Costs of Australia 590 Student Guardian Visa in 2026
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) official page, as of August 2026, the visa carries a cost for the main applicant (concessions apply in limited circumstances) and a separate charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you; to work out the exact amount, the Department directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for Subclass 590, which does not take into account the other costs. A lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who lodge a valid Student Guardian visa application: the reduced charge is applied during the application process in ImmiAccount, recognised by the valid passport used in the application, and accompanying family members also receive the lower cost based on the primary applicant’s passport. This article is general information only and does not give personalised professional advice, nothing here promises a visa outcome, and all amounts are subject to the Department’s latest published page.
What is the 590 Student Guardian visa application charge made up of?
The payment side of a Subclass 590 application is built from two government charges mentioned on the Department’s page: the cost for the main applicant and a separate charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you. The overview does not present one single fixed quote for every family; instead, the Visa Pricing Estimator for Subclass 590 is the tool the Department provides to work out what your visa will cost, and the Department states plainly that the estimator does not take into account the other costs described below.
If the correct visa application charge is not paid, the Department cannot process the application; it will notify you if this is the case and, if necessary, return your application. The fee is also not held as a deposit against a successful outcome: if the application is refused, the application fee is not refunded.
Who pays the reduced Pacific Island and Timor-Leste charge?
A lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid Student Guardian visa application. Eligibility is automatic at the payment stage: the Department charges eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount, and recognises eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application.
The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of these 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
Family members are eligible for the lower visa cost too. That family-member eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant (or the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria), so a household travelling together generally shares the primary applicant’s concession status rather than each person holding their own qualifying passport.
What costs beyond the application fee should a guardian budget for?
The Department’s cost section lists three possible additional government-linked costs: health checks, police certificates and biometrics. These are not included in the visa application charge and are not included in the Visa Pricing Estimator result. You may also need to arrange your own health insurance: you must provide evidence of adequate health insurance for yourself and your family members for the first 12 months of your stay, and an Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) premium is one accepted route, although cover details, membership costs and eligibility vary between insurers.
Character and identity documents can add administrative steps rather than a published fee. If you are a relative of the student visa holder and have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, you must provide an Australian Federal Police complete-disclosure National Police Certificate; you are also generally required to provide overseas police certificates for any country where you spent 12 months or more in that same period. Biometrics (fingerprints and photo) may be requested after you apply, and the Department will tell you if they are needed.
How much money do I need to show for living costs, schooling and travel?
Alongside the fee itself, the guardian must be able to show genuine access to enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any accompanying children. The Department’s page asks you to declare and provide amounts that indicate the cost of living in Australia, while noting that actual living costs vary across the country.
| Item | Amount to allow for (12 months unless stated) |
|---|---|
| Living costs — you, the main applicant | AUD 29,710 |
| Living costs — each child coming with you | AUD 4,449 |
| Schooling — each child under 6 included in the application | at least AUD 13,502 per year, per child |
| Travel costs — per person (guide) | AUD 2,000 |
| Course fees — each student visa holder you support | 12 months of fees, or pro rata if the course is shorter |
If your stay is shorter than 12 months, the Department’s pro rata method is to divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply by the number of days you intend to stay. Schooling costs vary between states, territories and schools, and the guardian is responsible for finding out the actual school cost.
Instead of showing savings or loans, you may show that a spouse or de facto partner who is not travelling will support you, provided they have 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; the Department does not accept bank statements or direct employer evidence for this income test. Acceptable evidence of funds generally includes money deposits held in a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, or scholarship or financial support, and if someone else provides the funds you must also show your relationship with that person and their identity documents.
Do family members change what I pay?
Every family member who applies for the visa with you adds to the charge structure, so the size of the travelling group directly affects the total government cost. Beyond the charge, the rules on young children can change the shape of the application: the Department will not grant the visa if any member of the family unit 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. That restriction applies even if the under-6 family member is not planning to travel with you, and you cannot include children under 6 after you have submitted the application.
If a family member under 6 is nevertheless granted a visa, it will only be valid until their 6th birthday; after that they must apply for their own Student visa to continue studying in Australia. Children aged 6 or older can travel with you, but they must apply for their own Student visa, which is a separate visa and a separate cost from the guardian visa.
How and when is the fee paid?
You must apply for the Subclass 590 visa online through ImmiAccount, and the Department recommends applying at the same time as the student. After you attach your documents, you pay the application fee; the Department will not process the application until you pay the fee. If you are in Australia, you must hold an eligible substantive visa, or apply within 28 days in the limited circumstances the page describes, and some visa holders cannot apply for this visa while in Australia. Eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicants are charged the lower visa cost automatically at that ImmiAccount payment step, based on the valid passport in the application.
A valid application also depends on documents rather than payment alone: for example, your application will not be valid if you do not provide a completed Form 157N (Student guardianship arrangements). Health exams may be needed before or after lodgement, and you will be told if they are required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a single published application fee amount for the 590 visa in 2026?
The Department’s overview describes a cost for the main applicant with concessions in limited circumstances, plus a separate charge for each family member, rather than quoting one universal figure in that text. To find the exact amount for your circumstances, the Department refers applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for Subclass 590. Because fees are subject to change, rely on the estimator and the official page closest to your lodgement date.
Which countries qualify for the lower Pacific Island and Timor-Leste visa cost?
The reduced cost applies to eligible citizens of the 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. The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of those countries and lodge a valid Student Guardian visa application.
Do accompanying family members also get the reduced cost?
Yes. Family members are eligible for the lower visa cost when they apply with the primary applicant. That eligibility is based on the passport of the primary applicant (or the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria), not on each family member holding their own qualifying passport.
Are health checks, police certificates and biometrics included in the application charge?
No. The Department lists health checks, police certificates and biometrics as other costs you might have to pay, and it states that the Visa Pricing Estimator does not take those costs into account. The Department will tell you if health examinations or biometrics are required.
What happens if I pay the wrong visa application charge?
The Department cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. It will notify you if this is the case and, if necessary, return your application. If the application is ultimately refused, the application fee is not refunded.
What funds must a student guardian show for living costs?
For a 12-month reference period, the Department’s page sets living costs of AUD 29,710 for you as the main applicant and AUD 4,449 for each child coming with you, plus a travel guide of AUD 2,000 per person. If you include a child under 6, you must add schooling costs of at least AUD 13,502 per year, per child, and you must also cover 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s), or the pro rata amount for a shorter course.