Bringing a spouse with you while studying in Australia can have some difficulties that you should be aware of:
- Financial considerations: Having a dependent will increase the student’s living expenses, and the student should have enough funds to support both themselves and their spouse while in Australia.
- Visa requirements: The spouse will need to apply for a dependent visa, which can be a separate process from the student visa application. The dependent visa holder may also need to meet health and character requirements and pay their own visa application fee.
- Work rights: Dependents of student visa holders are not allowed to work while in Australia, unless they apply and are granted a work permit.
- Limited support services: Spouses may have limited access to support services such as language classes or career counseling that are provided to international students.
- Social isolation: Spouses may experience social isolation if they are not able to work or study while in Australia.
- Limited access to academic support services: Spouses may not have access to academic support services, such as tutoring, that are provided to students.
- Limited access to healthcare: Spouses may not have access to the same level of healthcare as students, and may need to pay for healthcare services out of pocket.
- Limited access to student housing: Some universities may not have housing options available for dependents of students, which can make finding housing more difficult.
It’s important to consider these difficulties and to plan accordingly before making the decision to bring a spouse with you while studying in Australia. It’s also important to check with the specific university or institution and the department of home affairs for more information and the most recent policy and requirements for bringing dependants with you while studying in Australia.