Student Guardian Visa

With the introduction of the student guardian visa, parents and relatives may now be able to accompany overseas students to Australia for the specific purpose of providing for their care and welfare.

The student guardian visa will:

• Ensure that overseas students under 18 years of age have appropriate care and welfare arrangements in place during their stay in Australia; and

• allow, in very limited circumstances, for a student guardian to provide appropriate care and welfare arrangements for a student aged 18 years or over.

The student guardian visa will allow an overseas student’s parent or relative to remain in Australia for the entire period that they are required to be here to provide for the student’s welfare. For students under 18 years of age, the student guardian’s visa length will generally be linked with the year of the student’s 18th birthday.

The student guardian visa replaces the existing practice of coming to Australia on a long-stay visitor visa, which usually required the person to leave Australia every 11 months.
Generally, a student guardian must be a relative of the student who nominates them. A non-relative may only accompany a student to Australia on a student guardian visa if the grant of the visa is in the interests of Australia’s bilateral relations with the government of another country.

The student guardian will be expected to live with the student while in Australia, and must not leave without the student unless appropriate alternative arrangements are first put in place.