Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) - Australian Visa

Overview

Stay

This is a temporary visa. We will determine the length of the visa by the student visa holder’s stay and their age.

Cost

From AUD2,000.00

Cost Exemption

From 22 March 2025, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid Student or Student Guardian visa application. See About this visa.

To work out what your visa will cost, use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.

Processing times

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

With this visa you can

come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age or older due to exceptional circumstances

See all conditions

Check your eligibility

You must

be the student's parent, custodian or relative who is 21 years or older
have and show evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself and the student during your stay
have adequate health insurance in place
be able to provide accommodation, welfare and other support
hold an eligible substantive visa, if in Australia.

Help with your visa

If you are getting help with your visa, before you pay someone, read information on Who can help with your visa application.

Apply

About this visa

With this visa you can

How long you can stay

With this visa you can

come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age (or over 18 in exceptional circumstances)
care for more than one student
study an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) for less than 20 hours per week, or any other study or training for no more than 3 months

You cannot work.

How long you can stay

You can stay in Australia until a date specified on your visa grant letter. In deciding this date, we usually consider the length of the student visa holder’s stay or when that student turns 18.

Stay longer

You can stay in Australia by applying for a further Student Guardian visa.

Include family

We will not grant you a visa if any is under 6 years old unless:

there are compelling and compassionate reasons or
granting the visa would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and the government of another country

This applies even if your family members under 6 years old are not planning to travel to Australia with you.

If a family member under 6 years old meets all the criteria and is granted a visa, it will only be valid until their 6th birthday. After that, they must apply for their own Student visa to continue their study in Australia. Children 6 years old or older can travel to Australia with you, but they must apply for their own Student visa.

You can't include children under 6 years old after you have submitted your application.

Cost

The visa costs from AUD2,000.00 for the main applicant.

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

You might also have to pay other costs for:

health checks
police certificates
.

To work out what your visa will cost, use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.

Cost for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Student and Student Guardian visa applicants

From 22 March 2025, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid Student or Student Guardian visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application when they apply.

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost. We base this on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu.

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application. If you are in Australia you must hold an eligible substantive visa. For more information see 'Have this visa if applying while in Australia' under Eligibility.

Processing times

Your application may take longer to process if:

you do not fill it in correctly
you do not include all the documents we need or we need more information from you
it takes us time to verify your information

We cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. We will notify you if this is the case and if necessary return your application.

Your obligations

You and your family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.

See which conditions will and might be attached to this visa.

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid. But you can't leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you have made alternative welfare arrangements.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Financial support

You will need to be able to financially support yourself while in Australia. You will need to be able to financially support accompanying family members

Visa label

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

Eligibility

Have this visa if applying while in Australia

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa.

You can apply in Australia if you hold a except for one of these:

Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Electronic Travel Authority visa (subclass 601) (ETA)
Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)
eVisitor visa (subclass 651)
Transit visa (subclass 771)
Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988)
Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. A family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia

If you don't hold an eligible you can apply within 28 days of either:

holding a student visa, a special purpose visa, or a dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa
being notified by the Tribunal that your visa cancellation has been set aside.

Be a parent, custodian or relative

To be a Student Guardian you must be:

the parent of the student visa holder, or
a person who has custody of the student, or
a relative of the student, aged 21 years or older and nominated in writing by a parent or person who has custody of the student.

You are required to provide care and support for:

a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age or
a student visa holder who is 18 years of age or older and needs care and support due to exceptional circumstances.

For this visa, a relative is the student's:

parent or step-parent
grandparent or step-grandparent
or stepsibling
aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
niece, nephew or step-niece or step-nephew
or
or

Be able to provide for the student

You must be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and support to the student.

Have enough money for your stay

You must show us evidence that you have enough money to pay for your stay in Australia. This includes meeting the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and the student visa holder.

To see what you will need to provide, go to Gather Documents in the 'Step by Step tab'.

Bringing children to Australia

We will not grant you a visa if any is under 6 years old unless:

there are compelling and compassionate reasons or
granting the visa would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and the government of another country

This applies even if your family members under 6 years old are not planning to travel to Australia with you.

