590 Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
Purpose	Support an eligible student
Stay	Until date in grant letter
Cost	From AUD2,500
Apply from	Inside or outside Australia
Eligibility timing	Eligible visa required in Australia
Work rights	No work permitted
Study	Limited study or training
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Health insurance	Required throughout stay
Travel facility	Multiple entry while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Family may apply with you
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Processing	Processing-time guide only

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Purpose

This temporary visa lets a parent, custodian or eligible relative provide care and support for:

• A Student visa holder under 18; or
• A Student visa holder aged 18 or over who needs care and support due to exceptional circumstances.

You can care for more than one student.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be the student's parent or custodian; or
• Be a relative aged at least 21, nominated in writing by a parent or custodian.
• Provide accommodation, general welfare and support for the student.
• Have enough money for yourself, accompanying family members and the student.
• Hold adequate health insurance for the whole stay.
• Intend to stay temporarily and only do permitted activities.
• Have substantially complied with conditions of your last substantive or subsequent bridging visa.
• Meet the health requirement, with applying family members.
• Meet the character requirement if you are the student's relative.
• Sign the Australian Values Statement.
• Repay or arrange repayment of Australian Government debts.
• Meet the child's best-interests requirement where relevant.

Eligible relatives include the student's parent, step-parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, partner, child or stepchild, including specified step-relatives.

Applying in Australia

You can apply in or outside Australia. If applying in Australia, you must generally hold an eligible substantive visa.

You cannot apply in Australia while holding:

• Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403), Domestic Worker stream
• Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)
• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
• Visitor visa (subclass 600)
• Electronic Travel Authority (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 holder only

You may apply within 28 days of holding a Student visa, Special Purpose visa or dependent Diplomatic (Temporary) visa, or within 28 days after Tribunal notification that a visa cancellation was set aside.

Stay

Your visa duration is decided by reference to the student visa holder's stay or when that student turns 18. The exact end date is in your visa grant letter.

You may apply for a further Student Guardian visa to stay longer.

Cost

The visa costs from AUD2,500 for the main applicant. There is an additional charge for each applying family member.

Other possible costs include:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Biometrics

A lower visa charge applies to eligible citizens of specified Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who lodge a valid application. Eligible family members receive the lower charge based on the primary applicant's passport.

Eligible primary applicants must hold a valid passport from:

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

Rights and Conditions

Work

You cannot work. If your visa has condition 8101, you must not do work normally performed for payment.

Study

You may study:

• ELICOS for less than 20 hours a week; or
• Other study or training for no more than three months.

Travel

You may leave and return to Australia as often as you wish while the visa is valid.

You must not leave Australia without the student visa holder unless alternative welfare arrangements have been made. Leaving without approved alternative arrangements may breach condition 8538 and may result in visa cancellation.

Alternative arrangements require:

• Compassionate or compelling reasons;
• Suitable alternative arrangements; and
• Approval from the minor's education provider.

Time outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Health Insurance

You are personally liable for healthcare costs. You must maintain adequate health insurance for your entire stay, including cover for medically necessary treatment and transport.

Evidence of adequate health insurance is required for you and applying family members for the first 12 months of stay.

Family Provisions

A visa will generally not be granted if any family member is under six years old, even if they will not travel, unless:

• Compelling and compassionate reasons exist; or
• Granting the visa would significantly benefit relations between Australia and another government.

If a family member under six is granted a visa, it is valid only until their sixth birthday. They must then apply for their own Student visa to continue studying.

Children aged six or older may travel with you, but must apply for their own Student visa.

You cannot add children under six after submitting the application.

Non-Migrating Children

You must make adequate accommodation, support and welfare arrangements for non-migrating children who:

• Are under 18;
• Do not hold a Student visa; and
• Are not coming to Australia.

For children aged six to 18, adequate arrangements include living with another parent, custodian, or a relative aged at least 21. Provide evidence of arrangements, the guardian's acceptance letter, and the guardian's passport biodata page or driver's licence.

