CHILD STUDENT VISA

The UK Child Student Visa is for children aged between 4 and 17 who wish to study at an independent school in the UK that holds the appropriate student sponsor licence. The route replaced the former Tier 4 (Child) category.

A Child Student applicant must have an unconditional offer of a place on an eligible course, supported by a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). They must also satisfy requirements relating to their age, finances, parental consent and arrangements for their care and accommodation in the UK.

The care requirements are particularly important. Depending on the child’s circumstances, they may board at their school, live with a qualifying close relative or private foster carer, live with a parent who has permission as a Parent of a Child Student or, if aged 16 or 17, live independently. Different documentary and financial requirements apply to these arrangements.

A person who is aged 16 or 17 and wishes to study an appropriate course at or above RQF level 3 or SCQF level 6 at an independent school may potentially apply either as a Child Student or under the separate Student route. The most appropriate route will depend on the proposed course and the applicant’s circumstances.

1. Requirements for a UK Child Student Visa

In order to qualify for a UK Child Student Visa, an applicant will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• they are aged between 4 and 17 on the date of application;
• they have an unconditional offer of a place on an eligible course at an independent school that holds a valid student sponsor licence;
• they have been issued with a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies;
• appropriate arrangements are in place for their care, living arrangements and, where applicable, guardianship while they are in the UK;
• they have the required consent from their parent or legal guardian;
• they satisfy the applicable financial requirement;
• if aged 16 or 17, they are a genuine student;
• they satisfy any applicable tuberculosis testing requirement;
• they do not fall for refusal under the suitability provisions of the Immigration Rules; and
• they otherwise meet the requirements of Appendix Child Student.

The Child Student route operates under a points-based framework. An applicant must obtain the required points for study and financial requirements, but satisfying the points requirement does not remove the need to comply with the route’s validity, suitability and other eligibility requirements.

The precise evidence required will depend on the child’s age, nationality, previous UK immigration history, school, course, funding arrangements and proposed living arrangements.

2. Who Can Apply for a Child Student Visa?

Age Requirement

An applicant must be at least 4 years old and under 18 years old on the date of application.

A person who is already 18 cannot make a new application under the Child Student route and will normally need to consider the Student route or another appropriate immigration category instead. 

Child Student or Student Visa for 16- and 17-Year-Olds?

There is an overlap between the Child Student and Student routes for some applicants aged 16 or 17.

A 16- or 17-year-old studying at an independent school on an appropriate course at or above RQF level 3 or SCQF level 6 may potentially qualify under either route. 

The two routes are not interchangeable. They contain different requirements concerning matters such as the sponsoring institution, permitted courses, financial arrangements and conditions of stay. The appropriate route should therefore be considered before the school assigns a CAS and before the immigration application is prepared.

3. Independent School and Course Requirements

A Child Student must have an unconditional offer of a place with a licensed student sponsor that is an independent school.

The course for which the CAS is assigned must fall within one of the categories permitted by Appendix Child Student. Broadly, this includes a course:

• taught in accordance with the National Curriculum;
• taught in accordance with the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), provided it is not a prohibited foundation course intended to prepare the Child Student for entry to a higher education provider;
• accepted as being of equivalent academic status by the relevant educational inspectorate; or
• provided in accordance with prevailing independent-school education inspection standards.

A Child Student may also undertake an eligible pre-sessional course in preparation for their main course. A single CAS can cover a combined pre-sessional course and main course where the Immigration Rules are satisfied.

A Child Student cannot use the route for a foundation programme designed to prepare them for direct entry to a higher education provider. Home Office caseworker guidance also provides that a Child Student under 16 cannot undertake an English-language course under the route. 

The school must continue to hold the appropriate sponsor licence when the application is decided.

4. Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, usually referred to as a CAS, is an electronic record assigned by the licensed school rather than a paper certificate.

The CAS contains a unique reference number and records information relevant to the application, including information about the applicant, school, course, fees, accommodation and payments already made.

For a Child Student application:

• the CAS must have been issued no more than six months before the date of application;
• it must have been assigned by an independent school holding a valid sponsor licence;
• the school must not have withdrawn its offer;
• the CAS must contain the information needed to establish that the course requirements are satisfied; and
• it must not ordinarily have been used in a previous application that was granted or refused.

A CAS may potentially have been relied upon in an earlier application that was rejected as invalid, withdrawn or treated as void without preventing its subsequent use, subject to the Immigration Rules and its continuing validity.

