Student visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Child Student Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Help your child, aged 4 to 17, study at a UK independent school. We check they qualify, review the consent, care and money evidence, and prepare the application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is the UK Child Student visa?
A Child Student visa lets a child aged 4 to 17 study at an independent (fee-paying) school in the UK that holds a student sponsor licence. The school gives your child a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), a reference number you need to apply.
It’s set out in Appendix Child Student of the Immigration Rules. Your child can board at school, live with a close relative or foster carer who is British or settled, live with one parent who has a Parent of a Child Student visa (only while a child is under 12), or, at 16 or 17, live independently. The visa doesn’t lead to settlement.
✓This is the right visa if…
- Your child is between 4 and 17 on the day you apply
- They have an unconditional offer from an independent school that’s a licensed student sponsor
- Both parents (or one with sole responsibility, or a legal guardian) agree in writing
- You can pay a year’s school fees, and any living costs that apply to your child’s arrangements
Quick check
Could your child qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Is your child between 4 and 17 on the day you apply?From 18, they need a Student visa instead.
Do they have an unconditional offer from an independent school with a student sponsor licence?State schools and academies don’t count, except in a few cases such as Erasmus+.
Do both parents (or one with sole responsibility, or a legal guardian) agree in writing?The consent covers the application, travel, and care and living arrangements in the UK.
Will your child live somewhere the Rules accept?Boarding school, a British or settled close relative or foster carer, a parent with a Parent of a Child Student visa, or independently at 16 or 17.
Can you show a year’s school fees, plus any living costs, held for 28 days?Not needed if your child has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or more.
Is your child applying from outside the UK, or in the UK on a visa they can switch from?Visitors and short-term students can’t switch to this visa.
Eligibility
Child Student visa requirements
Your child must meet every requirement on the day you apply. Which money and care rules apply depends on where they’ll live.
School, course and CAS
- An unconditional offer from an independent school that holds a student sponsor licence
- A CAS from the school, showing the course, the fees and any boarding costs
- A course taught under the National Curriculum, the Regulated Qualifications Framework or the independent school inspection standards (not a university foundation course)
- From outside the UK, apply no more than 6 months before the course starts; in the UK, no more than 3 months before
A 16- or 17-year-old on a course at A-level standard (RQF level 3) or above can choose a Student visa instead. We help you choose.
Parental consent and care
- Written consent from both parents, from one parent with sole responsibility, or from a legal guardian
- It must give their contact details and cover the application, your child’s travel and arrival, and their living and care arrangements
- A close relative, foster carer or nominated guardian must be British or settled in the UK, and give a letter of undertaking
- A child under 16 in private foster care also needs the local authority’s confirmation of the arrangement
- Carers, guardians and adults living with a guardian are checked: some criminal convictions mean refusal
A nominated guardian can look after a boarder for less than 28 days in a row, for example over half-term.
Where your child will live
- Boarding at a residential independent school, with somewhere the Rules accept to stay outside term
- Full time with a close relative or private foster carer who is British or settled
- Full time with a parent who has a Parent of a Child Student visa, while a Child Student in the family is under 12
- Living independently, if aged 16 or 17
Only one parent can come on the Parent of a Child Student route, and they can’t work or study. It’s a separate application with its own requirements.
Money (maintenance)
- Boarding: a year’s outstanding course and boarding fees
- With a close relative or foster carer: a year’s course fees, and the carer must have £570 a month for up to 9 months
- With a Parent of a Child Student: a year’s fees plus £1,560 a month, and £625 a month for each other child in their care, for up to 9 months
- Aged 16 or 17 and living independently: a year’s course fees plus £1,334 a month in London or £1,023 outside London, for up to 9 months
- Not needed if your child has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or more
Nationals of some countries, including the US, China, Japan and all EU countries, applying from where they live, don’t usually send financial evidence with the application, but may be asked for it.
What your child can and can’t do
- Study at the sponsoring school, on the course in the CAS or a new course there at the same or a higher level
- From 16: work up to 10 hours a week in term time and full time in the holidays, plus an assessed work placement
- No self-employment, no work as a professional sportsperson, coach or entertainer, and no permanent full-time job
- No public funds, no dependants, and no route to settlement
- A TB test is needed if your child is applying from a listed country
Your child can’t study at a state school or academy, except in limited cases such as an Erasmus+ exchange.
Documents
Child Student visa documents: the easy part
The list looks simple. Refusals usually come from consent or carer letters that miss something, or funds that don’t match your child’s living arrangements.