Financial Capacity

You must show genuine access to enough funds for:

• Travel for you and the student;
• Student course fees for 12 months, or pro rata;
• Living costs for 12 months, or pro rata;
• School fees for accompanying school-age children.

The source lists 12-month living costs of:

• AUD29,710 for you
• AUD4,449 for each accompanying child

Allow AUD2,000 per person as a guide for travel costs.

If including children under six, add school costs of at least AUD13,502 per child per year.

Acceptable evidence may include financial-institution deposits, institutional or government loans, scholarships, or financial support. If another person provides funds, provide evidence of their identity and relationship to you. Explain the source of deposited funds.

Alternatively, a non-travelling spouse or de facto partner may support you if they earned at least AUD102,500 in the 12 months immediately before application. Evidence must be official government documents, such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. Bank statements and employer evidence are not accepted for annual-income evidence.

Required Documents

Provide:

• Passport pages showing photo, personal details, issue and expiry dates
• National identity card, if available
• Name-change evidence, if applicable
• Completed Form 157N — Student guardianship arrangements
• Genuine Temporary Entrant personal statement
• Financial-capacity evidence
• Health-insurance evidence
• Police certificates, where required
• Polio vaccination certificate, if required
• Child consent or sole-responsibility evidence, where relevant

Your application is not valid without completed Form 157N.

Genuine Temporary Entrant Evidence

Provide a written statement showing you intend to stay temporarily. It may address:

• Personal circumstances in your home country
• Family ties and incentive to return
• Residence status and right to return
• Immigration history
• Property or significant assets
• Employer confirmation of leave

A statement may be written in your own language if accompanied by an English translation.

Character Documents

If you are a relative of the student visa holder, provide:

• An Australian Federal Police complete disclosure National Police Certificate if you spent 12 months or more in Australia during the past 10 years since turning 16; and
• Overseas police certificates for every country where you spent 12 months or more during that period.

Child Documents

For an applicant under 18, obtain consent from any non-travelling person with legal authority to decide where the child lives. Provide either:

• Form 1229; or
• A statutory declaration consenting to the child's travel.

If you have sole responsibility, provide supporting evidence such as custody documents, a court order, death certificate, or relevant home-country law.

For dependants under six, provide compelling-circumstances evidence or government support, plus birth certificates, family-book records or adoption documents.

Document Preparation

• Translate all non-English documents into English.
• Submit both original-language and translated copies.
• Scan or photograph documents in colour.
• Ensure documents are legible.
• Save multi-page documents as one file.
• Keep a copy of your completed application.

How to Apply

You must apply online and should apply at the same time as the student.

1. Create or log in to an ImmiAccount.
2. Complete the online application.
3. Attach required documents.
4. Pay the visa application charge.

The Department will not process the application until the correct charge is paid.

After Applying

The Department may request:

• Health examinations
• Biometrics
• Further documents or information

Check ImmiAccount for requests. Applications may take longer if forms are incomplete, documents are missing, further information is required, or information needs verification.

If you applied in Australia, a Bridging visa A may begin when your current visa expires. It does not allow return to Australia after departure and cancels when you leave.

Keep a valid visa while your application is processed.

Tell the Department promptly about changes to your:

• Address, phone number, email or passport
• Marital or de facto relationship
• Work
• Welfare arrangements
• Child's birth
• Application status, including withdrawal

Use Form 1023 to correct incorrect answers in an application.

Important Warnings

• Failure to prove identity may result in refusal and possible visa consequences for up to 10 years.
• False or misleading information may result in refusal.
• Visa cancellation or refusal history may affect eligibility.
• The application charge is not refunded if the visa is refused.
• You and family members must obey all visa conditions and Australian laws.
• Check visa conditions in your grant letter or through VEVO.
• Your visa is digitally linked to your passport; no visa label is issued.