590 Guardian Visa Application Process and Who Can Help in 2026

If you are organising a Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) for 2026 and want to know both how the application runs and who may lawfully help you, the Australian Department of Home Affairs Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) official page answers both, as of the August 2026 official page. In short: the visa must be applied for online and is best lodged at the same time as the student's application; if you appoint someone to give immigration assistance they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person, while you may appoint anyone to receive your documents as an authorised recipient; and those two roles are recorded on Form 956 and Form 956A respectively. This article describes the published framework as general information and is not personalised advice about your case; the official pages and any professional you engage remain the reference for your own situation.

Who is allowed to help with a subclass 590 application?

The Department's help framework starts from a restriction: only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance, that person must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. The official guidance also advises that, before you pay someone for help, you should read the Who can help with your visa application information, because paid immigration assistance is confined to those categories.

What is the difference between immigration assistance and receiving documents?

The two roles are separate. Providing immigration assistance is limited to the three categories above, whereas receiving documents and correspondence on your behalf is open to anyone you choose to appoint.

Role	Who may be appointed	Form to use
Give immigration assistance	A registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person	Form 956
Receive documents or correspondence on your behalf	Anyone you nominate	Form 956A

Both appointments are notified by uploading the written notification or the completed form to ImmiAccount. You do not need to use a migration agent to have a family member or friend receive your mail; you only need the restricted categories if that person is giving immigration assistance.

Which forms record that someone is helping you?

Two forms carry the appointment, and the same forms are used to end it:

Form 956 — Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person. Use this to appoint someone to provide immigration assistance, and also to withdraw that appointment if you no longer want that person providing immigration advice.
Form 956A — Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient. Use this to appoint someone to receive your correspondence, or to withdraw that person.

The forms, or a written notification, are uploaded to ImmiAccount. If your arrangements change after you apply, the Department expects you to use the relevant form again rather than simply telling the person to stop acting.

How do you apply, and when should the guardian application be lodged?

The application must be made online. The official steps are to log in or create an ImmiAccount, attach documents, and pay the application fee; the Department will not process the application until the fee is paid.

The page also says you should apply at the same time as the student. That sequencing matters because the guardian's purpose is to provide care and support to the student visa holder, and lodging together avoids a situation where the student's visa is decided before the guardian's arrangements are in place.

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. The official page lists visas that do not allow an in-Australia application, including the Visitor visa (subclass 600), Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601), Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602), eVisitor (subclass 651), Transit visa (subclass 771), Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988), Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426), the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403), and the Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) for the primary visa holder only.

If you do not hold one of those eligible substantive visas, you may still apply in Australia 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.

Which documents are mandatory, and what money figures apply?

A completed Form 157N – Student guardianship arrangements is mandatory: the application will not be valid if the completed form is not provided.

Identity documents are also required: the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details and passport issue and expiry dates; a national identity card if you have one; and proof of any change of name, such as a marriage or divorce certificate or change-of-name documents from the relevant registry or overseas authority. Documents in a language other than English must be translated into English, and you should provide both the translated and original versions.

On financial capacity, the page requires enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any accompanying children. The published figures are:

12-month living costs: AUD29,710 for you, and AUD4,449 for each child coming with you;
12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s), or pro rata fees if the course is less than 12 months;
schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year, per child, for children under 6 included in the application;
travel costs, for which the page gives a guide of $2000 per person.

Evidence of funds can include money deposits held in a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, or scholarship or financial support. If someone else is providing the funds, you must give evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents, and explain the source of any deposits.

As an alternative, you may show that your spouse or de facto partner, who is not travelling to Australia, will support you and has an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply. This must be evidenced by official government documents such as tax assessments that are less than 12 months old; bank statements and direct evidence from an employer are not accepted as evidence of annual income.

Other document streams include a written Genuine Temporary Entry statement, evidence of adequate health insurance for the first 12 months, police certificates where the character requirement applies, and, for dependants under 6, either a statement of compelling and compassionate circumstances or written support from the home government or the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Parental consent for an applicant under 18 is given either on Form 1229 or by statutory declaration.