Parents should check the CAS carefully before the application is submitted. Errors concerning the child’s personal details, course, fees, payments or accommodation can affect the immigration application and should normally be raised with the school before filing.

5. Child Student Care, Living and Guardianship Arrangements

The Home Office must be satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in place for the Child Student’s care, living arrangements and, where applicable, guardianship while the child is in the UK.

This is a substantive immigration requirement. It should not be treated merely as a question of providing an address.

The permitted arrangement will depend on the child’s age and circumstances. 

Boarding at an Independent School

A Child Student may undertake full, weekly or flexi boarding at a residential independent school.

Where a child will not remain at school throughout all non-school periods, appropriate arrangements must also exist for periods when they are not boarding.

Depending on the circumstances, a boarding Child Student may stay during such periods with:

• a nominated guardian, for a period of less than 28 continuous days;
• a qualifying private foster carer;
• a qualifying close relative;
• a parent who has permission as a Parent of a Child Student; or
• in appropriate circumstances, elsewhere consistently with the permitted care arrangements.

Child Students may return home during holidays, stay with a parent who is visiting the UK, remain at an appropriately staffed school, attend a school trip or spend a weekend with a friend with parental or guardian consent.

Living With a Nominated Guardian

A nominated guardian is a person aged 18 or over who has been appointed by the child’s parent, legal guardian, school or a guardianship organisation.

For immigration purposes, a nominated guardian is generally someone who cares for the child for less than 28 continuous days and/or acts as the school’s emergency contact in the UK. A nominated guardian is distinct from a close relative, private foster carer or a parent holding Parent of a Child Student permission. 

The nominated guardian must be a British citizen or settled in the UK.

Where the child will stay with a nominated guardian, a detailed letter of undertaking will normally be required. Among other matters, this should identify the guardian and accommodation, confirm the care arrangements and provide details of adults regularly living with the guardian.

A nominated guardian for a boarding Child Student cannot be a member of staff at the sponsoring school. 

Guardians Arranged by a Guardianship Organisation

A guardianship organisation may arrange a nominated guardian with the approval of the child’s parent, legal guardian or school.

Where the precise nominated guardian has not yet been identified when the immigration application is made, Appendix Child Student permits the guardianship organisation to provide specified information instead.

The organisation’s letter must include information about the organisation and a named member of staff and confirm that the guardians it uses have the appropriate current safeguarding checks. The named contact must be a British citizen or settled in the UK. 

Guardianship organisations sometimes refer to these arrangements as “homestays” or “host families”. The terminology used by the organisation does not itself determine the immigration position; the underlying arrangement must satisfy the Child Student requirements.

Living With a Close Relative or Private Foster Carer

A Child Student may live full-time with a close relative or qualifying private foster carer who is a British citizen or settled in the UK.

For these purposes, Home Office guidance defines a close relative as an adult grandparent, brother, sister, step-parent, uncle or aunt within the specified definition. A close relative caring for the child is not treated as a private foster carer merely because the child is living with them. 

Private fostering engages additional safeguarding considerations. In broad terms, a child under 16 – or under 18 if disabled – may be privately fostered where they are cared for full-time for 28 continuous days or more by an adult who is not their parent, legal guardian or close relative.

Where the Child Student rules require evidence of a private foster-care arrangement, documentation concerning notification to the relevant UK local authority and the local authority’s response will be required. The precise requirements should be checked carefully before the visa application is made. 

Living With a Parent on a Parent of a Child Student Visa

A Child Student may live full-time with a parent or legal guardian who has permission under the Parent of a Child Student route.

That route is principally available where the Child Student is aged between 4 and 11 when the relevant Parent of a Child Student application is made. Only one parent can normally accompany the child under that route. 

Where an older Child Student lives with a parent, the immigration position of the parent therefore needs to be considered separately rather than assuming that the child’s Child Student Visa gives a parent a right to reside in the UK.

Independent Living for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

A Child Student aged 16 or 17 may live independently.

A different financial requirement applies where a 16- or 17-year-old is living independently, with a higher maintenance requirement for study in London than elsewhere in the UK. 

The Home Office may also consider the proposed accommodation when assessing whether an applicant aged 16 or 17 is a genuine student.

Safeguarding and Criminality Requirements for Carers and Guardians

Current Appendix Child Student contains specific safeguarding provisions concerning nominated guardians, close relatives, private foster carers and, in certain circumstances, adults regularly living with a nominated guardian.

