Dependent Visa

Important: You must declare all family members on your application, even if they do not plan to travel with you to Australia. If you do not do this, your family members will not be eligible to apply to join you after you have started your course in Australia.

Generally, you can apply for dependent visa:
•If you are partner / member of family unit of a holder of some type of temporary

visa in Australia (for example, student visa),
•If your partner is an Australian resident (permanent residency).

Eligible to apply for this visa to join a holder of student visa is:
•A spouse (including de facto spouse) of the student visa holder, or
•A dependent child (unmarried and younger than 18 years) of the student visa holder.

If you are not married with your partner, but you would like to apply for spouse dependent visa, you have to submit evidence that you have lived together for a period of at least 12 months prior to lodging visa application.

Married couples can apply after submission of marriage certificate.
If are granted visa as a partner (spouse) of a student visa holder, you are allowed:
•To study in Australia up to 3 months,
•To work during your stay in Australia (up to 20 hours/week).

If you get a dependent visa, you will get a limited permission to work (20 hours/week), and you do not need to pay for any course / school in Australia. Your partner, a student visa holder, will be allowed to work as well, see conditions of student visa.

You can be nominated by your partner in his/her application for student visa, or he/she can nominate you while already studying in Australia, see more here.