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Student and Student Guardian Visa
Student Visas
Student visas are intended for persons aged 6 years or older wishing to undertake full-time study in a 'registered course' or in units of a registered course (whether or not the course leads to the grant of an award) and secondary school exchange students.
The requirements for Student visas depend on your Assessment Level. You can find your Assessment level at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/assessment-levels.pdf .
If you are an Assessment Level 1 student you will receive express service if you apply for your visa online (eVisa).
All Thai students aged 6 years or older are Assessment Level 1. (Exceptions: subclass 570- Independent ELICOS and subclass 572- Vocational Education and Training, subclass 576 AusAID/Defence)
For information on detailed requirements for Student visa applications and how to apply please see the http://www.immi.gov.au/students/
Please see below for information sheets on how to apply for a student visa in Thailand.
Student Guardian Visa
Students under 18 years of age or who have physical or cultural requirements for an adult companion to accompany them to Australia may apply for a parent, legal custodian or relative to accompany them as a student guardian.
Who can be a Student Guardian?
A student guardian must:
• be a relative of the applicant
• be over 21 years of age and of good character, and
• meet health and financial requirements.
Except in exceptional circumstances, a student guardian must be related to the applicant in one of the following ways:
• spouse
• child
• adopted child
• parent
• brother or sister
• step-child
• step-parent
• step-brother or step-sister
• grandparent
• grandchild
• aunt or uncle
• niece or nephew
• step-grandparent
• step-grandchild
• step-aunt or step-uncle
• step-niece or step-nephew.
Student Guardian Requirements
Student guardian applicants must meet the:
- general requirements for a student visa and must arrange for Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC), not Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC);
- financial requirements related to the nominating student; and
- character requirements by obtaining a police clearance from each country in which you have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years
(Character Requirements - Penal Clearance Certificates)
In addition:
- A person who has a dependent child under 6 years of age is only able to be granted a student guardian visa if:
- the child under 6 would be subject to assessment level 1 or 2 for a Schools Sector visa; and
- there are compassionate and compelling reasons for granting the visa.
- A student guardian may only include a child in their visa application in very limited circumstances. To be granted a student guardian visa as a family member, the child must be:
- under 6 years of age; and
- hold a passport that would make them subject to assessment level 1 or 2 for a Schools Sector visa. There must also be compassionate and compelling reasons for granting the visa. Other family members cannot be granted a student guardian visa.
- If a person intends to be the student guardian of more than one student while in Australia, they must notify the department when they apply which student they would like their visa linked to.
Student Guardian Visa Conditions
The following list describes the conditions that will generally be attached to a student guardian visa.
- No work
- No study for more than three months
- Must maintain approved overseas visitor health cover
- Cannot apply for any other Australian visa while in Australia except for:
- an extension of the student guardian visa, or
- to engage Australia's obligations under the 1951 UN convention relating to the status of refugees - Continue to meet the requirements for a student guardian visa
- Must live with the student who has nominated you and, if the student is under 18 years of age, provide appropriate accommodation, welfare and general support
- Must not leave Australia without either:
- taking the nominating student with you, or
- notifying the department before your departure that you have made appropriate arrangements for the student's accommodation, welfare and general support in your absence and (if the student is under 18 years of age) obtaining written approval for the changed arrangements from the student's education provider
Different conditions apply to dependent children who are granted a Student Guardian visa.
How to apply
Important:
If the student nominating a guardian is subject to assessment level 2, 3, 4 or 5 the guardian should apply for their first Student Guardian visa outside Australia. If they apply in Australia, they will be required to demonstrate exceptional reasons for granting the visa in Australia.
The applicant should:
1. Read the information in Form 1234i, Applying for a Student Guardian Visa.
2. Have the student's parent or legal custodian complete Form 157N, Nomination of a Student Guardian.
3. Complete Form 157G, Application for a Student Guardian Visa.
4. If applying:
- outside Australia, lodge the application at the same time and place as the nominating student.
- outside Australia and the nominating student is already in Australia, lodge the application at the Australian Embassy, Bangkok.
- inside Australia for an extension of a current student guardian visa, lodge the application at the nearest DIAC office.
Please see below for information sheets on how to apply for a student guardian visa in Thailand.
For more information on Student Guardian visas please visit http://www.immi.gov.au/students/student_guardians/