Making welfare arrangements for dependants overseas

You must make adequate arrangements for the accommodation, support and welfare of any non-migrating children of your family who:

are not coming with you to Australia
are under 18 years of age and
does not have a Student visa.

We consider you have made adequate welfare arrangements for your children aged 6 to 18 years if they will be living with:

another parent or custodian or
a relative who is at least 21 years old

You must show evidence of welfare arrangements and a letter from the appointed guardian accepting responsibility for the non-migrating child while you reside in Australia. The letter should detail the guardian's consent that the child will be wholly or substantially reliant on the guardian's financial support. The child must also reside in the guardian's household.

A copy of the guardian's current personal particulars (bio-data) page of their passport or a valid driver's licence showing the signature field should also be included.

Have adequate health insurance

You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.

You must maintain adequate health cover for the whole of your stay if you are granted this visa. Your insurance should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport.

See a guide to what we consider adequate health insurance.

Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.

Reciprocal healthcare agreements

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.

Be a genuine temporary entrant

You must only intend to:

stay temporarily in Australia
do the things you are allowed to do on this visa

You must have substantially complied with the conditions of the last substantive or subsequent bridging visa that you held.

When we assess whether you plan to stay in Australia temporarily we will consider:

your personal circumstances in your home country
your potential circumstances in Australia
your immigration history
anything else that relates to your plan to remain in Australia temporarily.

Meeting our health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement

Meeting our character requirement

If you are a relative of the student visa holder, you must meet our character requirement.

Sign the Australian values statement

You must:

have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws

Have no debt to the Australian Government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.

Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused

We will consider your immigration history when we decide on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

Best interests of the child

We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Meet all these criteria? Check how to apply in our step by step guide.

How to apply

Step 1

Before you apply

You might need to organise health exams. See what to do if you want help with your application.

Get help with your application

Only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be:

You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.

Step 2

Gather your documents

Provide accurate information. See what happens if you cannot prove your identity or do not give us true information.

Identity documents

We need proof of your identity. If you cannot prove your identity:

we will refuse your visa application
we might not grant you another visa for 10 years
we might not grant any family members you listed on your application a visa for 10 years

You must provide:

the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates
a national identity card, if you have one
proof of any change of name (if applicable)

Documents that prove a change of name include:

a marriage or divorce certificate
change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
documents that show other names you have been known by.

You must have any document(s) in a language other than English translated into English. Provide copies of both the translated documents and the document in the original language.

Student guardianship documents

Provide a completed Form 157N - Student guardianship arrangements (291KB PDF).

Your application will not be valid if you do not provide the completed Form 157N.

Genuine temporary entrant documents

Show proof that you are staying in Australia temporarily:

Write a personal statement addressing the Genuine Temporary Entry (GTE) requirement. If you are not comfortable writing it in English, you can write your statement in your own language and submit a translated copy with your application.

In your written statement, provide evidence or information about circumstances in your home country, ties to your home country or country of residence and incentive to return. This could include:

evidence of immediate family members in your home country
your visa or residence status in your home country and your right to return
your previous immigration history
proof of property or other significant assets in your home country
a letter from your employer confirming your leave.

We consider your personal circumstances when we make a decision. When we assess whether you are a genuine temporary entrant, we consider your overall situation.

Evidence you have enough money for your stay

The living costs we ask you to declare and provide with your visa application indicate the cost of living in Australia. Actual living costs vary throughout Australia. We recommend you research the area you intend to live, including the cost of living in that area.

There are options to prove you have genuine access to enough money for your stay.

You must ensure you have enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any children who come to Australia with you.

You need enough money to pay for:

travel costs for you and the student visa holder(s)
12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s) (or pro rata fees, if the course is less than 12 months)
12 months of living costs for you, the student visa holder(s) and accompanying family members (or pro rata living costs, if stay is less than 12 months)
school fees for school-age children who accompany you (or pro rata fees, if the child will be at school for less than 12 months).

