Student Guardian Visa Introduction
Student Guardian Visa is a temporary visa which allows parents and other legal guardians of international student, Student visa (subclass 500) holder to stay in Australia with them in order to provide accommodation, welfare, and support to them while they study. The length of the stay depends on the student visa holder’s stay, when that student turns 18 or whether they were in exceptional circumstances. You can include members of the family unit in your application.
According to the information released by the Department; this visa enables you to
- Come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age (or over 18 in exceptional circumstances)
- Care for more than one student
- 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
To be eligible to apply this Visa, you must
- be the student’s parent, custodian or relative
- at least 21 years or older
- have enough money to support yourself and the student during your stay
- provide accommodation, general welfare and support to the student
Include family
You cannot be granted this visa if any member of your family has not turned 6 years old, except
- there are compelling and compassionate reasons or
- the granting the visa would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and the government of another country. (If this is the case, you must be at least 21 years of age and must have written support from your parent or guardian.)
Children six years old or older can come with you but they must apply for their own student visa.
Financial requirement
There are two options to prove that you have enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any children who come to Australia with you.
Option 1: You need to have enough money to pay for:
- Travel for you and the student visa holder(s)
- 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s)
- 12 months specified annual living costs for you
- 12 months of living costs for the student visa holder(s) and accompanying family members
- school fees for school-age children who accompany you
Option 2: you can show us that your spouse or de facto partner who is not travelling to Australia will support you and has an annual income of AUD70,000 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply.
Work out how much money you need
You need to calculate the pro rata costs then divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.
Please read the guide below provided by the Department.
| Living costs |
| 12-month living costs are: for students or guardians – AUD20,290 for a child under the age of 6 years coming with you – AUD3,040 Schooling costs 12 months course fees for the student visa holder(s) or pro-rata if less than 12 months. If you are including school-age children (under 6 years) in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD8,000 per year per child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools in Australia – you are responsible for finding out how much the child’s schooling will cost. |
| Travel Costs |
| As a guide, allow $2000 per person. |
However, the following conditions might be attached to this visa:
Condition 8101
You cannot work in Australia and must not do work that a person would normally get paid for. Unless, it is a volunteering, doing work online for your job in your home country, studying in a university outside Australia etc. If your situation changes after you arrive in Australia, you must submit to the Department about your condition.
- your financial hardship,
- you or your family member is likely to need the government’s help
- you have compelling personal reasons to work in Australia such as a serious accident or illness
- for reasons that you cannot change, you or your immediate family cannot return home
- you have no choice but to work in Australia
Condition 8106
The holder must engage in work in Australia only if the work is relevant to the conduct of the business, or specified in the visa application
Condition 8501
You must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay in Australia.
Condition 8516
You must continue to satisfy the criteria of this visa.
Condition 8534
While you are in Australia, we will not grant you a new substantive visa, other than:
- a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa, or
- a Subclass 590 (Student Guardian) visa, or
- a Protection Visa
Condition 8534
You must live in Australia while the nominating student is in Australia, you must
- stay with them
- provide them with appropriate accommodation
- support them
- provide for their general welfare
Condition 8534
You must not leave Australia without the student without approval. You could waive this condition if you have
- compassionate and compelling reasons (unforeseen) for leaving Australia without the student
- made alternative arrangements for the student’s accommodation, support and general welfare until you return
- if the student is under 18, their education provider has approved the alternative arrangements
Student Guardian Visa Relationship
You must be
- the parent of the student visa holder, or
- a person who has custody of the student, or
- a relative of the student, aged 21 years or older, nominated in writing by a parent or person who has custody of the student
You will provide care and support for:
- a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age or
- a student visa holder who is 18 years of age or older and needs care and support due to exceptional circumstances
For this visa, a relative is the student’s:
- parent or step-parent
- grandparent or step-grandparent
- sibling or stepsibling
- aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
- niece, nephew or step-niece or step-nephew
- partner
- child or stepchild
Student Guardian Visa Checklist
- Identity documents
- Current Passport
- A national identity card and proof of change of name, if you have one
- Form 157N -Student guardianship arrangements
- Evidence you have enough money for your stay
- Evidence in the form of official government documents of personal income such as tax assessments less than 12 months old
- Evidence you have genuine access to the money
- Evidence of your relationship with your sponsor and their identity documents
- Health insurance for the first 12 months of your stay, it could be Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC)
- Personal statement addressing the Genuine Temporary Entry requirement, including
- Evidence of immediate family members in your home country
- Your visa or residence status in your home country and your right to return
- Proof of property or other significant assets in your home country
- A return air ticket
- A letter from your employer confirming your leave
- Character documents
- Disclosure National Police Certificate
Student Guardian Visa Application Process
Step 1: Organise health exams
Step 2: Prepare your documents
Step 3: lodge this visa online via ImmiAccount and pay the legal fee You should apply for this visa at least 6 weeks before the student’s course starts
Step 4: The Department could request further document due to deficient information If you made a mistake on your application, you may need to complete Form 1023 Notification of Incorrect answers.
Step 5: Visa outcome
Student Guardian Visa Estimate Costs
The visa costs from AUD 1600 for the main applicant.（Update date：2025.01）
Student Guardian Visa Processing Time
- 50% of applications: 32 Days
- 90% of applications: 5 Months
（Update date：2025.01）
Student Guardian Visa Frequently Asked Question
- Student Guardian Visa refusal
- You will be informed of reasons for the refusal and of your appeal rights to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
- What if I want to stay longer?
- You can stay in Australia by applying for a further Student Guardian visa.
