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Student Visa Services

Dependent Visa —
Bring Your Family — Study Abroad Together

Edufly's Dependent Visa service manages visa applications for spouses, children, and eligible family members who wish to accompany or join students studying abroad — covering dependent visa types for Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, and other major destinations.

Family Together
Study Abroad
Spouse + Children
Eligible
Work Rights
For Spouses (Some Destinations)
98%
Dependent Visa Success Rate
About This Service

What Is Dependent Visa?

Studying abroad as a family — or being joined by a spouse or children partway through your studies — requires careful visa planning for each family member. Dependent visas (also called student family visas or accompanying visas) allow eligible family members to live in the destination country for the duration of the student's studies. However, they are separate visa applications with their own eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and financial thresholds.

The rules for dependent visas vary significantly by destination. In Australia, dependants of Student Visa (Subclass 500) holders can apply as secondary applicants. In the UK, dependant visas are available to spouses and children for students enrolled in master's or PhD programs (or government-sponsored students at any level). In Canada, spouses of students in master's or PhD programs can obtain an Open Work Permit. In the US, spouses and unmarried children under 21 can obtain F-2 dependant visas.

Financial requirements for dependent applications are also significantly higher than for student-only applications — each dependent adds a financial evidence requirement. Edufly assesses total financial requirements for the main student plus all dependants before any visa application is prepared, ensuring your financial documentation supports the complete family application.

👨‍👩‍👧 Dependent Visa Types by Country

Australia: Secondary applicant on Student Visa (Subclass 500) — living rights, limited work rights. UK: Student Dependant Visa — for master's/PhD students only, spouse may work 20 hrs/week. Canada: Open Work Permit for spouse of master's/PhD student. USA: F-2 Dependant Visa — children and spouses, no work rights on F-2. Malaysia: Dependent Pass — spouse and children of long-term student pass holders.

💰 Financial Impact of Dependants

Each dependant adds to the financial evidence threshold. UK requires approximately GBP 680/month for each dependant in addition to the student's own maintenance requirement. Australia requires additional funds per family member. Edufly calculates the total financial threshold for your full family application and reviews your documentation against the combined requirement.

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Our Process

How Dependent Visa Applications Work

🔍
Eligibility Assessment

We assess which family members are eligible for dependent visas in your destination country — and what work rights, health insurance requirements, and financial thresholds apply to the full family application.

📋
Combined Documentation

We prepare documentation for both the main student visa and all dependent visa applications — ensuring the financial evidence covers the full family requirement and all dependent-specific documents are included.

📤
Simultaneous Submission

Where possible, we submit the main student visa and all dependent applications simultaneously — reducing family separation time and ensuring all visas are processed together.

✅
Family Arrival Planning

Upon visa grant for all family members, we advise on family arrival logistics — school enrollment for children, health insurance, accommodation, and settlement support for the whole family.

Why Edufly

Why Choose Edufly

  • Expertise in dependent visa requirements for all major study destinations
  • Combined financial assessment for student + all dependants before any submission
  • Simultaneous submission where possible — minimises family separation
  • Children's education planning guidance for destination country school system
  • Health insurance guidance for all family members (e.g. OSHC covers dependants)
  • 98% dependent visa approval rate among Edufly-managed family applications
  • Post-arrival settlement guidance for the whole family
Requirements

What You'll Need

  • Main student visa approval (or simultaneous application)
  • Marriage certificate (certified translation if not in English)
  • Birth certificates for children (certified translation if required)
  • Relationship evidence (for de facto partnerships where applicable)
  • Financial evidence covering student + all dependants
  • Health insurance documentation covering all family members
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Enquire Now

Enquire About Dependent Visa

Tell us your situation — we'll respond within 24 hours.

Free Consultation

Talk to a Visa Specialist

Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll review your situation and map out the clearest visa pathway for you.

💬 Express Interest

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FAQ

Dependent Visa — Frequently Asked Questions

Work rights for dependants vary by destination. UK: spouses of master's/PhD students can work 20 hours/week during term, full-time during holidays. Australia: dependants of student visa holders may work up to 48 hours per fortnight if the student is enrolled in a higher degree by research or certain other qualifications. Canada: spouses of master's/PhD students can obtain an Open Work Permit with no restrictions. USA: F-2 dependants cannot work on the F-2 visa. Edufly advises on work rights for your specific situation.
Yes. Each dependent visa holder typically needs their own health insurance coverage for the destination country. For Australia, OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) can be purchased to cover the whole family including dependants. For the UK, each dependant must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their visa application. Edufly calculates the total health insurance cost for your full family and manages coverage arrangements.
In most destinations, dependent visa holders (including children) can attend school. In Australia, children of student visa holders typically need their own student visa if attending school (unless the school costs are included in the main student's OSHC family policy). In the UK, children of student visa holders can attend school without a separate student visa. Edufly advises on school enrollment requirements for children in your destination country.
In some countries, dependants can apply for their dependent visa from outside the destination country to join you later — they do not all need to travel simultaneously. The timing and eligibility for offshore dependent applications vary by destination. Edufly manages dependent visa applications whether family members are traveling with you initially or joining you later.
Short visits (typically under 3 months) may be possible on a tourist or visitor visa rather than a dependent visa — which is simpler and faster to obtain. If the visit extends to 3+ months or your family wishes to live with you throughout your studies, a dependent visa is the appropriate pathway. Edufly advises on whether a visitor visa or dependent visa is more appropriate based on your family's specific plans.

Study Abroad Together — Bring Your Family With Edufly

Book a free dependent visa consultation. Edufly will assess eligibility for all family members and manage the complete dependent visa application alongside your own.