Adding family members to a student visa is possible, but the financial and evidentiary bar is higher than most students expect — and the rules changed meaningfully for students starting from 2024 onward.

This guide covers who qualifies, what it really costs, and how partner work rights actually work.

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Who counts as a dependant

• Spouse or de facto partner — married, or a genuine de facto relationship generally of at least 12 months
• Dependent children under 18, or 18 to 23 where they are financially dependent on you

Extended family — parents, siblings, cousins — cannot be added to a student visa. They visit on a visitor visa (subclass 600) instead.

The rule that catches people: declare from the start

Family members must be declared in your original application, even if they are not coming with you. If you did not declare a spouse or child, adding them later can be refused, and a false declaration can trigger PIC 4020 consequences that affect all your future visas.

If your circumstances change genuinely — you marry after arriving — you can apply to add them as subsequent entrants, with evidence of when the relationship began.

What it costs (budget honestly)

Item	Rough 2026 cost
Visa charge, partner	Additional applicant charge on top of the main charge
Visa charge, each child	Lower additional applicant charge
OSHC, couple policy	About $3,000 – $4,000 per year
OSHC, family policy	About $5,500 – $8,000 per year
Extra financial capacity, partner	Around $8,000 – $9,000 per year on top of your own
Extra financial capacity, each child	Around $3,600 – $4,000 per year
Child school fees (public, per child)	Roughly $5,000 – $16,000 per year depending on state and year level

Combine those and a couple with one child typically needs to evidence tens of thousands of dollars more than a single student. This is the most common refusal reason for family applications.

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Partner work rights: read this carefully

Your partner's work rights depend on your course level.

• If you are studying a Master's by coursework, Master's by research or a Doctorate, your partner generally has unrestricted work rights.
• If you are studying anything below that — Bachelor, Diploma, VET — your partner is capped at the same limited fortnightly hours that apply to student visa holders.

For many couples, this single rule determines whether the move is financially viable. Run the numbers on the capped scenario before assuming two full incomes.

Your partner can also study, but only short courses; longer study means applying for their own student visa.

Relationship evidence that actually works

Case officers look for four categories. Provide something in each:

1. Financial — joint account statements, shared bills, money transfers between you
2. Household — lease or property documents with both names, utility accounts, mail to the same address
3. Social — photos across time and places, messages, statements from friends and family, wedding or engagement evidence
4. Commitment — written statements from both of you about how you met, how the relationship developed, plans in Australia

For de facto couples, the 12-month relationship period must be evidenced with dated material, not just declared. Registered relationships in some Australian states can substitute for the 12-month rule in certain cases.

School for children

School-aged children of student visa holders must attend school, and international student fees generally apply at public schools. Fees differ by state and by year level, and some states discount or waive them for children of research students or scholarship holders. Check the education department of your state before you commit — the difference between states can be five figures a year.

Should they come with you or later?

Come together when: you are doing a Master's or PhD, you have savings evidence ready, and childcare or school placement is arranged.

Come later when: you are in your first semester of a Bachelor or VET course, still finding stable work, and unsure about housing. Family rentals are considerably harder to secure with no Australian rental history.

Related reading

• Student visa financial capacity
• Best OSHC providers compared
• Renting with no rental history