Protect Existing International Students’ Right to Reunite With Their Families

On 2 October 2026, changes to Australia’s Student visa arrangements came into effect that significantly restricted the ability of international students to bring family members to Australia.

While governments have the right to change migration policy, these changes have created a difficult situation for international students who were already in Australia before the new rules commenced.

Many existing students made the decision to study in Australia under the previous visa arrangements. They committed significant savings, paid tuition fees, left established careers and support networks, and planned their family lives based on the rules that existed at the time.

For some, coming to Australia alone was always intended to be temporary.

A student may have arrived first to secure accommodation, settle into university, establish financial stability and prepare for their spouse and children to join them later.

They could not have reasonably anticipated that this pathway would subsequently be removed.

The result is that some students who were already committed to Australia now face prolonged separation from their spouses and children.

This petition is not asking the Australian Government to reverse the new policy for future international students.

Students considering Australia after the introduction of the new rules can make their decision knowing the conditions that now apply.

We are asking for something different:

A fair transitional arrangement for students who were already here.

We call on the Australian Government to introduce a grandfathering or transitional provision allowing eligible international students who held a Student visa or commenced their Australian studies before 2 October 2026 to access the previous arrangements for bringing their spouse and dependent children to Australia.

This would recognise that these students made substantial financial, educational and family decisions under a different regulatory framework.

It would also allow the Government to maintain its new policy for future applicants while providing reasonable transitional protection for people who had already committed to studying in Australia.

Our request

We respectfully call on the Australian Government to:

Introduce transitional arrangements allowing eligible Student visa holders who held their visa or commenced their Australian studies before 2 October 2026 to continue accessing the previous provisions for their spouse and dependent children to join them in Australia.

This is not simply an immigration issue.

It is about families, fairness and reasonable transitional protection when government policy changes.

International students contribute to Australian universities, communities and the broader economy. Those who made their decision to study in Australia under the previous arrangements deserve to have their circumstances fairly considered.

If you believe existing international students should not face unexpected and prolonged separation from their spouses and children because the rules changed after they had already committed to Australia, please sign this petition.

Sign. Share. Stand with international student families.