Bringing your family to Australia

If you're planning to bring your family to Australia while you study at Monash, you’ll need to check the visa requirements and consider the practical and financial implications of living in Australia with your family.

Before you decide

Before deciding to bring your family to Australia, there are a few things you need to think about:

• visa requirements
• additional living expenses (e.g. accommodation, food and clothing)
• the effect on you and your studies if a family member is unhappy in Australia
• language and communication issues if a family member doesn't speak English
• cultural adjustment to Australia
• work opportunities in Australia and possible disruption to a family member’s career.

If you bring children, you’ll also need to consider:

• childcare
• school fees
• adjustment to a different education system
• responsibility for caring for children while you’re studying.

Visa rules

You should check whether you’re eligible to include family members in your visa application before making travel or visa arrangements.

In most cases, you won’t be able to include partners or dependent children in a student visa application. Limited exemptions apply, including for some:

• PhD students
• students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence
• foreign government scholarship recipients
• students from eligible Pacific countries and ASEAN member countries.

If an exemption applies to you, eligible family members include your partner, and you (or your partner's) dependent child who is unmarried and under 18. For all the details on eligibility requirements, check the Government’s page on student visa (subclass 500).

If your family cannot be included in your Student visa, they may need to consider whether another visa is appropriate for their circumstances.

Once you and your family have been granted visas, you can choose to travel to Australia before your family – this will give you time to settle into your studies, arrange accommodation and become familiar with living in Australia.

Financial considerations

Childcare

The cost of childcare can be expensive and long waiting lists are common. Carefully consider childcare options and how much they cost. If you know where you’ll be living and the type of care that will best suit your needs, we recommend that you put your child’s name on the waiting list as soon as possible.

All children enrolling in long day care, occasional care or family day care must be immunised. The list of required vaccinations can be found on the Australian Immunisation Register.

Primary and secondary school

If your child is going to a Victorian Government (public) primary or secondary school in Australia, you’ll need to complete the Department of Education’s online Dependant Application Form. Familiarise yourself with the programs and tuition fees before arriving in Australia.

If you’re an international student enrolled in a doctoral (PhD) or a master’s by research program, your children may be exempt from fees at public schools. If you’re an Australia Awards Scholarship student, your children are also exempt. Other international students will need to pay tuition fees at public schools.

If your child goes to a private school, you’ll pay tuition fees.