What happens after you apply?

The Department will let you know when it has received your application and documents. For status updates, the page states you should not call if the application is within standard processing times, because no further progress updates can be given; you can check ImmiAccount to see whether more information has been requested.

You do not have to notify the Department if you travel outside Australia while the application is being processed, because you can be outside Australia when the decision is made. However, if you leave, you must make sure you hold a valid visa to return, and you cannot leave Australia without the student visa holder unless alternative welfare arrangements have been made.

The Department will tell you if health examinations or biometrics are needed. If you did not attach all documents when you applied, you should attach them as soon as possible in ImmiAccount, and the Department may also ask for more information.

If you were in Australia when you applied, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before a decision, the BVA starts and lets you stay lawfully while the new application is processed, but the BVA has no right of return and cancels on departure. You must also not let your current visa be cancelled. Mistakes on the application should be corrected as soon as possible by completing Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and uploading it in ImmiAccount; not disclosing a mistake may lead to refusal. Changes you must report include changes to phone number, address or passport, changes to marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and withdrawal of the application.

How are decisions, costs and refunds handled?

You will be told the decision in writing. If the visa is granted, you will be given the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and the visa conditions; you should keep a copy of the decision with you while in Australia. If the visa is refused, you will be told why and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

The application fee will not be refunded if the application is refused. For the amount, the official page directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator: it states the visa costs from the amount shown for the main applicant, with a charge for each family member who applies with you, and notes that other costs may apply for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. A lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application and hold a valid passport from one of the listed countries, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste; family members are also eligible for the lower cost based on the primary applicant's passport.

Processing times are shown in the visa processing time guide tool, which is a guide only and not specific to your application. An application may take longer if it is not filled in correctly, if documents are missing, or if the Department needs time to verify information. The Department cannot process the application if the correct visa application charge is not paid; it will notify you and, if necessary, return the application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a friend or relative who is not a registered migration agent help with the form?

Only some people can help with a subclass 590 application. If someone gives you immigration assistance, they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. You may, however, appoint anyone — including a friend or relative — to receive your documents and correspondence, which is done with Form 956A rather than Form 956.

What is the difference between Form 956 and Form 956A?

Form 956 appoints a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to provide immigration assistance, and is also used to withdraw that appointment. Form 956A appoints or withdraws an authorised recipient, who is the person allowed to receive your correspondence. Both are uploaded to ImmiAccount, and the same forms are reused if you later want to remove someone from either role.

Do I have to apply at the same time as the student?

The official page says you should apply at the same time as the student. The guardian visa exists to provide care and support to the student visa holder, so lodging together helps avoid the student's visa being decided before the guardian's application is in place. You can be in or outside Australia at the time of application and decision.

Is the application valid if Form 157N is missing?

No. The official page states that the application will not be valid if you do not provide the completed Form 157N – Student guardianship arrangements. It is a mandatory document rather than an optional attachment, so it should be prepared before the online application is lodged.

Will I get a refund if the 590 visa is refused?

No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. Costs already spent on health checks, police certificates or biometrics are also separate from the visa application charge and are not covered by that refund rule.

Can I apply while in Australia on a Visitor visa (subclass 600)?

No. The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is on the list of visas that prevent an in-Australia subclass 590 application. To apply in Australia you generally need an eligible substantive visa, or you must fit the 28-day pathways, such as applying within 28 days of holding a Student visa, a Special Purpose visa, or a dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa.

How much money do I need to show for living and schooling costs?

For a 12-month stay, the published figures are AUD29,710 in living costs for you and AUD4,449 for each accompanying child, plus 12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s) and a travel guide of $2000 per person. If you include a child under 6, schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year, per child, must be added. The alternative income pathway requires AUD102,500 or more for a non-travelling spouse or de facto partner, shown by official government tax assessments less than 12 months old.