Australia's government has announced that most international students will no longer be able to bring family members with them under a major overhaul of the country's migration system.
What Australia's Government Announced
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke unveiled the change on Thursday, September 17, in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra titled "The work of managing the migration program: who arrives, who stays, who leaves."
Burke said most future international students and graduate visa holders will no longer be able to attach family members to their visas. The change forms part of a wider set of migration reforms announced the same day, covering working holiday visas, visa overstayers and skilled migration.
Who Is Affected and What the Previous Rules Allowed
The change applies to the Student visa (subclass 500), Australia's main visa for international students, as well as graduate visa holders. Under the rules in place until now, an eligible partner or spouse and dependent children under 18 could generally be included in a student's visa application, or added later as subsequent entrants, provided they met health, character and financial requirements.
Under the new policy, most future applicants in these categories will no longer have that option. Burke said the change would not be retrospective. Family members already attached to a visa and already living in Australia will not be affected, he said, adding that the government does not intend to separate families who are already in the country.
More than 337,000 student visas were granted in the last financial year, including close to 46,000 secondary applicants classified as dependants or family members, according to figures reported by the national broadcaster ABC News. More than 70 percent of student-dependant visas granted offshore last financial year went to applicants from Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka, a combined total of 10,448 visas, according to figures reported by education-sector outlet The PIE News.
Exemptions for PhD Students and Pacific and ASEAN Nationals
Burke confirmed that exemptions will apply to students undertaking PhD programs, as well as to nationals of countries in the Pacific and South-East Asia. The government has not yet published a full list of which courses and nationalities will qualify, nor confirmed exactly when the new restrictions will take effect.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations welcomed the exemption for PhD candidates but said it should be extended to cover all higher-degree-by-research students, including those undertaking research master's degrees. Some international education consultants have also flagged that countries outside the Pacific and ASEAN groupings, such as Bhutan, could be significantly affected, since a large share of dependant visas from that country would fall outside the announced exemptions.
Why the Government Says It Is Making the Change
Burke linked the changes to the government's efforts to bring down net overseas migration, which he said was now being treated as a firm target rather than a forecast, citing pressure on housing. Government figures reported by ABC News put this year's net overseas migration target at 245,000, falling to 225,000 in the following financial year.
The government said it is implementing the changes through regulation and ministerial direction, after talks with the opposition Coalition on a legislated approach did not result in an agreement.
Reactions From Universities and Students
International education is worth about 55 billion Australian dollars to the economy and is described by ABC News as the country's fourth-largest export earner. Industry bodies, including Universities Australia and the Group of Eight network of research universities, said the changes risked making Australia less attractive to prospective students compared with competing study destinations.
Some international students already in Australia said the announcement had caused concern about future visits from family members, while others said the change could have affected their original decision to study in Australia had it applied to them.
Key Facts
- Announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on September 17, 2026, at the National Press Club in Canberra.
- Applies to the Student visa (subclass 500) and graduate visa holders.
- Most future applicants will no longer be able to include a partner or dependent children on their visa.
- Confirmed exemptions: PhD candidates and nationals of Pacific and South-East Asian countries.
- Not retrospective: students and family members already in Australia are unaffected.
- Effective date and full exemption list not yet announced.
- More than 337,000 student visas were granted last financial year, including about 46,000 dependant visas.
- Changes are being made through regulation and ministerial direction, not new legislation.
Further reading and useful links
Reader questions
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean international students can no longer bring any family members to Australia?
No. The government has described it as ending automatic eligibility for most students, not a complete ban. Exemptions apply for PhD candidates and students from Pacific and South-East Asian countries.
Will this affect students and families already in Australia?
No. Minister Tony Burke said the changes will not be retrospective and families already attached to a visa in Australia will not be separated.
When do the new rules take effect?
The government has not yet announced a start date or published the full list of exempt courses and nationalities.
What did the previous rules allow?
Student visa holders could generally include an eligible partner and dependent children under 18 in their application, or add them later, subject to health, character and financial checks.
Are graduate visa holders affected too?
Yes. Burke said the restriction on bringing family members will also apply to most graduate visa holders, not only current students.
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