Child Student Visa Guide

Financial requirement

You must have enough money available to you to pay for your course and support yourself in the UK. How much money you need depends on where you will live and who will be looking after you.

• If you’ll live with your parent or guardian, they must have a Parent of a Child Student visa to accompany you to the UK. If you’re over 12 your parent will not be eligible, unless you have a younger sibling who’s under 12 and also has a Child Student visa.You must have enough money to pay for your course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months). You’ll also need £1,560 per month (for up to 9 months) – this amount is for both you and your parent.

  Your parent will need an extra £625 a month (for up to 9 months) for each additional child they accompany to the UK. The child must be your sibling and must also have a Child Student visa.

• If you’re boarding at an independent school, to score 10 points for the financial requirement, you must have enough money to pay for your course fees and your boarding fees for one academic year (up to 9 months). On the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) the licensed student sponsor will show how much you need for your course fees and boarding fees and whether or not these fees have been paid.If you’ll live with a foster carer or close relative: you must have enough money to pay for your course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months). Your foster carer or close relative must confirm they have at least £570 per month (for up to 9 months). Your foster carer or close relative must be a British citizen or be settled (have ‘indefinite leave to remain’) in the UK. They cannot be your parent.

• If you’re 16 or 17 and living independently: you must have enough money to pay for your course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months).You’ll also need either:
  • £1,334 per month (for up to 9 months) if you’re studying in London
  • £1,023 per month (for up to 9 months) if you’re studying outside of London. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.

You must show the required level of funds for yourself (or your parent) held for a consecutive 28 day period, unless you are relying on a student loan, an award from a government or international sponsorship agency, or where you are receiving some portion of the funds as other financial sponsorship from your student sponsor (as a bursary, for example).

Depending on your circumstances, as part of the application process, you will be required, to provide evidence of your funds, for example confirmation of a student loan or official financial sponsorship, or proof of relationship where relying on parental funds.  If you are relying on funds from a third party then the Home Office will check your relationship with the third party.

Exemption from the financial requirements

You do not need to prove you have money to support yourself if you’ve had a valid UK visa for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of your Child Student visa application – you must currently be in the UK.

Where you qualify under the differentiation arrangements, you are not usually required to provide evidence you meet the financial requirements. However, you should still hold the required level of funds as UKVI reserve the right to request evidence of funds before you get a decision on your application. You will benefit from this option if you are a British national overseas or from one of the listed countries or territories including Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, United Arab Emirates, United States of America etc.

Parental consent

You must have written consent from both parents (or one parent if they have sole responsibility) or legal guardian. This must confirm they consent to:

• your visa application
• your living arrangements and care in the UK
• your travel to the UK
• If you’re living with a close relative or foster carer, you’ll need to provide additional evidence.

Switch to this visa

You may be able to change (‘switch’) to a Child Student visa from another visa; you must:

• be in the UK
• be between 4 and 17 years old
• have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Child Student sponsor – show by your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• If you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for less than 12 months, you’ll need to prove you have enough money to support yourself.

If you are in the UK and applying to switch into the Child Student route, you will be unable to do so if you have a visitor visa, a short-term student visa or are on the basis of immigration bail.

Applications from foreign embassies to exceptionally allow dependants of overseas diplomats to switch into the Student or Child Student routes are likely to be allowed.