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What Documents and Forms Do You Need for a 590 Guardian Visa in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

For a Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590), the Australian Department of Home Affairs asks for identity documents, a completed Form 157N – Student guardianship arrangements, a written Genuine Temporary Entry (GTE) statement, evidence that you have enough money, evidence of adequate health insurance, police certificates where they apply, health examinations if the department asks for them, and — when children are involved — consent and parental responsibility documents such as Form 1229. This reflects the department's Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) official page as of the August 2026 version. Among these, Form 157N is the one that decides whether you have an application at all: the department states that your application will not be valid without it.

What makes a 590 application valid in the first place?

The single hard validity rule on the department's page concerns Form 157N. You must provide the completed form with your application, and if you do not, the application is not valid.

The form records the guardianship arrangement itself — who the student is, who will be responsible for them, and how accommodation and welfare will be handled. Guidance issued under the Migration Regulations 1994 describes Form 157N as being signed by the nominating student and, where relevant, the school, while the department's PAM3 procedures state that the nominating student must sign and, if the student is under 18, a parent or guardian must also sign; the department's Student Guardian visa (Subclass 590) page requires you to provide the completed form.

Two further practical points sit around the form. You must apply online through ImmiAccount, and the department advises applying at the same time as the student. If you are in Australia, you must hold an eligible substantive visa — the page lists visas that do not allow an in-Australia application, including the Visitor visa (subclass 600), the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) and the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) — or apply within 28 days of holding a Student visa, a Special Purpose visa, or a dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa, or within 28 days of being notified by the Tribunal that your visa cancellation has been set aside.

What identity documents does the department ask for?

The consequences of not proving identity are stated bluntly on the official page: the visa can be refused, and you (and family members listed on your application) might not be granted another visa for 10 years.

You must provide:

Change of name can be shown with 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.

Any document in a language other than English must be translated into English, and you provide copies of both the translated document and the original-language document. That translation rule is not a footnote — it applies across the whole application, including civil status and relationship papers.

What proves you are eligible to be the guardian?

The visa's eligibility criteria require you to be the parent of the student visa holder, a person who has custody of the student, or a relative of the student who is aged 21 or over and nominated in writing by a parent or person with custody. For this visa, "relative" means a parent or step-parent, grandparent or step-grandparent, sibling or stepsibling, aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle, niece, nephew, step-niece or step-nephew, partner, or child or stepchild.

You must also be providing care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18, or who is 18 or over and needs care and support because of exceptional circumstances, and you must be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and support.

In document terms, the part that most often causes delay is parental responsibility, covered below.

What goes into the GTE statement?

You must show that you are staying in Australia temporarily. The department asks for a personal statement addressing the Genuine Temporary Entry requirement, and it explicitly says that if you are not comfortable writing in English you may write the statement in your own language and submit a translated copy.

Useful content listed by the department includes:

The assessment is holistic: the department considers your personal circumstances, your situation in Australia, your immigration history, and anything else relevant to whether you plan to remain temporarily, and it also looks at whether you have substantially complied with the conditions of your last substantive or subsequent bridging visa.

How much money do you need to show, and how do you prove it?

You must show genuine access to enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s), and any children coming with you. The department asks you to declare and provide living costs that indicate the cost of living in Australia, and it notes that actual costs vary, so you should research the area you intend to live in.

Cost you must cover Amount the department asks you to declare
12 months of living costs for you AUD 29,710
12 months of living costs for each child coming with you AUD 4,449
Schooling costs for each accompanying child under 6 at least AUD 13,502 per year, per child
Travel about AUD 2,000 per person, as a guide
Course fees 12 months of fees for the student visa holder(s), or pro-rata

For stays under 12 months, the department's method is to divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply by the number of days you intend to stay.

Acceptable evidence includes money deposits held within a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, and scholarship or financial support. If someone else is providing funds, you must give evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents; if you rely on deposits, explain their source, because only certain people are acceptable as financial supporters.

There is an income alternative: your spouse or de facto partner who is not travelling to Australia can support you if they have an annual income of AUD 102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply. The evidence must be official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old — the department states it will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer for annual income.

What health insurance and health checks are involved?

You need evidence of adequate health insurance for you and your family members for the first 12 months of your stay. This can be an Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) premium or another health insurance product from Australia or your home country providing a similar level of cover; benefits, costs and eligibility vary between insurers. The eligibility criteria add that you must maintain adequate cover for the whole of your stay if granted, and that you remain personally liable for your healthcare costs.

