Applying for Australia 590 Student Guardian Visa in 2026: Step by Step

You lodge the Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) online through ImmiAccount, and you are allowed to be inside or outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. The rule that actually shapes your filing calendar is the one about location: if you are in Australia at the time of application, you must hold an eligible substantive visa, or fall within the 28-day rule explained below. This follows the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) page, as of the August 2026 version of that page. What follows is general information about how the process is structured, not advice tailored to your circumstances, so confirm the current wording on the official page or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before you commit to a filing date.

Where can you be when you lodge, and when the decision is made?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply, and you can also be outside Australia when the decision is made. That flexibility is why the guardian application can be planned around school terms rather than around travel windows — but it only removes the location constraint, not the visa status constraint. If you are onshore, you must hold a substantive visa that is not on the excluded list.

There is no requirement that you be in Australia at any point for the application itself to be valid or decided.

Which visas stop you from lodging in Australia?

If you are in Australia, you cannot apply for this visa while holding any of the following:

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; the official page notes only that a family member of a subclass 995 holder can apply for a Student visa in Australia

The practical consequence for families is that a parent who has entered Australia as a visitor cannot simply convert that stay into a guardian application onshore. The visitor stream and the graduate stream are precisely the ones many parents are holding when a student's arrangements change, so check the subclass you currently hold before assuming an onshore filing is available.

What if you don't hold an eligible substantive visa?

You may still apply within 28 days of either:

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

Both limbs are time-boxed, so they matter most when a previous visa has just ended or a review has just concluded. Outside those 28 days, the onshore pathway depends on holding a qualifying substantive visa in your own right.

Should the guardian application go in at the same time as the student's?

The official step-by-step guide instructs you to apply at the same time as the student. Treat that as the default sequencing when you are building a family timeline: the guardian's eligibility, funding evidence and stay period are all defined by reference to the student visa holder, so lodging the two applications apart means the second one is assessed against a student visa that is already granted and dated.

Applying separately is not described as prohibited, but it removes the ability to present one coherent set of arrangements for the same period.

What does the online lodgement actually involve?

The application itself is short to submit but unforgiving about completeness:

Log in to or create an ImmiAccount.
Attach your documents.
Pay the application fee.

The Department states it will not process your application until you pay the fee, and that it cannot process it if the correct visa application charge is not paid — in which case it will notify you and, if necessary, return the application. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

The official page states the cost as a "from" amount for the main applicant, with an additional charge for each family member who applies with you, and separate possible costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics; use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for your own figure, as it does not include those other costs. A lower application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens, recognised by the valid passport used in the application — Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — and family members are eligible on the basis of the primary applicant's passport.

Which documents decide whether the application is valid?

What makes a 590 application invalid on arrival?

A completed Form 157N — Student guardianship arrangements is mandatory; your application will not be valid without it. The same is true of identity: if you cannot prove your identity, the Department will refuse the application, may not grant you another visa for 10 years, and may not grant a visa to family members listed on your application for 10 years.

Identity documents required are the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; and proof of any change of name (a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by). Anything not in English must be translated, and you provide both the translation and the original-language copy.

How much money do you need to show?

You must show enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any children coming with you.

What the funds must cover	Figure given on the official page
Your living costs, 12 months	AUD 29,710
Living costs, 12 months, per accompanying child	AUD 4,449
Schooling costs, per child under 6	at least AUD 13,502 per year
Travel	AUD 2,000 per person (guide only)
Student's course fees	12 months of fees for the student visa holder(s)

For stays shorter than 12 months, work out pro rata costs by dividing the annual cost by 365 and multiplying by the number of days you intend to stay. Acceptable evidence includes money deposits held in a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, and scholarship or financial support; if someone else funds you, show your relationship to them and their identity documents, and explain the source of any deposits.

As an alternative, a spouse or de facto partner who is not travelling to Australia can be shown as your supporter if they had an annual income of AUD 102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply. That income must be evidenced by official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old — bank statements and employer letters are not accepted for this purpose.

What else has to be ready before you file?