What everyone needs
- Your child’s passport or other travel document
- The CAS reference number from the school
- Written consent from both parents or the legal guardian
- A letter of undertaking from any carer or guardian in the UK
- £Proof of funds for fees and any living costs
- A TB test certificate, if applying from a listed country
Plus proof of your relationship to your child (such as a birth certificate), the qualifications used to get the place if the school asked for them, and certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Child Student visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £558, from outside or inside the UK, plus the health surcharge of £776 a year. For a one-year course, the surcharge is £1,164. Most decisions from outside the UK take about 3 weeks.
| Home Office application fee | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surchargeone-year course: visa of over 1 year but no more than 18 months, charged as 1½ years at £776 | £1,164 |
| Home Office total, one-year coursebefore school fees, TB test and translations | £1,722 |
| Home Office application feeto extend or switch | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surchargeone-year course: visa of over 1 year but no more than 18 months, charged as 1½ years at £776 | £1,164 |
| Home Office total, one-year coursebefore school fees, TB test and translations | £1,722 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and Immigration Health Surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. The surcharge depends on how long the visa lasts, which includes 4 months after the course ends, so longer courses cost more. TB test and translation costs vary by provider. Our consultation fees →
Get a place and a CAS
Before you applyThe school offers an unconditional place and assigns a CAS. Apply within 6 months of getting it.
Apply and prove identity
Up to 6 months before the courseOnline application, fee and surcharge paid, then either the ID check app or fingerprints and photo at a visa centre.
Decision
Usually within 3 weeks from outside the UKAbout 8 weeks if you apply in the UK. A 16- or 17-year-old may be asked to attend an interview.
Travel and study
Up to 1 month before the courseYour child can arrive up to 1 month before the course starts, and can stay for the course plus 4 months.
Extend or move on
Before the visa endsExtend for a new course, or from 16, switch to a Student visa if your child qualifies.
Avoid a refusal
Common Child Student visa refusal reasons
Most refusals come down to the paperwork around your child’s care and funds. These are the issues we check first.
Consent that doesn’t cover everything
Consent must come from both parents (or the right single parent or guardian) and cover the application, travel and care in the UK.
We check: every consent and undertaking letter against the Rules.
A carer who doesn’t qualify
A close relative, foster carer or nominated guardian must be British or settled. Some convictions of a carer, or of an adult living with a guardian, mean refusal.
We check: who can care for your child, and what they must provide.
Funds not held for 28 days
The money must be held for 28 days in a row, with the latest statement dated within 31 days of applying, in an account the Rules accept.
We check: your bank statements cover the full period before you apply.
The wrong school or course
The school must be independent and hold a student sponsor licence, and a foundation course for university entry isn’t allowed.
We check: the school’s licence and the course before you apply.
Switching when you can’t
A child in the UK as a visitor or short-term student can’t switch to this visa. They must apply from outside the UK.
We check: whether your child can apply here or must apply from abroad.
Applying at the wrong time
Apply within 6 months of the CAS, and no more than 6 months before the course (3 months in the UK). In the UK, the new course must start within 28 days of the current visa ending.
We check: your dates so the application is valid.
How we help
Our Child Student visa application services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your child’s application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your child’s school, age and living arrangements, and whether the Student route would suit a 16- or 17-year-old better.
Evidence review
We check the consent and undertaking letters, funds and CAS against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit the application, with a cover letter that sets out how your child qualifies.
Extend or switch
We help your child extend for a new course, or switch to a Student visa from 16.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused, we explain your options, including administrative review, and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser where your case needs a higher level of advice.
FAQs
Child Student visa questions, answered
Can a parent come with my child?
Only if your child is under 12, or has a brother or sister under 12 who also has a Child Student visa. One parent can then apply for a Parent of a Child Student visa, as long as the other parent isn’t in the UK or coming to the UK. The parent can’t work or study and must keep their main home outside the UK.
Does my child need to pass an English test?
No. There’s no English language requirement on the Child Student route, at any age. If your child later switches to a Student visa, their English is assessed then.
Can my child work?
Not until they’re 16. From 16, they can work up to 10 hours a week in term time and full time in the holidays, and do an assessed work placement. They can’t be self-employed or take a permanent full-time job.
How long is the visa?
It depends on your child’s age when you apply. Under 16: the length of the course, up to 6 years, plus 4 months. Aged 16 or 17: the course, up to 3 years, plus 4 months. Your child can arrive up to 1 month before the course starts.
Can my child switch to a Student visa?
Yes, from 16, if they meet the Student route’s requirements, including English and a CAS from a licensed student sponsor. They can apply in the UK. A 16- or 17-year-old can also choose the Student visa from the start for a course at A-level standard or above.
My child is in the UK as a visitor. Can they switch?
No. A child here as a visitor, or on a Short-term study visa, can’t switch to a Child Student visa. They must apply from outside the UK.
How much money does a 16- or 17-year-old living independently need?
As well as a year’s course fees, £1,334 a month in London or £1,023 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. The money must be held for 28 days in a row. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.
What if the application is refused?
You can ask for an administrative review if you think the Home Office made a mistake in applying the Rules. It costs £80 and must be made within 28 days from outside the UK, or 14 days in the UK. Reviews can currently take 12 months or more, so we help you weigh it against a fresh application.
Related routes
Other ways to study in the UK
Ready when you are
Enrolled, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.