On health examinations, the official page takes the "we will tell you" approach: you might need to organise health exams, and the department lets you know if you need them. You and any family members applying with you must meet the health requirement, and you may also be asked for biometrics.

One conditional item: if you apply from outside Australia and are travelling from, or spent time in, a country considered at risk of polio, you must provide a polio vaccination certificate.

Which police certificates do you need?

If you are a relative of the student visa holder, you must provide an Australian police certificate if you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted; standard disclosure certificates and certificates issued by Australian state or territory police are not.

Regardless of that, you must also provide an overseas police certificate from every country — including your home country — where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16.

What extra documents apply when children are included?

Three separate requirements can stack here.

Consent from non-travelling decision-makers. You must get consent for any applicant under 18 from anyone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not coming to Australia with the child. They complete either Form 1229 – Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, or a statutory declaration giving consent. If you have sole responsibility for the student, you instead provide evidence such as a court order, custody documentation, a death certificate of the other parent, or evidence that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate. In either case you must also include an identity document showing the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver's licence, plus adoption papers or other court documents if applicable.

Children under 6. Dependants under 6 trigger their own documents: 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. For every dependant under 6 applying with you, you must also provide copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children, and copies of adoption papers if applicable. The eligibility criteria are stricter still: the visa will not be granted if any member of the family unit is under 6 unless there are compelling and compassionate reasons or granting it would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and another country's government — and this applies even if that child is not travelling with you.

Children staying behind. For non-migrating children who are under 18 and do not hold a Student visa, you must show adequate arrangements for accommodation, support and welfare. Arrangements are considered adequate for your children aged 6 to 18 years if the child will live with another parent or custodian, or with a relative aged at least 21. You need evidence of the arrangements plus a letter from the appointed guardian accepting responsibility, detailing their consent that the child will be wholly or substantially reliant on their financial support, and the child must live in the guardian's household. A copy of the guardian's current passport bio-data page or a valid driver's licence showing the signature field should also be included.

How do the documents get lodged?

Applications are made online through ImmiAccount: you log in or create an account, attach documents, and pay the application fee — the department will not process the application until the fee is paid. If you did not attach everything when you applied, you attach the rest as soon as possible in ImmiAccount.

Two administrative forms appear on the same page. Use Form 956A to appoint or withdraw an authorised recipient, and Form 956 if someone is providing immigration assistance. Only a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person can lawfully give immigration assistance. If you later find a mistake on your application, you notify the department using Form 1023.

After lodgement, the department confirms receipt, may request more information or biometrics, and will tell you in writing if health examinations are needed. While a decision is pending you can travel outside Australia without notifying the department, because you can be outside Australia when the decision is made — but make sure you hold a valid visa to return, and note that you can't leave Australia without the student visa holder unless alternative welfare arrangements have been made.

Everything above is general information about published documentary requirements, not personalised advice for your circumstances, and the department's current page — or a qualified adviser you choose to consult — should govern how you prepare your own case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Form 157N really mandatory for a 590 visa?

Yes. The Department of Home Affairs states that you must provide a completed Form 157N (Student guardianship arrangements) and that your application will not be valid if you do not. A missing or incomplete 157N is therefore a validity problem, not a request-for-more-information problem.

Can I write the GTE statement in my own language?

Yes. The department says you may write your personal statement in your own language and submit a translated copy with your application. The statement should cover your ties to your home country, your right to return, your immigration history and your incentive to return.

How much money does the department ask a 590 applicant to declare?

For 12 months: AUD 29,710 in living costs for you and AUD 4,449 for each accompanying child, plus 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s) and travel of about AUD 2,000 per person. If a child under 6 is included, add schooling costs of at least AUD 13,502 per year, per child.

Can my spouse's income replace bank deposits as proof of funds?

Yes, if your spouse or de facto partner is not travelling to Australia and had an annual income of AUD 102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply. The 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.

Which Australian police certificate is accepted?

Only a complete disclosure National Police Certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police. The department does not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police. If you are a relative of the student visa holder, you need one if you spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16.

Who has to sign Form 1229?

Form 1229 must be completed by anyone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not coming to Australia with the child. A statutory declaration giving consent is the alternative, and you must also include an identity document showing that person's signature and photo, such as a passport or driver's licence.

Do documents in another language need to be translated?

Yes. Any document in a language other than English must be translated into English, and you provide copies of both the translated document and the original-language document. This applies across the application, not just to identity papers.

References