No Student Family Allowed: Australia to Bar Dependent Visas

Australia plans new student visa rules

The Australian government is ready to unveil the long-awaited immigration overhaul tomorrow. ABC News reports that the government is going to try and cut down immigration from 300,000 to 225,000 in 2028.

One major change will be the cutting of temporary visas, with student families being targeted. In 2025, Australia granted 337,427 student visa, and 45,991 dependent visas to their family.

This new overhaul is expected to bar international students from bringing their family. This move comes amidst the trend of dependent visa holders settling permanently in the country.

The Australian government also plans to address bridging visas. These are visas issued to those who have made claims of protection to the Office of Home Affairs.

Users on Reddit have compared the move to Denmark. Most international students from South Asia brought their parents with them, who later settled in the country.

The numbers dropped sharply after new rules were implemented. Similar issues were seen in Finland and especially UK, where demand for food aid increased due to such migrants.

The end of bringing family members will strike a blow to Indian students, who will now have to navigate life in a new country completely alone. The support they used to receive from parents in this difficult phase will now be over.