Family Migration Options: Australia vs. New Zealand

Are you thinking of migrating with your family to Australia or New Zealand? 

Maybe you’re on a student visa in Australia now and thinking about what comes next. 

Or maybe you’re looking at New Zealand to see what study, work and migration options it could offer your family. 

This guide compares your options, from bringing your family while you study to planning your future after graduation. 

If you need personal guidance in comparing which destination is best for you and your family, don’t hesitate to book a consultation with our migration experts.

Australia 

Most new Student visa applicants can no longer include their partner or dependent children as secondary applicants.

But you may still be able to include your family if you:

• Are studying a PhD.

• Are sponsored by DFAT or Defence.

• Hold a foreign government scholarship.

• Are an eligible student from a Pacific country or ASEAN member country.

New Zealand 

Yes. Your eligible family members can apply for visas to join you while you study in New Zealand.

If your partner is eligible to be included in your Student visa application under the current family rules, their work rights depend on the course you are studying.

Summary

Australia

If your partner is included on your Student Visa, their work rights depend on the course you are studying.

Work rights depend on your partner's visa conditions and other eligibility requirements.

New Zealand 

In New Zealand, your partner needs to qualify for a Partner of a Student Work Visa to work while you study.

You may be able to support this visa if you are studying:

Good to know:

If your partner qualifies for a Partner of a Student Work Visa, there is no set limit on the hours they can work. 

Yes. Your dependent children can study in Australia or New Zealand. However, their visa, school fees, and eligibility for domestic student status can differ.

Summary

Children's schooling in Australia

If your dependent child is eligible to come to Australia with you, they may need to pay school fees as an international student.

Fees and exemptions vary by state or territory, and different arrangements may apply depending on your course and circumstances.

Here are some indicative annual fees for state schools:

Fees are indicative and can change. Check the current fees and exemption rules for your state or territory. 

Children's schooling in New Zealand

Your dependent child may be able to get a Dependent Child Student Visa if you hold a Student Visa.

This is for children aged 19 or younger who will study at a primary or secondary school. 

With this visa, your child can:

• Study at a primary or secondary school in New Zealand.

• Stay for the same duration as your visa.

• Study as a domestic student from Year 1-Year 13.

If your child wants to study at a tertiary institution, they will need a Fee Paying Student Visa instead. 

Your family may be able to stay with you while you work after graduation. The options depend on your post-study visa and your family's eligibility.

Australia: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)

If you qualify for a Temporary Graduate visa (485), eligible family members may be able to join you during your stay.

This can include:

• Your spouse or de facto partner

• Eligible dependent children

• Family members who join you later, if eligible

Your partner can work in Australia while holding the visa. Your children can attend school, but school fees and rules vary by state and territory.

You and your family must also maintain adequate health insurance while in Australia.

New Zealand: Post Study Work Visa

If you qualify for a Post Study Work Visa (PSWV), you can support visas for your partner and dependent children.

Your family may be able to:

• Partner: Apply for a Work Visa

• Dependent children: Apply for Student Visas

• School-aged children: Study as domestic students, which means you do not pay school tuition fees

Your Post Study Work Visa can last up to three years, depending on what you studied.

Other visa and eligibility requirements apply.

Good to know

Your family's options can change after you graduate. When choosing your next course, look beyond your Student Visa and consider the post-study options available to you and your family.

Yes. Australia and New Zealand both have skilled migration pathways that can allow eligible partners and dependent children to be included. 

Australia

Eligible partners and dependent children can generally be included in skilled migration applications such as the:

• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – a permanent visa for invited skilled workers.

• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – a permanent visa for skilled workers with state or territory nomination.

• Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) – a provisional regional visa that may lead to the Permanent Residence visa (subclass 191) if you later meet the requirements.

Eligible partners and dependent children can be included, subject to the requirements of each visa.

New Zealand

New Zealand also has residence pathways that allow eligible family members to be included.

