Underage Students

A parent, legal guardian or suitable relative can apply for a Student Guardian visa. You will need to submit the Nomination of a student guardian form 157N when applying for the student visa.

For this option, a relative is a:

• parent or step-parent
• grandparent or step-grandparent
• sibling or step-sibling
• aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle

For full details, please refer to Welfare and custody arrangements for students under 18

For this option, Hawthorn-Melbourne does not need to issue a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter.

If you do not have a suitable relative to care for your child in Melbourne, you can nominate Hawthorn-Melbourne as the official guardian. This option is only available to students aged 14 – 18 years.

For this option, Hawthorn-Melbourne will place your child with one of our registered host families. We will issue a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter. You must present the CAAW letter to the DHA when you apply for the student visa.

The CAAW will start 7 days before your child is scheduled to start their course at Hawthorn-Melbourne. It will end 7 days after the enrolment end date or on your child’s 18th birthday, depending which comes first. The DHA will issue your child’s visa according to the CAAW dates. Your child must not enter Australia before the welfare arrangements start.

If your child is planning to study at another institution after Hawthorn-Melbourne, you may need multiple CAAW letters. There cannot be a gap in the CAAW dates.

If you choose this option, Hawthorn-Melbourne will initiate the process to register your friend or family member as a homestay host. This option is only available to students aged 14 – 18 years.

The friend/family member must meet our host family requirements. That is, they must:

• be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia over 21 years of age
• have a good level of English
• allow us to visit the family home prior to the student moving in
• provide the student with a suitable room and furnishings
• communicate with us about the welfare and academic progress of the student
• present Police Checks and Working With Children Checks to us for each person in the home over the age of 18 years.

The process of applying for Police Checks and Working With Children Checks can take some time. We recommend your friend or family member starts this process early.

They can contact our accommodation office for a Host Registration Pack to be emailed to them.

There is some extra work involved in this option and an additional Host Registration Fee is payable.

If the friend/family member meets our requirements, we will issue a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter. You must present the letter to the DHA when you apply for the student visa.

The CAAW will start 7 days before your child is scheduled to start their course at Hawthorn-Melbourne. It will end 7 days after the enrolment end date or on your child’s 18th birthday, depending which comes first. The DHA will issue your child’s visa according to the CAAW dates. Your child must not enter Australia before the welfare arrangements start.

If your child is planning to study at another institution after Hawthorn-Melbourne, you may need multiple CAAW letters. There cannot be a gap in the CAAW dates.

If your friend or family member does not meet the requirements above, we will place your child with one of our registered host families. All our hosts for students under 18 must meet the requirements above, so you can be confident your child’s welfare will be looked after.