Can You Include Children Under 6 in a 590 Guardian Visa in 2026?
Short answer: only in narrow cases. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) page, as at the August 2026 version of the official page, the visa will not be granted 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. This article is general information about how that rule is published, not personalised advice on your circumstances, so anything that turns on your own family's facts should be checked against the official page or with a qualified professional.
What does the 590 visa actually cover?
The subclass 590 exists so you can come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18, or over 18 in exceptional circumstances. You cannot work on it. How long you can stay is set out in your grant letter, and the Department usually decides that date by reference to how long the student is staying or when that student turns 18.
That framing matters for the under-6 question: the visa is built around a guardian's relationship to one (or more) student visa holders, not around resettling a whole family. An infant or pre-school child is not a student, which is why the family-unit rule treats them differently from school-age children.
Why would a child under 6 stop the whole application?
Because the test is applied to the family unit, not to the travel plan. The Department states it will not grant you the visa if any member of the family unit is under 6, and that this applies even if those family members are not planning to travel to Australia with you.
So a common assumption — "the baby will stay home with grandparents, so it shouldn't matter" — does not switch the rule off. The under-6 child is still part of the assessment, and you still have to clear the exception, or your own application is not granted.
| Situation | Included in your 590 application? | What they need to stay in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Child under 6, no exception established | No — the visa will not be granted | Not applicable under this visa |
| Child under 6, exception established and visa granted | Yes | Their 590 visa is valid only until their 6th birthday, then they must apply for their own Student visa |
| Child aged 6 or older | They can travel with you | They must apply for their own Student visa |
What counts as "compelling and compassionate reasons"?
The official page uses the phrase but does not publish a definition or a checklist, so the argument has to be built from your own facts. The materials the Department asks for give a strong hint about the shape of the argument: if you have dependants under 6, you must provide either a statement demonstrating compelling and compassionate circumstances, or written support from the government of your home country, or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Policy guidance summarising the subclass 590 criteria in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 points to situations such as the guardian being the only available parent for the young child, or a medical condition affecting the student that requires the guardian's care. Those are illustrations of the kind of case that may be advanced, not a tick-box list, and decision makers retain discretion; the Department's guidance also treats the second limb — a significant benefit to Australia's relationship with another government — as something normally backed by government-level support rather than a private explanation. Clause 590.213 is the regulation that carries the compelling-and-compassionate requirement, and you should read its current published text, since legislative instruments are amended over time.
One further filter applies independently: the Department may refuse the visa if granting it would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18. A grant to a young child therefore has to survive both the under-6 exception and that best-interests consideration.
What documents does a dependant under 6 need?
Beyond the exception material above, the official page requires, for every dependant under 6 applying with you, copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children, plus copies of the adoption papers if applicable.
The wider 590 evidence set still applies to you as the main applicant — identity documents, a completed Form 157N (Student guardianship arrangements) without which the application is not valid, a Genuine Temporary Entry statement, funds evidence, and health insurance for the first 12 months. Children under 18 also need consent from anyone with a legal right to decide where the child lives who is not travelling, usually via Form 1229 or a statutory declaration.
If the child is granted a visa, how long does it last?
Only until their 6th birthday. The Department states this directly: after that, the child must apply for their own Student visa to continue their study in Australia. In other words, a successful under-6 case buys a short, fixed runway, not a duration that tracks your own stay.
Plan around that boundary rather than being surprised by it. If the child's 6th birthday falls well before the student's course ends, the family is committing to a fresh Student visa application for that child in Australia, with its own enrolment, welfare and financial requirements.
Can you add a child under 6 after you apply?
No. The official page is explicit: you cannot include children under 6 after you have submitted your application. A child born after lodgement is a separate issue again, and the Department asks applicants to tell it about the birth of a child after they have applied.
What money do you need to show if you do include one?
The Department's published 12-month figures are AUD29,710 in living costs for you and AUD4,449 for a child coming with you, with travel costs guided at around $2,000 per person. If you are including children under 6 in the application, you must also add schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year, per child, and the Department notes that actual schooling costs vary between states, territories and schools.
There is also an alternative route for the funds test: a spouse or de facto partner who is not travelling can be shown to have an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply, evidenced by official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. Bank statements and employer letters are not accepted for that income test.
On government charges, the official page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for the subclass 590 amount rather than publishing a fixed figure in that section, and it notes an additional charge for each family member who applies with you. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
What if the under-6 child stays behind?
You still have to deal with two things. First, as above, the under-6 rule applies whether or not the child travels, so the exception question is not avoided. Second, the Department requires adequate accommodation, support and welfare arrangements for non-migrating children who are not coming with you, are under 18, and do not hold a Student visa.
For children aged 6 to 18, the Department treats arrangements as adequate if the child will live with another parent or custodian, or with a relative who is at least 21. Evidence required includes a letter from the appointed guardian accepting responsibility and confirming the child will be wholly or substantially reliant on their financial support, with the child living in that guardian's household, plus a copy of the guardian's passport bio-data page or a valid driver's licence showing the signature field.
How should you weigh this before lodging?
Treat the under-6 child as a threshold question, not an afterthought. The rule is written at the family-unit level, the two exceptions are narrow, the evidence is documentary rather than narrative, and a successful grant has a hard expiry at the child's 6th birthday. Families who need certainty across a full school period are generally looking at a structure where the 590 covers the guardian and each school-age child holds their own Student visa, rather than trying to fit a pre-school child into the guardian application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my 4-year-old be listed on my 590 application if they stay in my home country?
No, staying behind does not remove them from the test. The Department states the under-6 restriction applies even if those family members are not planning to travel to Australia with you, so you still need to establish one of the exceptions.
What evidence proves compelling and compassionate circumstances?
You must provide a statement demonstrating compelling and compassionate circumstances, or written support from your home country's government, or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. There is no published checklist, so the argument has to be made on your own documented facts.
How long is a 590 visa valid for a child granted under the exception?
Only until the child's 6th birthday. After that date the child must apply for their own Student visa to continue studying in Australia.
Must a child aged 6 or older have their own Student visa?
Yes. Children aged 6 or older can travel to Australia with you, but they must apply for their own Student visa; they cannot simply be included as dependants on your guardian visa without one.
Can I add my under-6 child after I have lodged the application?
No. The Department states you cannot include children under 6 after you have submitted your application, so the decision has to be made at lodgement.
Does the under-6 rule affect the money I need to show?
Yes. Alongside living costs of AUD29,710 for you and AUD4,449 per accompanying child, including children under 6 means adding schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year, per child.
Will the application fee be refunded if the visa is refused?
No. The Department states it will not refund the application fee if it refuses your application, and it will not process an application unless the correct visa application charge is paid.