Evidence you can provide includes:

money deposits held within a financial institution
loans from a financial institution and/or government
scholarship or financial support.

If someone else is providing you funds, give us evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents.

If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source. Only certain people are acceptable in terms of providing you with financial support.

Work out how much money you need

Use the following information to work out how much money you need. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.

Living costs

12-month living costs:

for you – AUD29,710
for a child coming with you – AUD4,449.

Schooling costs

You must have 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s) or pro-rata if less than 12 months.

If you are including children (under 6 years old) in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year, per child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools in Australia.

You are responsible for finding out how much schooling will cost.

Travel Costs

As a guide, allow $2000 per person.

Evidence you have genuine access to the money

You must show you will have genuine access to funds while you are in Australia for:

meeting the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and in most cases, the student visa holder.
proving your financial capacity for the matters specified above

Annual income

Alternatively, you could also show us that your spouse or de facto partner, (who is not travelling to Australia), will support you. They must have an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply.

You must provide evidence of personal income.

This must be in the form of official government documents, such as tax assessments that are less than 12 months old.

We will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer as evidence of annual income.

Health insurance

You will need to provide evidence of adequate health insurance for you and your family members for the first 12 months of your stay in Australia.

This can be an Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) premium or another health insurance product from Australia or your home country that provides a similar level of cover.

OVHC is available through several private and general insurers in Australia. However, the benefits available, membership costs and eligibility can vary between insurers.

Learn more about Overseas Visitors & Overseas Students and adequate health insurance.

Polio vaccination certificate

If you are applying from outside Australia and you are travelling from, or spent time in, a country considered at risk of polio, you need to give us a polio vaccination certificate.

For the current countries of risk, see Threats to public health.

Character documents

If you are a relative of the student visa holder, you must provide an Australian police certificate if you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16.

We only accept complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. We do not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police.

You are also required to provide an overseas police certificate from every country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16. This includes your home country.

Learn more about country-specific instructions on how to obtain a police certificate and Character requirements for visas.

Documents for dependants under 6 years old

If you have any dependants under 6 years old, you must provide:

a statement to demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances or
provide written support from the government of your home country or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

For every dependant under 6 years old who is applying with you, you must also provide:

copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children and
copies of the adoption paper, if applicable

Parental responsibility documents

You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:

has a legal right to decide where the child lives and
is not coming to Australia with the child.

They must complete either:

Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (276KB PDF) or
a statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to visit Australia on this visa.

Alternatively, if you have sole responsibility of the student(s) you must, provide evidence. Acceptable evidence may include:

a court order, custody documentation, or a death certificate of the other parent, or
that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate.

You must also include:

an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence and
adoption papers or other court documents if applicable.

Tell us you are getting help

To nominate someone to:

receive your correspondence, use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
provide immigration assistance, use Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

Prepare your documents

Translate

Have all non-English documents translated into English.

Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:

full name
address and telephone number
qualifications and experience in the language they are translating

These details must be in English.

Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.

Scan or photograph documents

Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.

The scans and photos must be legible.

If a document is more than 1 page, save it all as 1 file.

Keep a copy

Keep a copy of your completed application.

Step 3

Apply for the visa

You must apply for this visa online. You should apply at the same time as the student.

If you are in Australia

You must hold an eligible substantive visa, or apply:

within 28 days of holding a Student visa, a Special Purpose visa, or a dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa, or
within 28 days of being notified by the Tribunal that your visa cancellation has been set aside.

You cannot apply for a Student Guardian visa in Australia if you hold one of these:

Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Electronic Travel Authority visa (subclass 601)
Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)
eVisitor visa (subclass 651)
Transit visa (subclass 771)
Maritime crew visa (subclass 988)
Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. A family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia

Do not provide false and misleading information

Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

Apply online

Log in or create an ImmiAccount
Attach documents
Pay the application fee. We will not process your application until you pay the fee.

Step 4

After you apply

We will let you know when we have received your application and documents. See what you can and must do after you apply.

Status updates

Do not call if it is in standard processing times. We can't give any further updates on the application's progress. You can see if we have asked for more information in your ImmiAccount.