A Child Student application must be refused where a relevant person has, among other specified circumstances:

• been convicted of an offence in the UK or overseas for which they received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more;
• demonstrated persistent offending involving a particular disregard for the law; or
• committed an offence or offences that caused serious harm.

An application may be refused where a relevant person has certain less serious criminal convictions or recorded out-of-court disposals.

These provisions make the suitability of the proposed carer a direct immigration issue. Families should therefore identify potential safeguarding complications at an early stage rather than after the application has been submitted. 

6. Parental Consent for a Child Student Visa

A Child Student who is under 18 must have the required written parental or legal-guardian consent.

Consent must be provided by:

• both parents; or
• one parent where that parent has sole responsibility for the child; or
• the child’s legal guardian.

The written consent must include the relevant contact details and confirm consent to the child’s:

• Child Student Visa application;
• living and care arrangements in the UK; and
• where the child is applying for entry clearance, travel to and reception arrangements in the UK.

The application should also contain appropriate evidence of the relationship between the child and the consenting parent or legal guardian where required. 

Particular care should be taken where only one parent is providing consent. The immigration requirement refers specifically to a parent with sole responsibility, which is a legal and factual concept and should not automatically be equated with one parent simply taking the lead in the child’s education or visa arrangements.

7. Genuine Child Student Requirement for Applicants Aged 16 or 17

Applicants aged 16 or 17 must satisfy the Home Office that they are genuine students.

The Home Office considers the application as a whole and may invite the applicant to an interview where appropriate. Caseworker guidance requires the assessment to be made on the balance of probabilities and describes interviews for 16- and 17-year-old Child Student applicants as something that should be used proportionately and in response to identified risk. 

Factors that may be relevant include:

• the applicant’s education history;
• the proposed course and school;
• the reasons for studying in the UK;
• the applicant’s financial circumstances and the source of the funds being relied upon;
• the proposed accommodation and its distance from the school;
• personal circumstances relevant to the ability to complete the course;
• the applicant’s understanding of their proposed studies; and
• whether the applicant intends to comply with the conditions of their immigration permission.

There is no requirement for every application by a 16- or 17-year-old to involve an interview. However, where UKVI does request an interview, the applicant should be prepared to explain their proposed studies and circumstances accurately and in their own words.

8. Child Student Visa Financial Requirements

The amount of money required for a Child Student application depends principally on the child’s proposed living arrangements.

The figures below are those in force on 18 August 2026. Financial thresholds can change and should be checked again immediately before an application is made. 

Living Arrangement	Financial Requirement
Full, weekly or flexi boarding at a residential independent school	Outstanding course and boarding fees for one academic year
Living full-time with a qualifying close relative or private foster carer	Outstanding course fees for one academic year, plus the carer must have at least £570 per month for each month of the course, up to 9 months
Living full-time with a parent or legal guardian who has Parent of a Child Student permission	Applicable outstanding school fees plus £1,560 per month for the applicant and parent for up to 9 months, with an additional £625 per month for up to 9 months for each additional Child Student child under that parent’s care
Aged 16 or 17 and living independently in London	Outstanding course fees for one academic year plus £1,334 per month for up to 9 months
Aged 16 or 17 and living independently outside London	Outstanding course fees for one academic year plus £1,023 per month for up to 9 months

Where the relevant period includes part of a month, it is generally rounded up to the next full month for the purposes of the maintenance calculation. 

Course and Boarding Fees

The applicant will generally need to demonstrate the required outstanding course fees for one academic year.

Where the child is boarding, the relevant outstanding boarding fees will also be taken into account. The CAS should record the applicable fees and qualifying payments already made to the school.

It is therefore important that the financial evidence and CAS are consistent.

The 28-Day Funds Requirement

Where cash funds are being relied upon, they will generally need to have been held at the required level for at least 28 consecutive days.

The most recent financial evidence must normally be dated no more than 31 days before the date of application. If the balance falls below the required amount during the relevant 28-day period, the financial requirement may not be met.

Funds may, subject to Appendix Finance, be held in an appropriate account belonging to the applicant, their parent or legal guardian. In relevant Child Student cases, funds held by a qualifying close relative or private foster carer may also be relied upon.

Where parental funds are relied upon, evidence of the relationship and written consent to use the funds will normally be required.

The account must meet the requirements of Appendix Finance. For example, the funds must be immediately accessible. Overdraft facilities and certain investments or financial instruments that cannot be immediately withdrawn will not qualify. 