Health insurance: evidence of adequate health insurance for you and your family members for the first 12 months, such as an Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) premium or a comparable product from Australia or your home country.
Police certificates: if you are a relative of the student visa holder, an Australian Federal Police National Police Certificate (complete disclosure only) if you spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus an overseas police certificate from every country — including your home country — where you spent 12 months or more in that same period.
Genuine Temporary Entry: a personal statement addressing your ties to home, incentive to return, immigration history, assets and, where relevant, employer leave confirmation. It can be written in your own language with a translated copy attached.
Children under 6: a statement demonstrating compelling and compassionate circumstances, or written support from your home government or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; plus birth certificates or the family book showing both parents, and adoption papers if applicable. You cannot add children under 6 after submitting.
Children under 18: consent from anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling, using Form 1229 or a statutory declaration, together with an identity document showing their signature and photo.

How does timing work while the application is being processed?

Can you travel while it is pending?

You do not have to tell the Department if you want to travel outside Australia during processing, because you are allowed to be outside Australia when the decision is made. If you do leave, make sure you hold a valid visa to return. You cannot leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you have made alternative welfare arrangements.

What keeps you lawful in Australia while you wait?

If you were in Australia when you applied, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before the decision, the BVA starts and lets you remain in Australia while the new application is processed — but there is no right of return on it, and it cancels on departure. Do not let your current visa be cancelled, or you will be in Australia unlawfully.

What if something is wrong, or something changes?

For incorrect answers, complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and upload it in ImmiAccount; if you do not correct a mistake, the application may be refused. You also need to report changes to your phone number, address or passport, changes to marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or a wish to withdraw. To appoint or withdraw someone for correspondence, use Form 956A; for immigration assistance, Form 956.

The Department asks that you not call about progress within standard processing times, since it cannot give further updates; requests for more information appear in your ImmiAccount. The published processing time tool shows times for recently decided applications and is a guide only, not specific to your case.

How long does the visa last, and what can you do on it?

You can stay until the date specified in your visa grant letter, which is usually set by reference to the student visa holder's stay or when that student turns 18. You can stay longer by applying for a further Student Guardian visa. On this visa you cannot work; you may 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, and you may care for more than one student.

You can travel in and out of Australia as often as you like while the visa is valid, but time spent outside Australia does not extend it, and you cannot leave Australia without the student visa holder unless alternative welfare arrangements are in place. If a family member under 6 is granted a visa, it is valid only until their 6th birthday; after that they must apply for their own Student visa. Children aged 6 or older can travel with you but must hold their own Student visa. Your visa is digitally linked to your passport — no label is issued.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for the 590 from inside Australia while holding a Visitor visa (subclass 600)?

No. Subclass 600 is on the list of visas that bar an onshore Student Guardian application. You would need to hold another eligible substantive visa, qualify under the 28-day rule, or lodge from outside Australia.

Do I have to lodge at the same time as the student?

The official guide says you should apply at the same time as the student. Because the guardian's funding evidence and visa period are tied to the student visa holder, filing together keeps both applications described against the same study period.

Is my application processed before I pay the fee?

No. The Department states it will not process the application until the fee is paid, and it will notify you and may return the application if the correct charge is not paid. The fee is also not refunded if the visa is refused.

How much money do I need to show for a 12-month stay?

The official page lists AUD 29,710 for your own living costs, AUD 4,449 per accompanying child, 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s), and about AUD 2,000 per person for travel. Add at least AUD 13,502 per year per child under 6 for schooling, and calculate pro rata amounts by dividing the annual figure by 365 and multiplying by your intended days in Australia.

Can I include a child under 6 in my application?

Only if you show compelling and compassionate circumstances or have written support from your home government or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Even if granted, that child's visa runs only to their 6th birthday, after which they need their own Student visa, and children under 6 cannot be added after submission.

What happens if my current visa expires while the 590 is being decided?

If you applied in Australia, you were granted a Bridging visa A, which starts when your current visa expires and lets you stay lawfully while the application is processed. It carries no right of return and cancels if you depart Australia.

Will I get a visa label in my passport?

No. The visa is digitally linked to your passport, and the Department does not issue a label. Keep a copy of the decision with you while you are in Australia.