These include:

• Straight to Residence Visa – for eligible people with a job or job offer in a Tier 1 Green List role.

• Work to Residence Visa – for eligible people who have worked in New Zealand for 24 months in a qualifying Tier 2 Green List role.

For both visas, you can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger, subject to relationship, dependency and other requirements.

Australia

Your costs depend on when your family joins you, which visas they qualify for and whether your children need to pay school fees.

For Australia, the first question is now whether your family can be included under the Student visa family rules introduced on 2 October 2026. If they are eligible, you may need to budget for additional visa charges, living costs, health cover and children's schooling.

• For example, the 189 and 190 skilled visas have an additional charge for each family member who applies with you. 

• An extra charge may also apply to some family members aged 18 or older who do not have functional English.

New Zealand

• Your partner and children may need to make separate visa applications during the study or work stages of your journey. 

• Each application can come with its own fees and other costs.

Good to know

Don't compare destinations based on the main applicant's visa fee alone. Look at the total cost for your family, including visas, schooling, healthcare and living expenses.

There is no single best destination for every family. The right choice depends on your study plans, family needs and what you want to do after graduation.

Before choosing, ask:

• What course supports my career goals?

• Can my partner work while I study?

• What visa will my partner need?

• Can my children study while we are there?

• Will we need to pay school fees?

• What are our options after I graduate?

• Could my career lead to a skilled work or residence pathway?

• How much will the whole journey cost for our family?

Planning to study in New Zealand or Australia with your family? 

Your course is only one part of the decision. It helps to think about your career, family and migration plans together from the start.

Plan your studies with an IDP education counsellor

Our education counsellors can help you:

• Find courses that match your study and career goals.

• Compare courses in Australia and New Zealand.

• Find scholarships you may qualify for.

• Compare tuition fees, intakes and study options.

• Apply to your chosen institution.

• Consider your post-study plans when choosing a course.

Can international students bring their family to Australia in 2026?

From 2 October 2026, most new Student visa applicants cannot include their partner or dependent children.

Exemptions apply to PhD students, DFAT or Defence-sponsored students, foreign-government scholarship recipients, and eligible students from Pacific countries or ASEAN member countries.

Can my partner or children join me in Australia after my Student visa is granted?

No. Student visa holders can no longer add partners or dependent children through a subsequent entrant application after the Student visa has been granted.

There are no exemptions to this rule.

Can international students bring their family to New Zealand? 

Yes. Your partner and dependent children can apply for their own visas with your support. The visas they can get depend on what you study, your circumstances and other eligibility requirements.

Can my partner work while I study in Australia?

Yes, if their visa allows it. Your partner can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study a bachelor's degree, while partners of master's and doctoral students can have unlimited work hours.

Can my partner work while I study in New Zealand?

Yes, if they qualify for a Partner of a Student Work Visa. You must be studying an eligible Level 7 or 8 qualification or a Level 9 or 10 qualification, and other requirements apply.

Do international students have to pay school fees for their children in Australia?

School fees may apply if your dependent children attend school in Australia. Fees and possible exemptions vary by state or territory and your circumstances.

Can international students' children study for free in New Zealand?

In some cases. A child with a Dependent Child Student Visa may be treated as a domestic student, which means you do not pay school tuition fees. Eligibility depends on the parent's visa and other requirements.

Can my family stay with me after I graduate?

Potentially. In Australia, eligible family members can be included on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). In New Zealand, Post Study Work Visa holders can support Work Visas for their partners and Student Visas for dependent children.

Can I include my family in my PR application?

Yes, some Australian PR and New Zealand residence pathways allow eligible partners and dependent children to be included. The requirements depend on the visa or residence pathway you apply for.

Is Australia or New Zealand better for international students with families?

There is no single best option for every family. Compare your partner's work options, your children's schooling, total costs, your course and career plans, and your family's options after you graduate.