Studying in Australia with your family? Vietnamese students, here is what could change

Visa guide · 2026-09-16 · 3 min read

Many Vietnamese students dream of studying in Australia with a husband, wife or children by their side. That dream may become harder. Australia is planning changes, so let us look at them in clear, simple words.

The main idea

The Home Affairs Minister is expected to announce reforms that make it harder for international students to bring family members. In the new plan, most students are expected to study alone.

The numbers show how many people this touches. Last year Australia granted over 337,000 student visas. Roughly 45,000 of them went to family members who came with a student.

Why is this happening?

The government wants fewer people to arrive and more people to leave. It wants net overseas migration to fall from approximately 305,000 to 225,000 within two years. Net overseas migration means people arriving minus people leaving. At the same time, it wants to keep around 185,000 permanent migrants each year.

Public concern about migration has grown, and political pressure has grown with it. Ministers also disagreed about how strong the changes should be, and one big speech was delayed because of it.

What else is on the list?

Stopping people from moving from one visa to another just to stay longer.
Making appeals faster, so unsuccessful applicants leave sooner.
More attention on people who have no valid visa. Nearly 111,000 people were in some stage of this process as of July.

Different voices

Some people want a different approach. One senator asks for a 10-year migration plan, not just a number. Business groups say housing and skills shortages are the real problem. Another party wants to cut 750,000+ temporary migrants over three years, and universities, aged care providers and both major parties say that would hurt the economy.

A short plan for your family

Wait for the details. Find out which visa subclasses are affected and when the changes start.
Think about timing. An application lodged before the new rules may be treated under the old settings. This is not certain.
Look at other routes. Skilled migration or a partner visa may be steadier than a student dependent visa.
Ask for advice. Speak with a qualified migration adviser before you make a decision you cannot undo.

Documents to prepare

Whatever happens, good documents help. Check whether your Vietnamese degree or trade certificate needs a skills assessment. Prepare IELTS or PTE if your course needs it. Ask for certified English translations of your marriage and birth certificates when the visa rules ask for them. If a police certificate is requested, a Vietnamese citizen usually needs the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).

Stay careful

Use only licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to secure a job or a visa. For the latest rules, use the official visa listing.

Take your time and choose the plan that is right for your whole family.

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