Sharing your Deakin study experience with your family can be rewarding and life-changing for all of you. It means you will be able to study and still have your loved ones close by. And, your family will get to experience the Australian way of life.

Your student visa will generally let you bring your immediate family with you to Australia. Eligible members of your immediate family are your spouse (husband or wife) and dependent children. Successful applications will result in a Temporary Residents visa for them.

You can find out more about arranging visas for your family on the Australian Government website.

Your financial obligations

There are a few rules and regulations regarding your family accompanying you to Australia. Most importantly, you must be able to support them financially. Make sure you have enough funds to sustain your family for the duration of your stay.

You will need to plan for:

• round-trip airfares for your family
• health coverage (Overseas Student Health Cover) for everyone
• increased rent for a bigger residence
• daily expenses for dependents, including added costs for essentials
• extra transportation charges in Melbourne
• child-care and education costs.

Schools for your children

If you bring school-age dependent children with you to Victoria, you must enrol them in school.

The Victorian Government Schools International Student Program has all the information you need to apply for your dependent children to go a Victorian school.

Health insurance for your family

When you arrange your OSHC, you must make sure that it covers your family members.