This is a temporary visa. The length of your visa will be determined by the student visa holder’s stay and their age.
From AUD 1,600.00
Come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age, or older due to exceptional circumstances;
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa.
You can apply in Australia if you hold a substantive visa except for one of these:
Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. A family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia
Transit visa (subclass 771)
Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Sponsored Family stream or in the Approved Destination Status stream
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
You must be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and support to the student.
You must make adequate arrangements for the accommodation, support and welfare of any member of your family who:
We consider you have made adequate welfare arrangements for your children aged 6 to 18 years if they will be living with:
You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.
You must maintain adequate health cover for the whole of your stay if you are granted this visa. Your insurance should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport.
See a guide to what we consider adequate health insurance.
Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.
You must show us evidence that you have enough money to pay for your stay in Australia for meeting the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and in most cases, the student visa holder.
To see what you will need to provide go to Gather Documents in the ‘Step by Step’ tab.
If any member of your family unit has not turned 6, you cannot be granted the visa 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, you are 21 and if the student visa holder has not turned 18, the nomination is supported by a parent or someone with custody of the student
You must make adequate arrangements for the accommodation, support and welfare of any member of your family who:
is not coming with you to Australia
is under 18 years of age
does not have a Student visa
We consider you have made adequate welfare arrangements for your children aged 6 to 18 years if they will be living with:
another parent or custodian
a relative who is at least 21 years old
You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.
You must maintain adequate health cover for the whole of your stay if you are granted this visa. Your insurance should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport.
See a guide to what we consider adequate health insurance.
Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.
Reciprocal healthcare agreements
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.
You must only intend to:
stay temporarily in Australia
do the things you are allowed to do on this visa
You must have substantially complied with the conditions of the last substantive or subsequent bridging visa that you held.
When we assess whether you plan to stay in Australia temporarily we will consider:
your personal circumstances in your home country
your potential circumstances in Australia
your immigration history
anything else that relates to your plan to remain in Australia temporarily.
You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement
If you are a relative ot he student visa holder, you must meet our character requirement.
You must:
have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws
If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.
You might not be granted this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.
We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
You might need to organise health exams. See what to do if you want help with your application.
You don’t have to use a migration agent to apply for any visa. But if you want to, see how to find a registered migration agent.
Anyone can help you fill out forms or give you general help with your application. But you must let us know if you want someone to:
We need proof of your identity. If you cannot prove your identity:
we will refuse your visa application
we might not grant you another visa for 10 years
we might not grant any family members you listed on your application a visa for 10 years
Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
Also provide:
a national identity card, if you have one
proof of change of name
Documents that prove a change of name include:
a marriage or divorce certificate
change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
documents that show other names you have been known by
Provide completed Form 157N – Student guardianship arrangements (291KB PDF).
Your application will not be valid if you do not provide the completed form.
The living costs we ask you to declare and provide with your visa application indicate the cost of living in Australia. Actual living costs vary throughout Australia. We recommend you research the area you intend to live including the cost of living in that area
There are options to prove you have enough money for your stay.
Enough money to support yourself, the student visa holder(s) and any children who come to Australia with you
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
Alternatively, 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 AUD72,592 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply.
Provide evidence in the form of official government documents of personal income such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. We won’t accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.
Use the following information to work out how much money you need. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.
Living costs
12-month living costs are:
for students or guardians – AUD21,041
for a child under the age of 6 years coming with you – AUD3,152
Schooling costs
12 month 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 AUD8,296 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.
You must show you will have genuine access to funds while you are in Australia for:
meeting the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and in most cases, the student visa holder.
proving your financial capacity for the matters specified above
If someone else is providing you funds, give us:
evidence of your relationship with them
their identity documents
If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source.
You will need to provide evidence of adequate health insurance for you and your family members for the first 12 months of your stay in Australia.
This can be Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) premium or another health insurance product from Australia or your home country that provides a similar level of cover.
OVHC is available through several private and general insurers in Australia. However, the benefits available, membership costs and eligibility can vary between insurers.
Show proof that you are staying in Australia temporarily:
Write a personal statement addressing the Genuine Temporary Entry requirement. If you are not comfortable writing it in English, you can write your statement in your own language and submit a translated copy with your application.
In your written statement, provide evidence or information about circumstances in your home country, ties to your home country or country of residence and incentive to return. This could include:
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
We consider your personal circumstances when we make a decision. When we assess whether you are a genuine temporary entrant, we consider your situation as a whole.
Ministerial Direction 69 (52KB PDF) (52KB PDF) sets out a number of factors we take into account when determining if you meet the GTE requirement. It is not a checklist. We encourage you to read Ministerial Direction 69 before drafting your GTE statement.
If you are a relative of the student vida holder, 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.
We only accept complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. We do not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police.
Depending on your circumstances, we may ask you to 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.
For every dependant 6 years old or younger who is applying with you:
demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances or
provide written support from the government of your home country or a letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Also provide:
copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children
copies of the adoption paper, if applicable.
