International students like you should not prioritise bringing your dependents to Australia on your student visa.
This is full of hassles and complicated processes, which will cause you headaches and rob you of your time to focus on your studies.
Are you truly willing to invest into the visa paperwork and research, only to still feel unsure at application time?
To help you with the complex process of applying for your dependent on your student visa, education ONE offers expert insight on the matter.
Benefit from our FREE consultation to learn how we can assist you with dependent applications for your student visa.
Dependent Visa Options for Australian Student Visa Holders
One of the benefits that an Australian student visa holder has is being able to include dependent to accompany you during your stay in Australia.
Your family members can either migrate with you simultaneously or follow you to Australia later as subsequent entrant applicants.
Usually, subsequent entrant applications can be made once the main applicant is already granted their student visa or has already entered Australia on their student visa.
Who Can Apply for a Student Dependent Visa in Australia?
For your family members to be eligible for this visa, you must declare their details when you lodge your visa application, regardless whether they apply at the same time as you (accompanying applicants) or at a later time (non-accompanying applicants).
If you do not do this, your family members will not be able to apply for a Dependent Student Visa to join you in Australia.
For Student Visas, your family member is:
- Your partner, or
- Your or your partner’s dependent child who is unmarried and has not turned 18 years of age.
Application Process for a Student Dependent Visa (Subclass 500)
Applying for an Australian visa is easy, it only takes 3 steps below:
- Once you have gathered all the conditions and requirements, your family members can apply for their Student Dependent Visa online through their ImmiAccount.
- You will first need to make an account, and start filling out the online form.
- Eventually, you will be directed to a page where you upload your documents. Make sure you provide all the required documents to ensure the smoothness of your application.
Where’s the complex process? The hassle is everything in between. All the forms and documents will show you why.
Processing Times for Student Dependent Visa Applications
After you submit your Student Dependent Visa in Australia (Subclass 500) – Subsequent Temporary Entrant application, you will have to wait for the decision to come out.
The time to process your application until there is a decision may vary.
The immigration processes:
- Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector
- 75% of applications in 3 months
- 90% of applications in 5 months
- Postgraduate Research Sector
- 75% of applications in 5 months
- 90% of applications in 7 months
- Non-Award Sector
- 75% of applications in 6 months
- 90% of applications in 12 months
- Schools Sector
- 75% of applications in 6 months
- 90% of applications in 8 months
- Independent ELICOS Sector
- 75% of applications in 82 days
- 90% of applications in 8 months
- Vocational Education and Training Sector
- 75% of applications in 4 months
- 90% of applications in 6 months
- Higher Education Sector
- 75% of applications in 3 months
- 90% of applications in 5 months
The above information is estimation only and your application may take longer or even shorter to get a decision from the Immigration.
Potential Delays and Risks in Visa Processing
Also, your application can take longer to process if:
a. You do not fill it in correctly
All the sections on the Immigration website require to be filled with correct information. Should you neglect it, your application may get refused or need longer time to process.
b. You do not include all the documents or the Immigration need more information from you
If the Immigration requires new information from you, they usually will send you a separate request with a certain time frame for you to fulfil.
This will prolong the processing time of your visa because the Immigration will not continue assessing your application until you have fulfilled each of their requests.
You just received a Visa Request? Contact us here to get professional advice for securing your visa application!
c. It takes some time for Immigration to verify your information
Do not take this lightly. Student Visa is one of the visas affected by PIC 4020.
It means that if you or your family members provide misleading or false information on your identity, current visa application, or a visa that you held in the 12 months before making your current application, the Immigration may refuse your visa.
Before refusing your visa, the Immigration will usually invite you to comment on their findings.
They will notify you and ask you to provide comments within a specified time period if you do not satisfy them as to your identity, or if the Immigration believes bogus documents or false and misleading information has been provided, or you are affected by a non-grant period.
d. Non-grant period
If you or your family members get a visa application refused under the PIC 4020 because of a failure to satisfy the Immigration as to your identity, the Immigration might not grant you a visa (which has PIC 4020 as a criterion) for a period of ten years.
The Immigration might not grant you a visa (which has PIC 4020 as a criterion) for a period of three years if you or your family members have a visa application refused due to providing bogus documents or information that is false and misleading.
Such a period is also known as re-entry ban or exclusion period.
IMPORTANT NOTE: A re-entry ban or exclusion period cannot be removed, however Immigration may consider to set it aside if you can show very compelling reasons why they should put the ban aside for you after you got a previous refusal due to providing misleading / incorrect information. You could provide the supporting information and statement in writing along with your next visa application from outside Australia.
Also read: Getting A Student Visa Refused? You Have An Option to Reapply!
Besides due to misleading or missing information, Immigration can’t process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge.
Paying Fees and Visa Pricing Estimator
You could use the Visa Pricing Estimator to get the estimated amount to pay based on the type of the visa you are applying for.
For example, for your partner and two children applying for a Student Dependent Visa (Subclass 500) – Subsequent Entrant from outside Australia, this will need to be filled out:
The tool will then give you the visa pricing estimation:
You can also include your dependents at the same time in one application of your Student Visa extension in Australia.
If your study is affected or gets delayed whatsoever by COVID-19, you, as the primary applicant, may be eligible to get your Student Visa fees waived.
Only pay for your family.
Document Checklist for a Student Dependent Visa
To avoid a Student Dependent Visa (subclass 500) – Subsequent Entrant refusal, you must make sure that you have had all the required and recommended documents ready before starting your application.
The important documents you must prepare include, but not limited to:
- Identity
- Evidence of intended study
- Welfare arrangements for under 18 year old student
- Parental consent
- Health insurance
- Evidence of financial capacity
- Evidence of English language ability
- Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement
- Change of name
- Relationship – spouse, de facto partner
- Employment history
- Migration agent – Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person
- Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient – Form 956A
- Evidence of school enrolment for dependants
- Copy of your research (thesis/project) topic and your curriculum vitae or résumé.
We know the list can go on and on depending on your personal circumstances. Yet, we can help you! Speak to one of our study specialists for FREE here, and have your documents sorted out in no time.
Tips for a Successful Student Dependent Visa Australia Application
You have to pay attention to your family members eligibility to apply for the Student Dependent Visa in Australia, which include:
- Please note that your family members are not eligible to apply for a Student Dependent Visa in Australia (subclass 500) – Subsequent Entrant if you have less than one year to complete your studies in Australia, which is proven by the dates shown on your Certificate of Enrolment.
- You cannot include your children as dependents to your Student Visa in Australia if they are older than 18 years old. In that case, your children will need to apply for their own Student Visa.
- Please note that the Immigration cannot grant a Student Visa to your child if they have turned 18 years at the time your visa is finalised. They need to apply for their own visa.
- Where the subsequent entrants are siblings (two or more children with no parent), your children must each make a separate subsequent entrant student visa application to join you.
- Consider using the help of Australian education consultants like education ONE to gain comprehensive insight into Australian institutions and education systems.
- Don’t just study; achieve your long-term goal of becoming a permanent resident in Australia with the help of our in-house Registered Migration Agent (RMA) and their legal advice.
- Benefit from our free profile assessment to get insight regarding your dependent plan. Schedule your consultation here.
