Key takeaways
- Students under 18 need approved welfare arrangements covering their stay until they turn 18: a CAAW letter from the provider, a guardian nominated on Form 157N, or a special case such as secondary exchange.
- The minimum CAAW period is the CoE period plus 7 days, or until the student turns 18, and the student must not enter Australia before the welfare start date.
- Every applicant under 18 needs Form 1229 parental consent and a birth certificate showing both parents’ names.
- The subclass 590 Student Guardian visa does not permit work, allows only limited study, and does not permit leaving Australia without the student unless approved alternative welfare is arranged.
- Schooling costs of at least AUD 13,502 per child per year must be evidenced, alongside AUD 29,710 in living costs for the student.
- Australian schooling spans 13 years and ends with a senior secondary certificate and an ATAR used for university entry.
In this article
- What changes when the student is under 18?
- What exactly are welfare arrangements?
- When do welfare arrangements start, and how long must they last?
- What if the student turns 18 before arriving in Australia?
- Parental consent: Form 1229
- The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
- The three routes compared
- How does the Australian school system work?
- What does it cost?
- When is a foundation program the simpler route?
- Practical steps
- Your next step
A student under 18 can study in Australia, but with one non-negotiable extra condition: approved welfare arrangements covering the whole period of stay until they turn 18 — either a welfare letter issued by their education provider or a nominated guardian. Applicants must also be at least 6 years old, and their parents must consent in writing Department of Home Affairs.
What changes when the student is under 18?
The Student visa (subclass 500) is the same visa at every age, but a minor’s file adds three elements: parental consent, evidence of welfare arrangements, and documents proving the family relationship. Applicants must be 6 years or older, and the department states that a visa might not be granted if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18 Department of Home Affairs.
What exactly are welfare arrangements?
If the student will be under 18 while in Australia, they must take one of these routes Department of Home Affairs:
Route one: a CAAW letter from the education provider
The school or provider approves the student’s accommodation and welfare arrangements, issues a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter, and advises the department of the welfare start and end dates.
Route two: nominating a guardian using Form 157N
A guardian is nominated in writing using Form 157N attached to the application. They must be the student’s parent, a person with custody, or a relative aged 21 or older nominated in writing — and "relative" is limited to a parent or step-parent, grandparent or step-grandparent, sibling or step-sibling, and aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle. The guardian must hold Australian citizenship, a permanent visa, or a substantive temporary visa covering the student’s stay or until they turn 18; they may also have applied for or hold a subclass 590 visa.
The nomination is supported by Form 157N, proof of relationship, a police certificate for every country the guardian has lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years since turning 16 (if not the parent or legal custodian), a passport copy, and evidence of residency if they already hold a substantive visa.
Route three: special cases
Secondary exchange students provide an AASES form, and Foreign Affairs or Defence students obtain approval from the relevant Minister Department of Home Affairs.
When do welfare arrangements start, and how long must they last?
This is where most mistakes happen. The published rules:
- Welfare arrangements must remain in place until the student turns 18, even if they turn 18 before the course starts.
- Where the education provider approves the arrangements, the minimum period on the CAAW letter is the same period as the Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), plus 7 days after the end of enrolment or until the student turns 18.
- The student must not enter Australia before the welfare start date. This is a visa condition, and breaching it may lead to cancellation.
- Welfare arrangements must not be changed without written approval from the education provider.
- If the student is enrolled with more than one provider, there must be no gap between the welfare dates.
The department recommends the provider take responsibility for welfare at least a week before the course starts.
What if the student turns 18 before arriving in Australia?
In that case welfare arrangements are not required, but the student must complete questions 1 to 8 of Form 157N, have a parent or legal custodian sign it, and attach it to the application. Form 1229 is still required Department of Home Affairs.
Parental consent: Form 1229
Every applicant under 18 must provide Form 1229 — Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 — or a statutory declaration from each parent or legal guardian; if consent from both cannot be provided, evidence of sole custody is required. The file also needs the student’s birth certificate showing the parents’ names (a ceremonial or notarial certificate is not sufficient) and identity documents showing the signature and photo of whoever completed the form Department of Home Affairs.
The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
If the family decides that a parent or relative will accompany the student, the route is the Student Guardian visa (subclass 590). Its main features Department of Home Affairs:
- It is granted to the student’s parent, a person with custody, or a relative aged 21 or older.
- The holder may care for more than one student.
- They may study an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) for less than 20 hours per week, or any other study or training for no more than 3 months. They cannot work.
- The visa length is normally set by the student’s stay or by when the student turns 18.
- They must show sufficient funds for themselves, the student and any accompanying family, adequate health insurance, and the ability to provide accommodation and support.
- The visa will not be granted if any family member is under 6, except for compelling or compassionate reasons; children aged 6 and over need their own Student visa.
- The holder cannot leave Australia without the student unless approved alternative welfare arrangements are in place.
If the guardian must travel
Before departing, the guardian must show a compelling and compassionate reason and alternative welfare arrangements for the student until they return, with a new Form 157N, a school letter endorsing the change, and documents for the new guardian. If the alternative arrangements are unsuitable, the guardian cannot leave, and failure to maintain adequate welfare may lead to cancellation of both visas Department of Home Affairs.
