Short answer. For Student visa applications lodged from 2 October 2026, most students can no longer bring a partner or children to Australia, and family cannot join later as dependants. The exceptions are PhD students, DFAT or Defence sponsored students, and students whose study is fully funded by a foreign government scholarship.
Until October 2026, Australia was one of the few English speaking destinations where a coursework master’s student could bring a partner who could work. That is no longer true. A master’s by coursework, a bachelor’s or a vocational course no longer qualifies on its own, and neither does a master’s by research.
If you lodged before 2 October 2026, or your family is already on your Student visa, the picture is different, and it is covered below. Everyone else should treat Australia as a destination you go to alone unless you fit one of the exemptions.
What changed on 2 October 2026
The Department of Home Affairs changed two things at once for Student visas (subclass 500).
- Family can no longer be included, unless you meet an exemption. This applies to first applications and to further Student visas.
- Family can never be added later. Home Affairs says family members cannot apply as subsequent entrants after your visa is granted, and that there are no exemptions to this rule.
A third change sits alongside them. Most applicants must now lodge from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted, with limited exemptions for current students, such as needing up to 12 more months to finish the same course or moving up to a higher level course.
Who can still bring family
| Exemption | What it requires | Realistic for Indian students? |
|---|---|---|
| PhD student | Applying to study a doctoral degree. A master’s by research does not count. | Yes, the main route |
| DFAT or Defence sponsored | Sponsored by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Department of Defence | Rare |
| Foreign government scholarship | A foreign government scholarship that fully funds your studies in Australia | Only if your scholarship covers the full course |
| Pacific Island or ASEAN national | An eligible passport from those countries | No |
The scholarship exemption is the one Indian applicants should read carefully. A Government of India scholarship may qualify, but only if it fully funds your studies in Australia. A partial award, a university scholarship or a fee waiver does not meet that wording. If you are relying on it, check how your award is described before you lodge.
If you do qualify, your family must apply at the same time and from the same location as you. Home Affairs warns that an application lodged for a family member who is not eligible will not be accepted, and an invalid application cannot be reviewed.
If you applied before 2 October, or your family is already here
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the rules in place on the day you applied, including applications that included family members.
If your family is already on your current Student visa, you may be able to keep them on your next one, but only in limited cases: applying in Australia when you meet one of the exemptions, needing up to 12 more months to complete the main course on your current visa, or needing a new visa because your education provider defaulted. What you cannot do in any case is add a family member who was not already included.
What it costs if you are exempt
| Applicant | Visa charge | Roughly in INR, at ₹58 |
|---|---|---|
| You, the student | AUD 2,500 | ₹1.45 lakh |
| Partner | AUD 1,530 | ₹89,000 |
| Each child under 18 | AUD 500 | ₹29,000 |
| Student, partner and two children | AUD 5,030 | ₹2.9 lakh |
That is only the visa charge. You must also show extra living funds for each family member, and Home Affairs tells families to check the annual school costs for dependent children, which international families pay in most states. Our Australia student visa fee calculator checks whether your family qualifies and totals the charges, and the proof of funds calculator covers the money you must show for yourself.
Work rights depend on the course. Home Affairs gives master’s by research and doctoral students and their families no work limit. On other courses, the limit is 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session. Since a PhD is now the main way to bring family, most partners who can still come will have no work limit.
Faz's ruleDecide the family question before you accept an offer, because there is no way to fix it after the visa is granted.
The old plan for married applicants was simple: lodge with your partner, and they work 48 hours a fortnight to soften the budget. That plan is gone for coursework students, and the rule that hurts most is the one with no exemptions: family cannot be added after you get your visa. So if you go alone, you are committing to the whole course alone, apart from visits. Make that decision with your partner before you pay a deposit, not after the visa arrives.
Your options if you are not exempt
Go alone and plan visits. Your partner can apply for a visitor visa in their own right. A visitor visa does not allow work and is assessed on its own merits, so it is a way to visit, not to live together.
Both of you study. A partner who wants to study can apply for their own Student visa for their own course, with their own Confirmation of Enrolment, funds and AUD 2,500 charge. It is two full student budgets, not one family budget, so model it as such.
Take the PhD route. If research suits you, a PhD is the one mainstream exemption, and partners of doctoral students have no work limit.
Choose a country around the family rule. New Zealand still gives partners of master’s students open work rights, and Germany allows family reunion with full work rights. The comparison below sets out each country.
The same question, answered by country
The rules differ enormously, and several of the eight have tightened since 2024. If a different destination is on your list, start there instead, or see the full country comparison.
- New Zealand, the most generous of the eight
- Germany, with full spousal work rights
- Canada, where the 16 month rule decides it
- the USA, where an F-2 spouse cannot work
- the UK, where taught masters cannot bring family
- Ireland, where only PhD students qualify
- the Netherlands, closed by an income floor
Frequently asked questions
What are the new rules for a student dependent visa in Australia?
For Student visa applications lodged from 2 October 2026, family members can only be included if you are a PhD student, sponsored by DFAT or Defence, receiving a foreign government scholarship that fully funds your studies, or an eligible Pacific Island or ASEAN national. Family can never be added after the visa is granted.
Can I take my wife or husband to Australia on a master’s student visa?
Not on a coursework master’s, unless DFAT or Defence sponsor you or a foreign government scholarship fully funds your studies. A master’s by research does not qualify either. Only a PhD does.
Can my spouse join me in Australia later?
Not as your dependant. Home Affairs says family members cannot be added to a Student visa after it has been granted, and there are no exemptions. Your spouse would need a visa of their own.
Does the new rule apply if I applied before 2 October 2026?
No. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the rules in place on the day you applied, including applications that included family members.
How much is the Australian student visa fee for a family?
AUD 2,500 for you, AUD 1,530 for each family member aged 18 or over and AUD 500 for each child under 18, where your family is allowed to be included.
Can my partner work if they are allowed to come?
Families of master’s by research and doctoral students have no work limit. On other courses the limit is 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session.
The honest closing
Until October 2026 this page argued that Australia was the pragmatic choice for married applicants. As of 2 October 2026, that advice is withdrawn for anyone who is not doing a PhD or studying on a fully funding government scholarship. That is most Indian applicants.
If family is central to your plan, start from the family rule and work back to the country, not the other way round. If Australia is still the right country for your career, go in knowing it is a solo decision for the length of the course, and agree that at home before you accept the offer.
For the money side of the degree itself, cost of studying in Australia and the Australia education loan guide cover the rest, and the visa process is in our Australia student visa guide.
Where these rules come from
- Department of Home Affairs, including or adding family members
- Department of Home Affairs, applying for a Student visa while in Australia
- Department of Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500): eligibility, exemptions and work conditions
- Department of Home Affairs, current visa pricing table
Checked in October 2026. Home Affairs has said these rules affect who can apply and be granted a visa; check its Student visa changes page before you lodge.
