Proving Funds for a 590 Student Guardian Visa Application in 2026

For a Subclass 590 Student Guardian visa in 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs accepts money deposits held within a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, or scholarship/financial support as evidence of funds; deposit evidence must be accompanied by an explanation of the source of the money, and the alternative spouse-income path must be evidenced by official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old, because bank statements and direct evidence from an employer are not accepted. This follows the Department of Home Affairs’ official Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) page, in the “Step 2: Gather your documents” material, as of the August 2026 official page. This article is general information only and does not constitute personalised professional advice; for your situation, rely on the official Home Affairs information or advice from a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

What evidence of funds does the Department accept for a 590 visa?

The official page lists three accepted forms of funds evidence: money deposits held within a financial institution, loans from a financial institution and/or government, and scholarship or financial support. Whichever type you rely on, you must show you will have genuine access to the funds while you are in Australia for the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and, in most cases, the student visa holder, and you must prove your financial capacity for those matters.

Evidence of funds	What the official page requires	What to prepare with it
Money deposits held within a financial institution	Accepted; if you provide deposit evidence, explain the source of the deposits.	A written source explanation; if someone else provided the money, evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents.
Loan from a financial institution and/or government	Accepted as evidence of funds.	Show genuine access to the loan money in Australia; the Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 material published on the Federal Register of Legislation also refers to a loan’s purpose, repayment capacity and whether the funds have been drawn, so defer to the Department’s current guidance on those points.
Scholarship or financial support	Accepted as evidence of funds.	Identify the sponsor and the support; if a third party is involved, relationship and identity evidence.
Non-travelling spouse or de facto partner income	Alternative: the spouse or de facto partner must have an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply.	Official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old; bank statements and direct evidence from an employer are not accepted.

How much money do you need to be able to show?

The official page says the living costs you must declare and provide indicate the cost of living in Australia, while actual living costs vary throughout Australia, so it recommends researching the area where you intend to live. You need enough money to pay for:

travel costs for you and the student visa holder(s), with AUD2,000 per person given as a guide;
12 months of course fees for the student visa holder(s), or pro-rata fees if the course is less than 12 months;
12 months of living costs for you, the student visa holder(s) and accompanying family members, or pro-rata living costs if the stay is less than 12 months — the published figures are AUD29,710 for you and AUD4,449 for each child coming with you;
school fees for school-age children who accompany you, or pro-rata fees if the child will be at school for less than 12 months.

For schooling costs, the official page adds that if you include a child under 6 years old in the application, you must add at least AUD13,502 per year, per child, and that costs vary between states, territories and schools; you are responsible for finding out how much schooling will actually cost. For pro-rata calculations, the page instructs you to divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.

Do deposits need a source explanation, and who can be a financial supporter?

Yes. If you provide evidence of deposits of money, the official page states you must explain their source. It also says only certain people are acceptable in terms of providing you with financial support, and if someone else is providing you funds, you must give evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents.

The Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 material published on the Federal Register of Legislation indicates that funds are normally expected to be in the name of the applicant, spouse or parents, that third-party funds are generally not accepted, and that non-cash assets such as property are not treated as available funds. Where that material and the Home Affairs visa page differ, or to confirm the current rules, the Department’s current published guidance applies.

Assume an applicant submits a large deposit made shortly before applying: the source of that deposit must be explained, and if the money came from a relative rather than the applicant, spouse or parent, relationship and identity evidence is required.

Can a loan from a financial institution be used, and what does “genuine access” mean?

Loans from a financial institution and/or government are listed as an accepted form of evidence of funds. “Genuine access” means you must show you will have access to the funds while you are in Australia for the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and, in most cases, the student visa holder, and that you can prove financial capacity for those matters. For a loan, this generally means evidence that the loan exists and that the money is available to you; the Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 material published on the Federal Register of Legislation also refers to examining a loan’s purpose, repayment capacity and whether the funds have been drawn, so check the Department’s current guidance when preparing loan documents.

If my spouse is not travelling, how does the income option work?

The official page gives an alternative: you can show that your spouse or de facto partner, who is not travelling to Australia, will support you. They must have an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply, and you must provide evidence of that personal income. The evidence must be in the form of official government documents, such as tax assessments that are less than 12 months old; the Department says it will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer as evidence of annual income. This path is an alternative way to show financial capacity, and it does not remove the need to cover the required travel, course-fee, living-cost and schooling costs where they apply.

Where does funds evidence sit in preparing your documents?

Funds evidence is part of Step 2: Gather your documents on the official page, alongside identity documents, the completed Form 157N (Student guardianship arrangements), the Genuine Temporary Entry statement, health insurance evidence, police certificates and other items depending on your circumstances. The official page states that the application will not be valid without a completed Form 157N, and that you must provide accurate information — if you cannot prove identity or do not give true information, the visa can be refused and further visas may be refused for 10 years. Funds documents should therefore be prepared as part of a complete, accurate Step 2 package, using the Department’s published amounts and evidence rules as at the time you apply; amounts and rules should be confirmed against the official page current at that time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What annual income must a non-travelling spouse show for a 590 application?

The spouse or de facto partner must have an annual income of AUD102,500 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply. You must provide evidence of that personal income in the form of official government documents, such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. Bank statements and direct evidence from an employer are not accepted for this purpose.

Are bank statements accepted as proof of spouse income?

No. The Department of Home Affairs states it will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer as evidence of annual income. You need official government documents, such as tax assessments that are less than 12 months old.

Do I need to explain the source of my savings?

Yes. If you provide evidence of deposits of money, the official page requires you to explain their source. If someone else provided the funds, you must also give evidence of your relationship with them and their identity documents.

Can a bank loan be used as funds evidence for a 590 visa?

Yes — loans from a financial institution and/or government are accepted as evidence of funds. You must still show genuine access to the money while in Australia, and the Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 material published on the Federal Register of Legislation also refers to a loan’s purpose, repayment capacity and whether the funds have been drawn, so rely on the Department’s current guidance for document detail.

What are the published living-cost amounts for a 590 applicant?

The official page sets 12-month living costs at AUD29,710 for you and AUD4,449 for each child coming with you. For stays of less than 12 months, the annual amount is divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of days you intend to stay. Travel costs are listed as a guide of about AUD2,000 per person, and course fees and schooling costs are additional.

What schooling cost applies if I include a child under 6?

If you include a child under 6 years old in the application, you must add schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year for that child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools, and the official page says you are responsible for finding out how much schooling will actually cost.