A student visa to Australia comes with the privilege of bringing family members as dependents with you to Australia on your student visa.
Who are considered ‘family members’ on a student visa?
Members of your family unit are your partner and any dependent children of you or your partner who are unmarried, not in a de facto relationship and who have not turned 18 years of age.
What are the work rights of dependents?
The work rights granted to the dependent partner depend on the course studied by the main applicant. Therefore, if the main applicant studies a Bachelor degree or a Vocational VET course or English course (ELICOS), the dependent partner will have the same work rights as the student, meaning 20 hours per week during school sessions and full-time during school holidays. If the main applicant studies a Master degree either by Coursework or by Research, the dependent partner has full-time work rights for the whole period of stay in Australia.
These rules and regulations in place encourage international students to aim for a higher-level course when thinking of studying in Australia and build the image of Australia as a quality, high standard higher education provider.
Travelling with school-age children
If your children travel with you to Australia on your student visa and they are older than 5, you will need to pay school fees for them to attend any Australian school either public or private.
School fees vary according to your children age and the state or territory that you live in while studying. You will need to expect fees of around $4 000 to $17 000 per year, per child.
South Australia $4500 – $5500
New South Wales $5000 – $6000
Tasmania – $7500
Victoria $8500 – $12500
Australian Capital Territory – $10000 – $15000
Queensland – $11500 – $15500
Western Australia – $13000 – $17000
These are the range of school fees for dependent children of student visa holders.
There are no fees for children of students studying a Master degree in Western Australia and no fees for children of students studying a PhD anywhere in Australia.
Travelling with children over 18 years of age
Children over 18 years of age or not considered as being dependents in Australia unless they have been in continuous education. For example, children over 18 years of age that are still studying high school or other qualifications. So, if your child is 18 or over and doesn’t qualify as a dependent, they will need to have their own visa to travel with you to Australia. At 18, children are eligible to apply for entry into an Australian university or college and travel themselves on a student visa.
It’s worth using an education consultant given the complexity of the visa applications. HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES qualified education consultants can assist you with your course enrolment, child school enrolment and student visa application. Contact us now for your FREE consultation!
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