A large share of our Subclass 500 clients from Bangladesh, Nepal and India are married, and many used to plan their study around a spouse coming too. That plan no longer works for most people. For applications made on or after 2 October 2026, partners and children generally cannot be included in a Student visa application, and they cannot be added later.
The short version
- Most new Student visa applicants cannot include a partner or children.
- Exemptions: doctoral study, DFAT or Defence sponsorship, some foreign government scholarships, eligible Pacific and ASEAN students, and some existing families.
- Family can no longer join after grant. There are no exemptions to that.
- Where family is included, everyone must be in the same place, inside or outside Australia, at lodgement.
What the rule says
The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 started on 2 October 2026. Under them, a partner or dependent child generally cannot be a secondary applicant on a Student visa unless the main student falls into an exempt group. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules, so families who had already applied are not caught by the change.
The government's stated aim is to keep the student program focused on study. Whatever you think of the policy, the effect for applicants is clear: if you are not in an exempt group, you should plan for your family to stay home while you study.
Who is still exempt
- Doctoral students. PhD and other doctoral applicants can still include family.
- Government-sponsored students. Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or by Defence.
- Some foreign government scholarship holders. Check the exact wording of the exemption against your scholarship letter.
- Eligible Pacific and ASEAN students. Main applicants with passports from specified Pacific or ASEAN countries.
- Transitional families. Some people who already held or had applied for a Student visa as a family member when the rules began, and certain children born in Australia afterwards.
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not ASEAN countries, so applicants from South Asia generally need one of the other exemptions, most often a doctoral program.
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The old workaround was to come first and add a spouse once settled. That door is shut. Family members can no longer be added as subsequent entrants after a Student visa is granted, and the government has listed no exemptions to this part of the rule. If your family is eligible to come, include them in the application from the start.
The same-location rule
Where family members are included, the main applicant and the family generally have to be in the same location when the application is lodged. Either everyone is in Australia or everyone is outside. A family split across two countries at lodgement can make the application invalid for the family members, so coordinate travel before you submit.
Funds for an exempt family
If your family can come, the financial capacity figures still apply on top of tuition and travel:
| Person | Living costs per year |
|---|---|
| Main student | AUD 29,710 |
| Partner | AUD 10,394 |
| Each dependent child | AUD 4,449 |
School-age children also need school fees covered. Officers check that the money is genuinely available and that its source makes sense, so a large recent deposit without explanation is a red flag.
Writing GS answers when your family stays home
A spouse and children at home are often the strongest tie an applicant has. The mistake is to overplay it. Officers have read thousands of answers promising to return because of family, and a line like "I love my family and will definitely come back" carries almost no weight. What works is fact plus evidence.
Put the family details in the first GS answer, about your current circumstances, and keep them concrete: who they are, where they live, what you are responsible for, and what supports them while you study. Then let the career logic in the later answers do the rest.
- Who your partner and children are, where they live and who they live with.
- Your own responsibilities at home, such as caring for parents or managing a family business.
- What supports the family while you study: a partner's job, family income or savings, with documents.
- Your job or role waiting for you, ideally with an employer letter.
Stated as facts with documents, these details fit comfortably inside the 150-word limit. They show real ties without drama, and they never need a promise to return.
What not to do
- Do not leave your marriage out of the form. Undeclared family members cause far worse problems than declared ones.
- Do not say your spouse will visit you on a visitor visa "to live with you". A visitor visa is for visiting.
- Do not plan to switch a family member to a student visa onshore later. Dependants wanting their own Student visa must apply from outside Australia.
If your family situation is complicated, such as a pregnancy, a child with medical needs or a partner who also wants to study, talk to us before you apply. We help you decide what to disclose and how, and we write the answers so the family details support your case rather than raising doubts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I include my wife or husband in my Australian student visa application?
For applications made on or after 2 October 2026, generally not, unless an exemption applies. Exemptions cover doctoral students, students sponsored by DFAT or Defence, some foreign government scholarship holders, eligible students from Pacific and ASEAN countries, and some families already on student visas when the rules began.
Can my spouse join me after my student visa is granted?
No. Adding family members after grant as subsequent entrants is no longer possible for Student visas, and there are no exemptions to that rule. If family is eligible to come, they must be included before the application is decided.
My family is already in Australia on student visas. Are we affected?
Existing visas are not cancelled. Family members who already hold a Student visa may be included in a new onshore application in set circumstances, but the main student and all family members must be in the same location, inside or outside Australia, when the application is lodged.
Does leaving my spouse at home help my GS assessment?
It can be a genuine tie to your home country, and you can say so plainly with evidence. It should be stated as a fact of your circumstances, not as a promise designed to impress the officer.
How much money do I show if my family is exempt and coming?
Home Affairs asks for AUD 10,394 a year for a partner and AUD 4,449 a year for each child, on top of the main student's AUD 29,710, plus school costs for school-age children.
Official sources we checked
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