your application before 2 October 2026, it is assessed under the rules in place when you applied. That includes applications that already listed family members. The Home Affairs Student visa page lists every exemption in full.
Not sure if your course or scholarship fits? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at our Harris Park or Melbourne office can check your exemption before you lodge.
What is the difference between including family and a subsequent entrant?
Both routes give your family a Subclass 500 visa, but only one is still open. Since 2 October 2026, family must come in with you on the same form. They can no longer apply later.
| Included in your application | Subsequent entrant | |
| When family apply | At the same time as you | Later, in a separate application after your visa is granted |
| Before 2 October 2026 | Allowed for eligible students | Allowed for eligible students |
| From 2 October 2026 | Only if you meet an exemption | Not allowed in any case |
| Visa your family gets | Subclass 500, linked to yours | Subclass 500, linked to yours |
| Charge per family member | AUD 1,530 (18+) or AUD 500 (under 18) | No longer available |
Charges are from the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator as at 27 October 2026. Your own visa costs AUD 2,500. Use the estimator for your final figure, as charges change each year.
Because family can’t join later, plan who is coming before you lodge. You can’t add them once your visa is granted.
Can I bring my partner to Australia on a student visa?
Yes, if you meet one of the exemptions, you can include your spouse or de facto partner in your application. If you don’t, your partner can’t join you on your student visa, but they can visit or apply for their own visa.
Your partner doesn’t need to study. Their visa is granted in their own name, but it depends on yours staying valid.
What documents are needed to bring my spouse to Australia?
Proof of your relationship is the part Home Affairs checks most closely. They look at whether it is real and still going, not just whether you have a certificate.
- Legal relationship evidence: a marriage certificate, or proof of a de facto relationship of at least 12 months.
- Shared finances: joint bank accounts, shared property or other signs that you share money.
- Living together: leases, bills or letters addressed to you both at the same address.
- Social evidence: photos together over time and statements from people who know you as a couple.
- Time apart: messages, call logs or travel records that show you stayed in contact.
- ID: passports, national ID cards and birth certificates for you both.
Can my partner work while in Australia on a student visa?
- Family members can’t work until you have started your course.
- While your course is in session, your partner can usually work up to 48 hours a fortnight.
- If you study a PhD, a master’s by research or a master’s by coursework, your partner can work more than 48 hours a fortnight.
- When your course isn’t in session, you can work unlimited hours, but your partner’s limits still apply.
- Your partner can check their own conditions on VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online).
What if my partner wants to study too?
- Family members can take short courses of up to 3 months on their visa.
- For a longer course, your partner needs their own Student visa as the main applicant.
- Most new student visas must now be lodged and granted outside Australia.
- A family member can’t switch to their own student visa while in Australia, so this is planned from home.
Can I bring my child to Australia on a student visa?
Yes, if you meet an exemption, you can include your unmarried children under 18 in your application. School-age children must go to school in Australia, and you need to show you can pay for it.
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Book ConsultationWhat are the requirements for children on a student visa?
- Age: under 18 and unmarried when the visa is decided, not only when you apply.
- School: school-age children must be enrolled in school, and the fees are on top of your own tuition.
- Birth certificate: showing you are the parent, with a certified English translation if needed.
- Passport: a valid passport for each child.
- Health and character: children must meet the health requirement, and older children the character requirement.
- Babies born in Australia: a child born here while you hold a student visa automatically holds the same visa as you.
If you are under 18 yourself, the rules are different. A parent or relative aged 21 or over may come with you on a Student Guardian visa (subclass 590), which has its own requirements.
What documents does a family member need for a student visa?
Family members included under an exemption need identity, relationship, money, health and character evidence. They apply in your application, so the documents go in together.
Documents needed for each family member
- Evidence of your exemption: for example, a PhD offer, DFAT or Defence sponsorship letter, scholarship letter or your passport for Pacific and ASEAN citizenship.