Applicants Who Have Been in the UK for 12 Months

A Child Student applying for permission to stay who has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application will meet the Child Student financial requirement without needing to show the prescribed funds.

This is a substantive provision of the financial requirement and is distinct from the differential-evidence arrangements discussed below.

Differential Evidence Arrangements

Certain Child Student applicants qualify for differential evidence arrangements because of their nationality or passport status and where they are applying from.

Where these provisions apply, the applicant does not normally have to submit the prescribed financial evidence or specified qualification evidence with the application.

This does not mean that the underlying requirements can be ignored. The applicant should still meet the relevant requirements, and UKVI retains the power to request the evidence before deciding the application. 

Applicants relying on differential evidence should therefore ensure that qualifying financial evidence is available rather than assuming that no financial preparation is necessary.

9. Documents Required for a Child Student Visa

The documents required for a Child Student visa application will depend on the individual application.

Core documents will normally include:

• a current passport or other valid travel document;
• the CAS reference number;
• written parental or legal-guardian consent covering the matters required by the Immigration Rules; and
• any documents required to establish the proposed living and care arrangements.

Depending on the circumstances, an applicant may also need to provide:

• financial evidence;
• evidence of their relationship to a parent or legal guardian;
• evidence of qualifications relied upon by the school when assigning the CAS;
• a tuberculosis test certificate;
• consent from a government or international scholarship agency where required;
• a letter of undertaking from a close relative, private foster carer or nominated guardian;
• documentation relating to a guardianship organisation;
• documentation concerning a private fostering arrangement and the relevant local authority; and
• certified translations of documents that are not in English or Welsh.

The Immigration Rules include detailed requirements for letters from foster carers, close relatives and nominated guardians. These letters may need to identify the accommodation, the proposed carer, the relationship with the child’s parents, other persons supported by the carer and, for nominated guardians, adults regularly living in the household. 

Applicants should avoid treating a generic school or guardianship letter as automatically sufficient. The contents should be checked against the immigration requirements applicable to the particular arrangement.

10. How to Apply for a Child Student Visa From Outside the UK

A person who wishes to come to the UK as a Child Student must obtain the appropriate entry clearance before travelling.

An application for entry clearance can be made up to six months before the course start date stated on the CAS.

The application is made online.

As part of the process, the applicant will need to prove their identity. Depending on their nationality and travel document, this may involve either using the UK Immigration: ID Check app and a UKVI account or providing fingerprints and a photograph at a visa application centre.

The supporting documents should be prepared before the application is submitted, with particular attention to any time-sensitive financial evidence.

If the application is successful, the Child Student will receive an eVisa, which is the digital record of their UK immigration status. They may need to create or use a UKVI account and ensure that their current travel document is correctly linked to it. 

11. Switching to a Child Student Visa From Within the UK

It is possible in some circumstances to switch into the Child Student route from within the UK.

The applicant must be in the UK and must still satisfy the Child Student age requirement on the date of application.

An applicant cannot normally switch into the route if they have, or were last granted, permission:

• as a Visitor;
• as a Short-term Student; or
• outside the Immigration Rules.

The applicant must also satisfy the applicable suitability requirements.

Where an applicant is in breach of the immigration laws or on immigration bail, Appendix Child Student contains an exception where the Exceptions for overstayers provisions in Part Suitability apply. Immigration bail should therefore not now be described as an absolute bar in every case. 

An in-country application must be made no more than three months before the course starts, and the new course must normally begin no more than 28 days after the expiry of the applicant’s previous permission.

Switching cases can raise issues concerning current immigration status, timing and the conditions attached to existing permission. These should be checked before an application is made.

12. Extending a Child Student Visa

A Child Student may apply from within the UK for further permission where the requirements of the route continue to be met.

The applicant must still be aged between 4 and 17 on the date of the new Child Student application. A person who is already 18 will need to consider the Student route or another appropriate category instead.

A fresh CAS will be required for the proposed course, and the relevant course, care, parental-consent and financial requirements must be satisfied.

There is no separate Child Student academic-progression requirement equivalent to the academic-progression provisions that can apply to some in-country Student applications. However, the proposed course and CAS must still comply with Appendix Child Student, and an applicant aged 16 or 17 remains subject to the genuine student requirement.

The application can be made no more than three months before the new course starts, and the course must normally start no more than 28 days after the expiry of the existing immigration permission. 