The three routes compared
| Route | Who carries welfare responsibility | Core requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAAW letter from the provider | The school or education provider | Provider approval of accommodation and welfare | Covers the CoE period + 7 days, or until the student turns 18 |
| Nominated resident guardian | A parent or a relative aged 21 or older | Form 157N, proof of relationship, police certificate where required | Requires a valid residence status in Australia |
| Student Guardian visa 590 | A parent or relative arriving from overseas | Financial evidence, health insurance, capacity to support | No work, limited study, no travel without the student |
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — welfare arrangements and Student Guardian visa 590.
How does the Australian school system work?
A complete Australian school education spans 13 years: pre-school (ages 3–5), primary (Foundation and years 1–6), secondary (years 7–10) and senior secondary (years 11–12). At the end of years 11 and 12 students sit exams and receive a senior secondary certificate and an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), which universities use for entry Study Australia.
School types include government and non-government (private or independent) schools, faith-based schools, and schools built around particular educational philosophies; some offer the International Baccalaureate, whose scores convert into ATARs. Schools also provide international student coordinators, welfare teams, counsellors, English as an additional language (EAL) support and homestay requirements Study Australia.
International programs in government schools are run by a state body. In Queensland, the registered provider holds CRICOS provider code 00608A and requires overseas students under 18 to live with a parent, relative, legal custodian or accommodation it has approved, with the school issuing the CAAW letter for approved homestay Queensland Government.
What does it cost?
| Item | Amount (AUD) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Schooling costs to evidence per child, per year | at least 13,502 | Department of Home Affairs |
| Annual living costs for the student | 29,710 | Department of Home Affairs |
| Annual living costs for an accompanying partner | 10,394 | Department of Home Affairs |
| Annual living costs per accompanying child | 4,449 | Department of Home Affairs |
| Student visa application charge | 2,500 | Study Australia |
These are minimums for visa purposes, not actual costs: school fees vary between states, territories and schools, and the department states that you are responsible for finding out what your child’s schooling will cost Department of Home Affairs.
When is a foundation program the simpler route?
If your child is close to finishing secondary school in Saudi Arabia, waiting until graduation and entering a university foundation program can be simpler than moving them into an Australian school as a minor. Swinburne’s Foundation Program, for instance, costs AUD 32,200 in total for 2026 Swinburne University. One caution: if the program starts before they turn 18, the welfare requirement still applies. To see what the Saudi scholarship covers at these stages, read our guides to the scholarship tracks and the Arruaad track (both in Arabic).
Practical steps
- Decide the route: a government or private school, or a foundation program if secondary school is complete.
- Choose a provider registered on the CRICOS register CRICOS, and ask from your very first message: do you issue CAAW letters?
- Settle welfare before anything else: a CAAW from the school, a resident guardian via Form 157N, or a subclass 590 application lodged at the same time as the student’s.
- Prepare Form 1229 signed by both parents, the birth certificate showing their names, and identity documents.
- Check that the CAAW dates match the CoE dates, and that the flight lands after the welfare start date, never before.
- Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the student and for the accompanying guardian if there is one.
- Lodge the visa application with financial evidence covering schooling, living and travel costs.
Your next step
All of this turns on one question: who is responsible for your child in Australia, and from which day? Settle that first — with a written letter from the school or a nominated guardian — then build the rest of the file on it. For help choosing a provider and organising documents, register your details with us or read how we work.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, on the same Student visa (subclass 500), provided they are at least 6 years old, have approved welfare arrangements covering their stay until they turn 18, and their parents consent in writing.
It is a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare letter, issued by the education provider after it approves the student’s accommodation and welfare arrangements, with the welfare start and end dates advised to the department. Its minimum period is the CoE period plus 7 days, or until the student turns 18.
The student’s parent, a person with custody, or a relative aged 21 or older nominated in writing. Relative is limited to a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle and their step equivalents, and the guardian’s visa status must cover the student’s stay.
It allows a parent or relative to come to Australia to care for the student. It does not permit work, allows ELICOS study of less than 20 hours a week or other study of up to 3 months, and its length is normally tied to the student’s stay or to when the student turns 18.
After the welfare start date stated on the CAAW letter, never before. Arriving earlier breaches a visa condition and may lead to cancellation.
The department requires evidence of schooling costs of at least AUD 13,502 per child per year, plus living and travel costs. These are minimums for visa purposes; actual fees vary between states, territories and schools.
Welfare arrangements are then not required, but they must complete questions 1 to 8 of Form 157N, have a parent or custodian sign it and attach it to the application. Form 1229 is still required.
Not unless approved alternative welfare arrangements are in place, supported by a compelling or compassionate reason, a new Form 157N and a letter from the school. If the alternative arrangements are unsuitable, the guardian cannot leave.
Official sources
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia
- Welfare and custody arrangements for students under 18 — Department of Home Affairs, Australia
- Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia
- Schools — Study Australia
- Student Visa Application Charge increase — Study Australia
- International student programs — schools — Queensland Government
- Fees for international students — Swinburne University of Technology
- CRICOS register — Australian Government
Ready to start?
KD International helps you choose a university, prepare your admission and visa file, and answers your questions about Saudi scholarships and studying in Australia. Apply now or message us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