- Passports: a valid passport for each family member.
- Relationship evidence: a marriage certificate or de facto evidence for your partner, and birth certificates for children.
- Money for your stay: AUD 29,710 for you, plus AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 for each child.
- School costs: at least AUD 13,502 a year for each school-age child.
- Health checks: medical exams with an approved panel doctor if Home Affairs asks for them.
- Police certificates: for adults, if Home Affairs asks for them.
- Translations: documents not in English need a certified translation, for example by a NAATI-certified translator.
Money figures are from the Home Affairs Student visa page as at 28 October 2026.
How do exempt students include family in the application?
- You lodge one Student visa application in ImmiAccount and add each family member to it.
- Most applications must be lodged outside Australia. PhD and DFAT or Defence-sponsored students can include family from inside or outside Australia.
- You upload each person’s documents to the same application.
- You pay the charge for each family member when you lodge.
- Family members can’t be added in a separate application after your visa is granted.
How does VEVO work for student visa family members?
VEVO is the Home Affairs record of your visa and its conditions. Family members can use it to check their visa and show their work rights.
What family members use VEVO for
- Checking the visa is in effect before they start work or travel.
- Showing an employer their work rights, since employers must check them.
- Confirming the visa expiry date, which is linked to the student’s visa.
- Checking conditions again after coming back from overseas.
Family members can open their own record on the Home Affairs VEVO page with their passport and visa details.
What happens to my family’s visa if my student visa is cancelled?
If your student visa is cancelled, your family’s visas are usually cancelled too, because they depend on yours. Keeping your own visa in good standing protects the whole family.
How changes to your visa affect your family
- Your visa is cancelled: family visas linked to it are generally cancelled as well, under section 140 of the Migration Act.
- You change course or provider: your family’s visas are unaffected while you keep a valid visa and Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
- You apply for a further student visa: family on your current visa can stay on the new one only in some cases. One is needing up to 12 more months to finish.
- You apply for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): add your family to that visa. Their student visas don’t convert on their own.
- You travel overseas: your family’s visas stay valid while yours does.
Your attendance, course progress and health cover (OSHC) all affect your visa. If something changes, get advice early. The result affects your family too.
What can you do if you don’t meet an exemption?
- Family can visit you on a Visitor visa (subclass 600) for a genuine short visit, such as during your holidays.
- A visitor visa is for visiting only. It isn’t a way to live together long term, and it may carry a “No Further Stay” condition.
- Your partner can apply for their own student visa from outside Australia if they want to study.
- Some students choose a PhD or a scholarship that fits an exemption. That only makes sense if the course suits your goals.
For more on how the student visa rules changed, see our guide to student visa changes from 2 October 2026 and our guide to the dependent visa (subclass 500).
How The Migration helps with your family’s student visa plans
We help students work out whether their family can come, and plan the application so nobody is left out by mistake.
- Exemption check: we confirm whether your course, sponsorship, scholarship or citizenship fits a Home Affairs exemption.
- One complete application: because family can’t be added later, we make sure everyone is included when you lodge.
- Money and documents: we check your funds, school costs and relationship evidence before you apply.
- Options if you aren’t exempt: we explain visits, your partner’s own visa and what fits your plans.
- A registered agent: advice comes from a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738). You can check the number on the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) register.
- Experience and access: our team has 7+ years in practice, with consultations in Melbourne and Harris Park (Sydney), or online from anywhere.
Conclusion
Bringing your family to Australia on a student visa is still possible in 2026, but only if you meet an exemption. Most students can no longer include a partner or children, and nobody can add family later as a subsequent entrant.
Start by checking whether you are a PhD student, sponsored, on a fully funded foreign government scholarship or a Pacific or ASEAN national. If you are, include every family member when you lodge. If you aren’t, plan visits or your partner’s own visa instead.
If you’d like a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) to check your family’s options, book a consultation with The Migration.
