Australia is changing some regulations for study abroad international students to control the use of Visa for temporary residence and reducing the length of stay through many types of Visa. One of the notable changes is the restriction of international students from bringing family members to Australia during their studies.
However,international students from ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, are in the exception group to this restriction. This is especially important information for Vietnamese families who are planning to send their children to study abroad in Australia and want to bring their spouses or children with them.
According to information announced by Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on September 17, 2026, the new regulations will limit the ability to bring family along for most international students. However, exceptions continue to apply to citizens of ASEAN and Pacific countries, as well as certain groups of students pursuing special programs such as PhDs.
Vietnam belongs to the exception group regarding accompanying families
The most important point for Vietnamese people is that Vietnam belongs to ASEAN. According to the announced policy, international students in general will no longer be automatically able to bring family members to Australia on a Student Visa as before. However, students who are citizens of ASEAN countries are still in the exception group and are allowed to continue bringing family members along according to the applicable policy. This has direct implications for Vietnamese international students.
A Vietnamese student studying in Australia can build a plan to study abroad with his or her family, such as spouse and children, within the corresponding Visa conditions. The new regulations therefore do not apply to Vietnamese international students in the same way as they do to most other countries.
Why is this regulation especially important for Vietnamese families?
For many Vietnamese families, planning to study abroad in Australia is not only about the person directly studying. Families may want to bring their spouse and children to Australia at the same time to settle in and support the student. In a context where Australia is limiting the ability to bring family along for most international students, the fact that Vietnam is in the exception ASEAN group becomes a notable factor when building plans to study abroad. Instead of just considering the possibility of applying for a Student Visa for one person, families may need to calculate the overall study plan, accompanying relatives, finances, length of stay and subsequent Visa options after completing the program.
Which countries in the ASEAN group are exempt?
Exceptions for ASEAN include citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition to ASEAN, citizens of some countries in the Pacific region are also in the exception group mentioned by the Australian Government. Some special study programs, including PhD programs, also continue to have exception mechanisms.
This exception does not mean that Vietnam is exempt from all new Visa regulations
This is a point that Vietnamese international students need to understand accurately. The fact that Vietnam belongs to the exception group is only related to the regulation restricting accompanying family members. This does not mean that Vietnamese citizens are exempt from all other changes in the Australian Visa system. Vietnamese international students still must meet the applicable Student Visa conditions and other requirements of the Australian immigration system. Issues related to study purposes, Visa conditions, finances, learning process and Visa history still need to be considered in each application. Therefore, the correct understanding is:
Vietnamese international students are exempted from the restriction on accompanying families, not exempted from all of Australia’s new Visa regulations.
Australia also tightened the status of Visa hopping
In addition to regulations on accompanying families, the Australian Government also announced measures to control a situation called “Visa Hopping”. Under the newly announced policy, students who want to continue to stay in Australia on a Student Visa will have to show progress in their study path. One of the principles given is that moving to the next study program should be aimed at a higher level. For example, students completing a Bachelor’s program and continuing on to study a Master’s degree can be seen as a progression route in qualifications. On the contrary, continuously switching between courses or transferring to a lower level program to extend your time in Australia will be more strictly controlled.
For students who want to change courses, the new regulations may also require a new Visa in some cases. Therefore, building a learning path from the beginning becomes increasingly important.
What do Vietnamese students need to understand about the new policy?
The most important point is that Vietnamese nationality is in the ASEAN group that is exempted from the regulations restricting accompanying families. This makes a difference for families who are planning to bring relatives to Australia with international students. However, the ability for relatives to accompany you must still be done through the correct type of Visa and fully meet the applicable conditions at the time of application. Therefore, it should not be understood that just by having Vietnamese nationality, all family members will automatically be granted a Visa. The policy exception only specifies that the ASEAN group is not covered by the accompanying family restrictions announced for most international students.
How should Vietnamese families plan to study abroad?
For families planning to send their children to study in Australia in 2026 or 2027, planning should start from the entire route instead of focusing on just one Visa application. First of all, it is necessary to determine the appropriate study program for the student’s level and goals. Then it is necessary to determine the family members expected to accompany and the appropriate Visa type for each person. Families also need to prepare a financial plan corresponding to the number of people coming to Australia and the length of stay.
More importantly, students should determine their study path and post-graduation plans in advance. This is especially necessary in the context that Australia is strengthening control over the use of Student Visas to extend stays.
More than 45,000 Visas have been issued to family members of international students
According to data cited by ABC News from information about the new policy, in the last fiscal year Australia issued 337,427 Student Visas, of which 45,991 Visas were issued to dependents or family members of students. This number shows that the Visa group for family members of international students is a significant part of the system and is also one of the contents included in this policy adjustment by the Australian Government.
However, cases in ASEAN, the Pacific and some special study programs are still included in the announced exceptions.
The most important thing for Vietnamese students
In the context that Australia is tightening many temporary visa pathways, the exception for ASEAN is especially noteworthy information for Vietnamese international students.
If a Vietnamese family is planning to send their children to study in Australia and wants to bring their spouse and children with them, Vietnamese nationality belonging to the ASEAN group is an exception to the restriction on families accompanying them. However, other regulations still need to be followed. In particular, choosing a course, maintaining the learning process and building a suitable Visa roadmap will be increasingly important as Australia strengthens its control over Visa hopping.
Vietnamese international students are in the exception group to the regulations restricting accompanying families in Australia. This is an important point in the new Visa policy announced by the Australian Government on September 17, 2026. While most international students will be limited in their ability to bring family members to Australia during their studies, ASEAN citizens, including Vietnam, are still in the exception group that is allowed to apply the mechanism allowing families to accompany them.
However, this exception does not mean that Vietnamese people are exempt from all new Visa regulations. Student Visa requirements, family member eligibility, study history and regulations related to Visa hopping still need to be complied with. For Vietnamese families preparing to study in Australia, this is a change that needs to be included in the planning from the beginning to determine the correct study path, accompanying people and appropriate visa types.
Source: ABC News
