Who Can Apply for Australia's Student Guardian Visa (Subclass 590) in 2026?
Three categories of people can apply for Australia's Student Guardian visa (subclass 590): the student's parent, a person who has custody of the student, or a relative aged 21 or older who is nominated in writing by a parent or custodian. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) official page, as of the August 2026 version of that page, the person you are going to care for must also be a student visa holder who is under 18, or 18 or older and needing care and support because of exceptional circumstances.
This article is general information only and is not personalised professional advice; your own circumstances should be checked against the Department's current published requirements or with a qualified professional.
What relationship to the student do you actually need?
The visa is built around the relationship, not around who pays the school fees. You must fall into one of three roles.
| Your role | Extra condition | What this means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Parent of the student | None beyond the general criteria | Being the parent is enough on its own; no written nomination is required. |
| Person who has custody of the student | None beyond the general criteria | You must be able to evidence custody, not just informal care. |
| Relative of the student | Aged 21 or older and nominated in writing by a parent or person who has custody | The written nomination is a separate document from your relationship evidence. |
For this visa, a relative is defined narrowly as the student's 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. A cousin, a family friend, or the parent of a classmate does not fit the definition, no matter how close the relationship is.
Does the student have to be under 18?
Usually yes, but not always. The Department's eligibility criteria require you to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18, or a student visa holder who is 18 or older and needs care and support because of exceptional circumstances.
The Migration Regulations 1994 (clause 590.211) frame the over-18 case more tightly, requiring the applicant to be a relative who has turned 21; where the regulation and the Department's webpage differ in wording, the Department's current published wording is the one to rely on. In practical terms, "my child is 18 but I would feel better being there" is not the test — the over-18 route depends on circumstances that genuinely explain why care and support are needed.
The student's age also shapes how long you can stay. The Department states you can stay until a date specified in your visa grant letter, and that in deciding that date it usually considers the length of the student visa holder's stay or when that student turns 18.
What else must every applicant show besides the relationship?
Fitting one of the three roles only gets you through the first door. The official page also requires that you:
- Be able to provide for the student — accommodation, general welfare and support.
- Have enough money for your stay — evidence covering yourself, any accompanying family members, and the student visa holder.
- Hold adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay, covering medically necessary treatment including transport. You are personally liable for your healthcare costs in Australia.
- Be a genuine temporary entrant — intend only to stay temporarily and to do what the visa allows, and have substantially complied with the conditions of your last substantive or bridging visa.
- Meet the health requirement, for you and any family members applying with you.
- Meet the character requirement if you are applying as a relative of the student.
- Sign the Australian values statement, after reading or having explained to you the Life in Australia booklet.
- Have no debt to the Australian Government, unless it has been repaid or repayment arranged.
- Not have had a visa cancelled or an application refused, as your immigration history is taken into account.
There is also a child-safeguarding rule: the Department may not grant the visa if doing so would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Where can you be when you apply?
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply, and when the decision is made. If you are in Australia, you must hold an eligible substantive visa. Subclass 403 in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream, subclass 426, 485, 600, 601, 602, 651, 771, 988, and 995 (primary holder only) are excluded.
If you don't hold an eligible substantive visa, you can still apply in Australia 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.
Can your own children come with you?
Only in limited ways. 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. This applies even if those children are not travelling with you, and you cannot add children under 6 after you have submitted your application.
If a family member under 6 does meet the criteria and is granted a visa, it is valid only until their 6th birthday, after which they need their own Student visa. Children aged 6 or older can travel with you, but they must apply for their own Student visa.
For children who stay behind, you must make adequate arrangements for the accommodation, support and welfare of any non-migrating child of your family who is not coming to Australia, is under 18, and does not hold a Student visa. Arrangements are treated as adequate for children aged 6 to 18 if they will live with another parent or custodian, or with a relative who is at least 21. You need evidence of those 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 that the child will reside in their household, along with a copy of the guardian's passport bio-data page or a valid driver's licence showing the signature field.
What can you do once you have the visa?
You can come to Australia to provide care and support, care for more than one student, and 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. You cannot work.
You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you like while the visa is valid, but you cannot leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you have made alternative welfare arrangements. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa. If you need to stay longer, you apply for a further Student Guardian visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a grandparent apply as a student guardian?
Yes, but through the relative route. Grandparents and step-grandparents are on the list of relatives the Department accepts, so a grandparent must be at least 21 and be nominated in writing by a parent or a person who has custody of the student.
Can both parents apply for the visa at the same time?
The Department's criteria are written around providing care and support for the student, and a guardian can care for more than one student, but each applicant is assessed individually against the relationship, funds, health insurance and genuine temporary entrant criteria. Both parents would each need to satisfy the full set of requirements to be granted.
What if my child turns 18 while I am in Australia?
Your visa stays valid until the date specified in your grant letter, and the Department usually sets that date by reference to the student's stay or when the student turns 18. If you need to remain longer, you would need to apply for a further Student Guardian visa.
Does the 21-year-old age rule apply to parents too?
No. The age threshold and the written nomination attach to the relative route only. A parent, or a person who has custody of the student, does not need to be nominated in writing by anyone else under these criteria.
Is there a fixed visa fee I should budget for?
The Department's official page states the visa costs from an amount for the main applicant with concessions in limited circumstances, but no figure is published in that text, and there is also a charge for each family member applying with you. Budget separately for health checks, police certificates and biometrics, and use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for the current charge.
Can I work in Australia on this visa?
No. The Student Guardian visa does not allow work. Study is limited to ELICOS under 20 hours per week or other study or training of no more than 3 months.