UK Child Student visa

What the Child Student visa is

The Child Student visa is the UK study route for school-age children. It allows a child aged 4 to 17 to attend an independent (fee-paying) school in the UK for the length of their course.

It is distinct from the main Student visa, which is for people aged 16 and over studying at higher education institutions and licensed colleges. A child under 16 must use the Child Student route. A child of 16 or 17 who meets the requirements may in some cases qualify for either route, but school pupils at independent schools normally use the Child Student visa.

The route does not cover state (government-funded) schools. Only independent schools that hold a Home Office 'Child Student' sponsor licence can sponsor a child on this visa.

Who is eligible

• The child must be between 4 and 17 years old.
• They must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Child Student sponsor (an independent school), shown by a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
• A parent or legal guardian must consent to the child's study, travel to the UK, and living/care arrangements.
• Suitable care and accommodation must be arranged in the UK (boarding school, or living with a parent, an approved close relative, or a nominated guardian/private foster carer).
• The applicant (or their parent) must have enough money to pay for the course and to support the child.
• The course must be at RQF level 3 or below and meet independent-school inspection standards. Foundation courses leading to higher education are not allowed on this route.

Costs

The application fee is £558. This is the same whether applying from outside the UK, or extending or switching from inside the UK.

On top of the fee, applicants pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for each year the visa covers, which gives access to the NHS. Children and students pay the discounted IHS rate rather than the standard rate. Confirm the exact IHS total on GOV.UK when you apply, as it depends on the visa length.

Applicants must also meet the financial (maintenance) requirement described below, which is money you must show you have available, not a fee that is paid to the Home Office.

Money you must show

Applicants must show they can pay course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months) plus living costs, with the living-cost amount depending on where and with whom the child will live:

• Boarding school: course fees plus boarding fees for one academic year (up to 9 months).
• Living with a foster carer or close relative: course fees, plus the carer/relative confirming access to at least £570 per month (for up to 9 months).
• Living with a parent or legal guardian in the UK: course fees, plus £1,560 per month (for up to 9 months) to cover both the child and the parent, plus £625 per month for each additional child on a Child Student visa.
• Aged 16-17 living independently: course fees, plus £1,334 per month if studying in London or £1,023 per month if studying outside London (each for up to 9 months).
• The money must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, and the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the application date.
• Nationals of certain listed 'low-risk' countries, and those who have held a valid UK visa for 12 months or more, may not need to submit financial evidence (but must still meet the requirement).

Documents you'll need

• A current passport or valid travel document
• The CAS reference number from the sponsoring school
• Written consent from a parent or legal guardian, covering the visa application, travel, and living/care arrangements in the UK
• Proof of relationship to the parent(s), such as a birth certificate or other government-issued document
• A letter from the foster carer, close relative, or nominated guardian if the child will not board or live with a parent (with name, address, contact details, and confirmation of the care arrangement)
• Financial evidence showing the required funds, unless exempt
• Tuberculosis (TB) test results, if applying from a listed country
• Written consent from a financial sponsor if fees or living costs were sponsored in the last 12 months

How to apply

Applications must be made online through UK Visas and Immigration. Applicants prove their identity either using the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app or by giving fingerprints and a photo (biometrics) at a visa application centre.

From outside the UK, you can apply up to 6 months before the course starts, and a decision is usually made within 3 weeks. From inside the UK (to extend or switch), you can apply up to 3 months before the course starts, and a decision usually takes up to 8 weeks.

If the application is approved, the child gets an eVisa, a digital record of their immigration status, accessed through a UKVI account rather than a physical document.

How long you can stay

• Children under 16: usually granted for the length of the course, up to a maximum of 6 years, plus 4 months.
• Children aged 16 or 17: usually granted for the length of the course, up to a maximum of 3 years, plus 4 months.

What you can and cannot do

Children under 16 cannot work on this visa.

Students aged 16 or 17 may work part-time (up to 10 hours a week) during term time, full-time in holidays, and may do a work placement as part of the course (up to 50% of the course).

• Cannot study at a state school.
• Cannot claim public funds (benefits).
• Cannot bring dependants on this visa.
• Cannot apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) directly on this route.

Extending, switching and turning 18

A child already in the UK on a Child Student visa (or the old Tier 4 (Child) visa) can extend it to continue studying, provided they still meet the requirements and have a new CAS from a licensed sponsor. The extension fee is £558 plus the IHS, and applications must be made before the current visa expires and within 6 months of getting the CAS.

When a student turns 18, they can no longer stay on the Child Student visa. To keep studying in the UK they must switch to a Student visa (or move to another suitable route) before their leave ends, or leave the UK. Requirements such as care arrangements ease at 16, but the age-18 cut-off is firm.