A Child Student who reaches 18 while holding valid Child Student permission does not need to make a new application merely because of their birthday. However, an application for further permission made once the applicant is 18 cannot be made under the Child Student route. Home Office guidance states that a subsequent application in those circumstances must be made under the Student route if that route is appropriate. 

13. Child Student Visa Application Fee and Immigration Health Surcharge

As at 18 August 2026, the Home Office application fee for a Child Student Visa is £558, whether the application is made from outside or inside the UK. The fee increased to this amount on 8 April 2026.

Applicants will generally also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

The current reduced IHS rate applicable to students and to immigration applicants who are under 18 at the time of application is £776 per year.

The exact total is determined by the period of immigration permission and the IHS calculation rules. Part-years can affect the amount charged, so the total IHS should not simply be calculated by multiplying the academic length of the course by the annual rate. 

Home Office fees and the IHS can change. The amounts should therefore be checked immediately before an application is submitted.

14. Child Student Visa Processing Times

A Child Student applying from outside the UK will usually receive a decision within three weeks.

An applicant applying from within the UK to extend or switch will usually receive a decision within eight weeks.

These are standard service expectations rather than guaranteed decision dates.

An application can take longer if, for example, UKVI needs to verify documents, request additional information, consider particular personal circumstances or invite a 16- or 17-year-old applicant to an interview.

Faster decision services may be available in some locations and cases, subject to eligibility and capacity at the time of application.

15. When Can a Child Student Travel to the UK and How Long Can They Stay?

Where entry clearance is granted sufficiently far in advance, a Child Student will normally be granted permission beginning one month before the course start date.

Where the decision and intended travel take place closer to the course start date, the period before the course may be shorter. The precise start date of the permission should therefore be checked on the applicant’s eVisa before travel.

The maximum study period granted under the Child Student route depends on the applicant’s age:

Age	Maximum Period of Study Permission	Period After Course
Under 16	Shortest of the period requested, course length or 6 years	4 months
16 or 17	Shortest of the period requested, course length or 3 years	4 months

This means that the overall period of immigration permission may extend beyond the academic course itself.

For example, a 17-year-old can lawfully turn 18 while continuing to hold Child Student permission that was validly granted when they were under 18.

16. Working and Studying on a Child Student Visa

A Child Student who is aged 16 or over may work:

• for up to 10 hours per week during term time;
• without that hourly restriction during vacations; and
• on an eligible course-related work placement that forms an assessed part of the course, subject to the applicable limits.

A Child Student is not permitted to:

• be self-employed or engage in business activity;
• work as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach;
• work as an entertainer; or
• fill a permanent full-time vacancy.

Children under 16 are not permitted to work under the route. 

A Child Student must study consistently with the conditions of the route and their sponsorship. Supplementary study is permitted.

The Child Student route is intended for education at independent schools. A Child Student must not ordinarily study at a state school or academy, subject to narrow exceptions set out in Appendix Child Student.

17. Can a Parent Accompany a Child Student to the UK?

A Child Student Visa does not itself give either parent immigration permission to live in the UK.

However, one parent may potentially qualify for a separate Parent of a Child Student Visa where the requirements of that route are met.

The Child Student must be aged between 4 and 11 on the date of the parent’s application. The parent must intend to live with the child in the UK, and the child’s other parent must not be in the UK or seeking to come to the UK under the same route. 

Permission as a Parent of a Child Student ends when the child’s Child Student permission ends or when the child reaches the age of 12, whichever occurs first.

A parent on this route cannot work or study and must not make the UK their main home. 

Where siblings are also attending independent school as Child Students, there are provisions that may allow them to live with the same parent. The financial requirements should be calculated carefully because an additional maintenance sum applies for each additional Child Student child under the parent’s care.

Parents who do not qualify under the Parent of a Child Student route will need to consider whether another immigration route is available if they wish to reside in the UK. A Visitor Visa does not provide a substitute route for living in the UK on a long-term basis.

18. Does the Child Student Visa Lead to Settlement?

The Child Student route is not itself a route to settlement.

There is no provision under Appendix Child Student for a person to qualify for indefinite leave to remain simply by completing a specified period as a Child Student.

A Child Student may later switch into another immigration route, including the Student route where its requirements are met, and potentially into an appropriate work, family or other route later in their immigration journey.

Time spent lawfully in the UK with Child Student permission may also potentially count towards the qualifying period for settlement under the separate Long Residence route. Appendix Long Residence currently allows time with permission on most immigration routes to count while expressly excluding certain categories; Child Student permission is not one of the listed exclusions. All of the other Long Residence requirements, including the qualifying-period and continuous-residence requirements, must nevertheless be satisfied. 

