Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
Visa Cost
AUD 2,000 (2025-26 primary applicant base VAC, from 2025-07-01)
The base Visa Application Charge rose from AUD 1,600 to AUD 2,000 (primary applicant) from 1 July 2025. A credit card surcharge of about 1.4% also applies on payment. Pacific island and Timor-Leste passport holders have been eligible for a differential (lower) rate since 2025-03-22. In addition, you usually pay at your own expense for a health examination (about AUD 300-500 per person), police clearances, and Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC, about AUD 500-700 per person per year).
Processing Time
About 90% are finalised within 6 months
Eligibility
- Be a parent, legal guardian, or eligible relative aged 21 or over of the student visa holder.
- The student cared for is usually under 18; if the student is 18 or over, there must be special circumstances requiring guardianship.
- The trip is to provide care, accommodation and welfare (guardianship) to the student; work is not permitted.
- Prove you have sufficient funds to cover living, tuition, accommodation and medical costs for yourself and the student in Australia.
- Pass the new Genuine Temporary Stay (GTS) assessment: answer a series of targeted questions in the online form to demonstrate temporary-stay intent (no longer a free-form GTE statement).
- Take out adequate health insurance for yourself and accompanying family members.
- The applicant and accompanying family members meet health and character requirements.
- If a child under 6 accompanies you, 590 generally cannot be granted (except in special circumstances).
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
Aligned with the student's visa under guardianship, up to 5 years; you must live with and care for the student under guardianship and must not leave the country alone without the student without approval.
Eligible Dependants
In principle no other family members may accompany you; only where there is a dependent child under 6 and compelling and compassionate special circumstances exist may they accompany.
Common Visa Conditions
Full explanations of condition codes are in the Visa Conditions Lookup
Application Steps
Confirm guardianship and eligibility
Confirm guardianship and eligibility
Confirm your relationship with the student meets the 590 requirements and the student holds a valid student visa.
- Must be a parent, legal guardian, or eligible relative aged 21 or over.
- The student is usually under 18; for those over 18 there must be special guardianship reasons.
- Mind the restriction on accompanying children under 6.
Prepare financial and relationship evidence
Prepare financial and relationship evidence
Organise financial evidence covering living, tuition, accommodation and medical costs for the guardianship period, and relationship documents.
- Provide financial evidence such as savings, income and assets.
- Prepare relationship evidence such as the birth certificate/household register and have it notarised and translated.
- Estimate and prepare funds for the entire guardianship period.
Arrange health insurance and exams
Arrange health insurance and exams
Take out adequate health insurance for yourself and accompanying family members, and complete the health examination as required.
- Take out Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) covering the entire stay.
- Complete the health examination at a designated provider (a panel physician).
- Keep the health examination HAP ID and insurance policy.
Create ImmiAccount and complete the form
Create ImmiAccount and complete the form
Lodge the 590 application online through the official ImmiAccount, answering the GTS temporary-stay intent questions.
- Can be applied for offshore or onshore (note that holders of certain 426/403/995/771/600 categories cannot apply onshore).
- Answer the targeted Genuine Temporary Stay (GTS) questions item by item in the form.
- Truthfully state the guardianship arrangements and purpose in Australia.
Pay charge and upload documents
Pay charge and upload documents
Pay the AUD 2,000 base VAC and surcharges, and upload all supporting materials.
- Pay by credit card or similar; note the surcharge of about 1.4%.
- Upload relationship, financial, insurance, health examination and police clearance evidence, etc.
- Submit accompanying family members' details together.
Await processing and respond to requests
Await processing and respond to requests
Wait for the outcome, provide further documents as needed, and travel to Australia after grant to carry out the guardianship duties.
- About 90% are finalised within 6 months.
- Respond promptly to requests for further documents or interview notices.
- Comply with visa conditions in Australia; no work.
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence of relationship to the student | Evidence of relationship to the student | Prove you are the student's parent, legal guardian or eligible relative, such as a birth certificate, household register or kinship notarial certificate. | Non-English documents must have a notarised translation (NAATI-certified translation); legal guardianship requires court/notarial authorisation documents. | |
| Student's visa grant and CoE | Student's visa grant and CoE | Prove the student cared for holds a valid student visa and a Confirmation of Enrolment. | Provide the student visa grant notice and the latest CoE, showing the course of study and its duration. | |
| Evidence of financial capacity | Evidence of financial capacity | Prove you can cover the living, tuition, accommodation and medical costs for yourself and the student in Australia. | Provide bank savings, proof of income and proof of assets; the amount must cover the entire guardianship period, and the source of funds should be explainable. | |
| Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) | Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) | Take out health insurance covering the entire stay for yourself and accompanying family members. | About AUD 500-700 per person per year; the policy period must cover the visa validity, and keep the policy number for reference. | |
| Health examination results | Health examination results | A health examination completed at a designated provider, meeting the visa health requirements. | Complete the examination with a panel physician and record the HAP ID; accompanying family members also need to be examined. | |
| Police certificates | Police certificates | Meet character requirements, usually requiring police clearances for periods of residence in relevant countries. | Chinese applicants generally need a Chinese police clearance, notarised and translated; those who have lived in another country for the prescribed period also need a corresponding clearance. | |
| Care and accommodation arrangements | Care and accommodation arrangements | Set out the specific arrangements for providing the student with accommodation, care and welfare. | Provide details of the housing to be rented/already booked; if the student is under 18, show appropriate residence and care arrangements. | |
| Genuine Temporary Stay (GTS) responses | Genuine Temporary Stay (GTS) responses | Answer a series of targeted questions in the online form to demonstrate temporary-stay intent (replacing the old free-form GTE statement). | Answer around the guardianship purpose, ties to your home country, and the plan to leave after guardianship ends, consistently, truthfully and credibly. | |
| Passport and recent photographs | Passport and recent photographs | Valid passports and compliant passport photos for the applicant and accompanying family members. | The passport should be valid for the guardianship period applied for; the passport photo should meet Australian visa specifications (white background, within the last 6 months). | |
| Form 956 / 956A (if using a representative) | Form 956 / 956A (if using a representative) | If you engage a registered migration agent or authorise another to receive correspondence, submit the relevant form. | Form 956 is for a registered migration agent, Form 956A for authorising another person to receive correspondence; neither is required if you apply yourself. | |
| Documents for accompanying family members | Documents for accompanying family members | If a spouse/children accompany you, provide their identity, relationship, health examination and insurance materials. | Note: 590 usually cannot be granted if a child under 6 accompanies you (except in special circumstances). | |
| Parental consent (if guardian is a relative) | Parental consent (if guardian is a relative) | If the guardian is an eligible relative rather than a parent, the student's parents' written consent/authorisation is required. | The consent should be notarised, expressly authorising the relative to act as guardian in Australia. |
FAQ
How much is the 590 Student Guardian visa now?
Can you work in Australia on 590?
My child is already 18; can I still apply for 590?
Can I bring a child under 6 with me?
How long does 590 take to process?
Common Refusal Reasons
- Insufficient or unrecognised evidence of the guardianship/relationship with the student under guardianship
- Insufficient proof of funds to cover living and care costs during the guardianship
- Assessed as having a migration intention, not a genuine temporary guardianship intent
- The requirement to live with the student and provide welfare and care arrangements is not met
- Health or character requirements not met
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.