Travel after you apply

You do not have to tell us if you want to travel outside Australia while we process your application. This is because you can be outside Australia when we make a decision.

But if you leave Australia, make sure you have a valid visa to return.

You can't leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you you have made alternative welfare arrangements.

Learn about visa expiry.

Health exams

We will let you know if you need health examinations.

Biometrics

We might ask for biometrics (fingerprints and photo). We will let you know if you need to provide them.

Provide more information

If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as possible in ImmiAccount.

We might also ask you to provide more information.

Stay lawful

If you are in Australia, make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while we process your application.

If you were in Australia when you applied for this visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the BVA will start. You can stay in Australia on the BVA while we process your new visa application. You cannot travel on the BVA - there is no right of return on this visa; it cancels on departure.

Do not get cancel your current visa cancelled. If you do, you will be in Australia unlawfully.

Learn more about visa expiry.

Mistakes on your application

Let us know as soon as you can. If you do not tell us you made a mistake on your application, we might refuse it.

Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers (168KB PDF) and upload in ImmiAccount.

Help with your application

Let us know if you no longer want someone to:

receive your correspondence - complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
provide immigration advice - complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount.

For more information see Who can help you with your application.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:

changes to your phone number, address or passport
changes to your marital or de facto status
the birth of a child
you want to withdraw your application

See how to tell us if your situation changes.

Step 5

Visa outcome

We will let you know in writing our decision about your visa application. If we grant you the visa, we will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions

Keep a copy of the decision with you when in Australia.

If we refuse your visa, we will tell you why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

We will not refund the application fee if we refuse your application.

When you have this visa

Now you have your visa

Coming to Australia

In Australia

Leaving Australia

Now you have your visa

If we have granted you a Student Guardian (subclass 590) visa, you may want to consider withdrawing any other undecided visa applications you have lodged with us.

We will continue to progress any undecided visa applications. If they meet the requirements it may result in your current visa ceasing. It may also affect your eligibility for government benefits such as Centrelink or Medicare.

To withdraw any other visa application, you must tell us in writing. More information is available on our website at You want to withdraw an application.

Coming to Australia

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have:

a valid visa to enter Australia
a valid passport or other travel document

At the border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card. You will get the card on board.

In Australia

What you can do when you have this visa

come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under the age of 18 (or over 18 in exceptional circumstances)
care for more than one student
study an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) for less than 20 hours per week, or any other study or training for no more than 3 months

What you must do on this visa

You, and your family members, must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws. Check your conditions in your grant letter or in VEVO.

If a family member under 6 gets the visa, they must apply for their own Student visa once they turn 6 to keep studying in Australia.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about include

changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
changes to your relationship status
changes to your work
the birth of a child
changes to your welfare arrangements

See how to let us know if there is a change in your situation.

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. You can stay in Australia until the date provided in your visa grant letter.

To see when you must leave, use VEVO.

Staying longer

You can stay in Australia longer by applying for a further Student Guardian visa.

Travelling on your visa

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

But you can't leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you have made alternative welfare arrangements.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

Working on this visa

To see your conditions for work, use VEVO.

If your visa has condition 8101, you must not work in Australia.

This means when in Australia, you must not do that a person would normally get paid for.

For more information and examples of how this condition might apply to you see visa conditions.

Leaving Australia

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

You can't leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you have made alternative welfare arrangements. You must have:

compassionate or compelling reasons
alternative and suitable arrangements in place
the approval of the minor's education provider

If you leave Australia without alternative welfare arrangements, you may be in breach of condition 8538. We may cancel your visa.

At the border

Leaving the airport faster (all visas)

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

To prove you have been to Australia

Request your international movement records to get proof of your travel in and out of Australia.

Official Information

For complete eligibility requirements, application process, processing times and costs, visit the official Department of Home Affairs page.

View on Home Affairs

Important Disclaimer

The information on this page is intended as a general guide only. Always verify the latest details on the official Department of Home Affairs website or seek help from a registered migration agent.