Parental responsibility documents
You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:
has a legal right to decide where the child lives and
is not coming to Australia with the child
They must complete either:
Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (240KB PDF)
a statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to visit Australia on this visa
Alternatively, you can show us:
an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or
that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate
Include:
an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence
adoption papers or other court documents if applicable
To nominate someone to:
See more about getting help with your application.
Have all non-English documents translated into English.
Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:
These details must be in English.
Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.
Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.
The scans and photos must be legible.
If a document is more than 1 page, save it all as 1 file.
Keep a copy of your completed application.
You must apply for this visa online. You should apply for your visa at least 6 weeks before the student’s course starts.
Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can’t prove your identity or don’t provide true information.
We will let you know when we have received your application and documents. See what you can and must do after you apply.
We can’t provide any further updates on your application. You can see if we have asked for more information in your ImmiAccount.
You do not have to tell us if you want to travel outside Australia while we process your application. This is because you can be outside Australia when we make a decision.
But if you leave Australia, make sure you have a valid visa to return.
You can’t leave Australia without the student visa holder unless you you have made alternative welfare arrangements.
Learn about visa expiry.
We will let you know if you need health examinations.
We might ask for biometrics (fingerprints and photo). We will let you know if you need to provide them.
If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as possible in ImmiAccount.
We might also ask you to provide more information.
If you are in Australia, make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while we process your application.
If you were in Australia when you applied for this visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the BVA will start. You can stay in Australia on the BVA while we process your new visa application. You cannot travel on the BVA – there is no right of return on this visa; it cancels on departure.
Do not get cancel your current visa cancelled. If you do, you will be in Australia unlawfully.
Learn more about visa expiry.
Let us know as soon as you can. If you do not tell us you made a mistake on your application, we might refuse it.
Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers (168KB PDF) and upload in ImmiAccount.
Let us know if you no longer want someone to:
receive your correspondence – complete Form 956a Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
provide immigration advice – complete Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (212KB PDF)
act for you – let us know in writing by uploading your advice in ImmiAccount
See more about withdrawing your nomination.
Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:
changes to your phone number, address or passport
changes to your marital or de facto status
the birth of a child
you want to withdraw your application
See how to tell us if your situation changes.
We will let you know in writing our decision about your visa application. If we grant you the visa, we will tell you:
your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions
Keep a copy of the decision with you when in Australia.
If we refuse your visa, we will tell you why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
We will not refund the application fee if we refuse your application.
Send us an enquiry today to get started on your visa application.
In order to visit or accompany a student visa (subclass 500) holder, you must be:
For this visa, a relative is the student’s:
Once granted this visa, you must be able to provide accommodation, general welfare, 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.
You are not allowed to work in Australia, and must provide evidence that you have enough money to pay for your stay in Australia for meeting the costs and expenses of yourself, your accompanying family members and in most cases, the student visa holder.
Student visa holders will need to declare the following costs and expenses for the first 12 months (pro-rated if the period of stay is less than 12 months) in Australia:
Living Costs
Student Guardian | AUD $21,041 for 12 months |
Main Student and Partner/ Spouse | AUD $7,362 for 12 months |
Children | AUD $3,152 for 12 months |
Travel Costs
Travel cost per person | AUD $2000 approx. (cost of the airfare to and from Australia) |
Course Fees
College or University Tuition Fees | Annual fees for 12 months, as per eCOE |
School costs for school-aged children (if applicable) | AUD $8,296 for 12 months (prorated where the period of stay in Australia is for less than 12 months. Divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia) |
You must demonstrate that you have genuine access to these funds during your period of stay in Australia. If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source.
Alternatively, you can declare that your spouse or de facto partner (who is not travelling to Australia) will support you and has an annual income of AUD72,592 or more in the 12 months immediately before you apply.
Provide evidence in the form of official government documents of personal income such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. The Department of Home Affairs will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.
Once granted, your student visa will come with a number of conditions you and any accompanying family members must abide by while in Australia, in order to continue holding this visa. Failure to maintain these conditions could result in a cancellation of the student visa for the main visa holder and all accompanying family members. The Department of Home Affairs provides a comprehensive list of the conditions commonly attached to this visa, specifically:
8101 – No Work | You must not work while in Australia. Work is performing an activity in Australia a person would normally be remunerated for. This could be payment or some other form of reward. These activities are not considered work:
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8502 – Not arrive before person specified in visa | You must not enter Australia before the person specified in the visa has entered Australia, i.e. the main student visa holder. |
8501 – Maintain adequate health insurance | You must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay in Australia. For more information on how this condition might apply to you see your visa details. |
8537 – Live with the student and provide for their accommodation, support and welfare | You must live in Australia while the nominating student is in Australia. While you and the nominating student are in Australia, you must:
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8538 – Not leave Australia without the student without the Department’s approval | You must not leave Australia without the student without the Department’s approval. If there is a change in your situation and you need to leave Australia without the student you are caring for (the nominating student), you must first provide evidence of:
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