How to Apply for a Student Guardian Visa Subclass 590 in Australia

Who can apply for a Student Guardian visa?

The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) is designed for a person who will reside in Australia with a nominating Student visa holder and provide the student with accommodation, support and general welfare.

Where the nominating student is under 18, the Migration Regulations provide three main relationship routes. The applicant can be the student's parent, a person who has custody of the student, or a relative who has turned 21. If the applicant is a relative rather than a parent or custodian, the nomination must be supported in writing by a parent or person who has custody of the student.

For these arrangements, Home Affairs identifies relevant relatives as a parent or step-parent, grandparent or step-grandparent, sibling or step-sibling, or aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle.

Can you be a guardian for a student who is already 18?

Subclass 590 is not limited absolutely to students under 18. The Migration Regulations provide a route where the nominating student has turned 18 if there are exceptional reasons why the student needs the applicant to reside with them in Australia. Under this route, the applicant must be a relative of the student, must have turned 21, and must be able to provide appropriate accommodation, support and general welfare.

This is an exception rather than the ordinary under-18 guardian arrangement, so the application should include evidence addressing the exceptional reasons relied upon.

How Form 157N fits into the application

A student who nominates a guardian uses Form 157N, Nomination of a student guardian. Home Affairs states that where the nominated guardian is applying for a Student Guardian visa, the Student visa and subclass 590 applications should be made at the same time.

For an under-18 student, the student's visa application also has its own consent and welfare requirements. The guardian nomination does not replace those requirements. Home Affairs requires appropriate welfare arrangements for a Student visa applicant who will be under 18 in Australia.

Evidence supporting a guardian nomination can include proof of the relationship, such as relevant birth certificates, and a copy of the guardian's passport. Home Affairs states that where the nominated guardian is not a parent or legal custodian, a police certificate is required for every country in which that guardian has lived for more than 12 months during the previous 10 years since turning 16.

How much money must a Student Guardian show?

A subclass 590 applicant must have genuine access to sufficient funds. The current financial-capacity instrument requires evidence covering the guardian's travel expenses and living costs, as well as specified costs for the nominating student and eligible accompanying family members.

For a primary Student Guardian applicant intending to stay for at least 12 months, the prescribed annual living-cost amount is AUD29,710 for the guardian. The financial-capacity calculation also requires AUD29,710 for the nominating student, plus the student's travel expenses and course fees for the portion of the course completed during the guardian's stay, up to 12 months of course fees and less amounts already paid. For a stay of less than 12 months, the legislation provides for a pro-rata calculation.

If an eligible secondary Student Guardian applicant is included, the current annual living-cost amount is AUD4,449, or the applicable pro-rata amount for a stay of less than 12 months. Under the subclass 590 secondary criteria, such a secondary applicant must not have turned 6. School costs can also apply where relevant.

The financial-capacity instrument recognises evidence including a money deposit with a financial institution, a financial-institution loan, a government loan, or a scholarship or other financial support. As an alternative financial-capacity route for a primary Student Guardian applicant, official government documentation issued within the 12 months before applying can show that the applicant's spouse or de facto partner has personal annual income of at least AUD102,500.

Health insurance and genuine temporary stay

The Migration Regulations require a Student Guardian applicant to provide evidence of adequate health insurance arrangements for the intended stay in Australia.

You must also satisfy the genuine temporary entrant criterion for the Student Guardian visa. Home Affairs assesses whether you genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily, taking account of your circumstances, immigration history, intention to comply with visa conditions and other relevant matters.

How much does the subclass 590 visa cost?

From 1 July 2026, the standard base application charge for a primary applicant under the Student (Temporary) Class TU framework, which includes subclass 590, is AUD2,500. The 2026 amendments introduced this amount by increasing the standard base charge from AUD2,000.

Different concessional charging arrangements apply to specified applicants holding passports issued by Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, so applicants in those cohorts should use the Department's current visa pricing information when lodging. Other costs can also arise separately, such as health examinations, police certificates or biometrics when required.

How do you apply online?

Student Guardian applications can be lodged online through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs states that student guardians can lodge their visa applications online under the Simplified Student Visa Framework.

In ImmiAccount, start the appropriate application, complete the requested information, attach the supporting evidence and pay the applicable visa application charge. Keep checking the account after submission because Home Affairs uses it for application updates and requests for further information.

Documents should be complete and legible. For documents that are not in English, provide both the original and an English translation. Home Affairs may also request health examinations or biometrics depending on the applicant's circumstances.

How long does a Student Guardian visa take?

Home Affairs does not publish a single guaranteed processing period for every subclass 590 application. It directs applicants to its visa processing time guide, which reports indicative processing times based on recently decided applications and is not a prediction for an individual case.

Processing can depend on whether the application is complete, whether additional information is requested and how long verification takes. Lodge with the required evidence and respond promptly to requests in ImmiAccount.

Can a Student Guardian work or study in Australia?

A Student Guardian visa can carry condition 8101, No work. Home Affairs' current conditions information also identifies condition 8201, which generally limits study or training to three months, with an exception under the regulations for certain ELICOS study of less than 20 hours per week by subclass 590 holders. Always check the conditions actually attached to your visa in the grant letter or VEVO.

The visa can also carry condition 8537, requiring the guardian to stay with the nominating student and provide accommodation, support and general welfare. Condition 8538 restricts leaving Australia without the nominating student unless the required evidence and alternative welfare arrangements are provided.

After grant, you can use the Helpydo guide to check your Australian visa conditions in VEVO.

What happens if the guardian needs to travel without the student?

A guardian should not simply leave an under-18 student in Australia without arranging approved alternative welfare. Home Affairs states that where a guardian needs to depart without the student, evidence must be provided of a compelling or compassionate reason and suitable alternative arrangements for the student's accommodation, general welfare and support.

An alternative guardian can be nominated using a new Form 157N, subject to the applicable relationship, age and evidence requirements. Alternatively, the education provider may take responsibility for welfare by issuing a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) covering the relevant period. Home Affairs must approve the arrangements where required before the guardian leaves without the student.

Keep your details current while the application is processed

If your address, email, phone number or other relevant details change while the application is being processed, update the Department rather than allowing the application record to become outdated. Helpydo has a separate guide explaining how to update your address, email or phone number on an Australian visa application.

If the student's passport changes during the immigration process, the passport details also need to be kept current. The separate procedure on updating new passport details on an Australian visa explains that process.