19. Child Student Visa Refusals and Administrative Review

A Child Student application can be refused where UKVI is not satisfied that the validity, suitability or eligibility requirements have been met.

Potential refusal issues include:

• an invalid or unsuitable CAS;
• a course or sponsor that does not meet the route requirements;
• inadequate parental consent;
• care or living arrangements that do not meet Appendix Child Student;
• safeguarding concerns relating to a proposed carer or nominated guardian;
• insufficient or non-compliant financial evidence;
• failure to provide required documentary evidence;
• concerns about the genuine student requirement for an applicant aged 16 or 17; and
• other suitability issues.

Where a Child Student application is refused, Appendix Child Student provides a right to apply for Administrative Review under Appendix AR. 

Administrative Review is principally concerned with whether the Home Office made a caseworking error. It is therefore important to identify whether the refusal resulted from an error by the decision-maker or from a defect in the original application.

Depending on the circumstances, the appropriate response may be an Administrative Review, a fresh application or, in a suitable case, another form of legal challenge.

20. Frequently Asked Questions: Child Student Visa

What Is a UK Child Student Visa?

A Child Student Visa allows a child aged between 4 and 17 to study at an eligible independent school in the UK. The applicant must have a valid CAS and meet requirements concerning their course, finances, parental consent and arrangements for their care and accommodation.

Can a 16- or 17-Year-Old Apply for a Student Visa Instead?

Potentially. A 16- or 17-year-old studying an appropriate course at or above RQF level 3 or SCQF level 6 at an independent school may have a choice between the Child Student and Student routes. The requirements and conditions of the two routes differ, so the appropriate option should be identified before the CAS is assigned.

Does a Child Student Need to Pass an English Language Test?

Appendix Child Student does not impose a separate English-language requirement equivalent to that found in the Student route. However, applicants aged 16 or 17 must satisfy the genuine student requirement, and Home Office guidance indicates that language ability can be relevant to a credibility assessment where concerns arise.

Can a Child Student Attend a State School?

Generally no. The Child Student route is designed for study at an independent school that holds the appropriate sponsor licence. Appendix Child Student contains only narrow exceptions concerning certain education in Northern Ireland and cases where a sponsoring school becomes a state school or academy during an existing period of permission.

Does a Child Student Need a Guardian in the UK?

Not every Child Student requires a nominated guardian. The permitted arrangement depends on the child’s circumstances. A child may, for example, board at school, live with a qualifying close relative or private foster carer, live with an eligible parent or, at age 16 or 17, live independently. A nominated guardian may form part of the arrangements for a boarding student when they are away from school.

Can a Child Student Live With a Family Friend?

Potentially, but the legal nature of the arrangement must be identified. A family friend is not automatically a “close relative” under the Child Student rules. Depending on the length and nature of the care arrangement, the person may instead be a nominated guardian or private foster carer, with different safeguarding and documentary requirements.

How Much Money Does a Child Student Need?

The amount depends on the child’s living arrangements. For example, a 16- or 17-year-old living independently currently needs £1,334 per month in London or £1,023 per month outside London, for up to nine months, in addition to applicable course fees. Different calculations apply to boarding students and children living with parents, close relatives or private foster carers.

Can a Parent Come to the UK With a Child Student?

One parent may potentially apply under the separate Parent of a Child Student route where the Child Student is aged between 4 and 11 and the remaining requirements are met. The other parent cannot normally accompany the family under the same route, and the accompanying parent is not permitted to work or study.

Can a Child Student Work in the UK?

A Child Student aged 16 or over can generally work for up to 10 hours per week during term time and for unrestricted hours during vacations. Certain work is prohibited, including self-employment, business activity, professional sport, work as an entertainer and filling a permanent full-time vacancy. Children under 16 cannot work under the route.

What Happens When a Child Student Turns 18?

Turning 18 does not automatically terminate Child Student permission that was validly granted while the applicant was under 18. The person can remain in the UK for the period for which permission was granted, subject to its conditions. However, any fresh application made after the applicant reaches 18 cannot be made under the Child Student route.

Can a Child Student Visa Be Extended?

Yes, provided the applicant is still under 18 when the new Child Student application is made and the remaining requirements are satisfied. A fresh CAS and appropriate evidence will be required. If the applicant is already 18, they will need to consider the Student route or another appropriate immigration category.