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The Child Student visa is available to 4-17 year-olds who wish to study at an independent school in the UK. The intended course of study must meet various requirements, and the applicant may also need to satisfy financial provisions. Consent from the applicant’s parent or guardian will also need to be provided.
To apply for a Child Student visa, the applicant must have an unconditional offer from a licensed Child Student sponsor. The sponsor must be an independent school; the course of study cannot be at a local authority-funded school or academy, or institute for further or higher education. The course also can’t be a foundation course in preparation for higher education.
The intended course of study must be taught in line with one of the following:
Studying on a course of the same level as above is also permitted, if accepted as such by one of the following:
The sponsor will need to provide the applicant with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) – this is a reference number that will be needed to submit the application.
The exact financial requirement an applicant will need to meet depends on their intended living situation in the UK.
If they satisfy the eligibility requirements, one parent of a Child Student aged up to 12 can apply for a Parent of a Child Student visa. If successful, the child can live with them in the UK. If an applicant intends to live with their parent in the UK, then they will be required to show:
If the parent is accompanying any additional Child Students to the UK, they will also need to demonstrate an additional £625 a month for each extra child.
Applicants can also live with a foster family or close relative, who must be British or settled. If this option applies, the financial requirement is as follows:
Applicants aged 16 or 17 who will live independently must show that they have:
Applicants who will board at their sponsoring school must show they have sufficient funds to pay their boarding and course fees for up to 9 months.
The relevant funds, as listed above, must be held by the applicant or their parent for at least 28 days, with day 28 of that period falling within 31 days of the application’s submission.
There are some exceptions to meeting the various financial requirements. No financial requirement applies when:
Permission will be granted for the duration of the intended course of study plus 4 months; the duration of the course will depend on the applicant’s age.
An applicant may come to the UK up to 1 month before the course starts. Child Student visas may be extended if all requirements are met.
Applicants aged 16 or over may work part-time for up to 10 hours during term time, and full-time during the holidays, as well as undertake work placements as part of their course.
Child Students visas will be granted with various conditions such as no access to public funds and full-time permanent employment. They are also not able to bring dependents; as explained above, a parent can apply for a Parent of a Child Student visa.
Are you hoping to work in the UK? Have you been offered a job role and seek permission to work here? Our immigration lawyers are experts in the operation of UK and European legislation that affects foreign workers.
If you need help securing a visa to travel to the UK to join family settled here, the immigration solicitors at Latitude Law are here to help. We can help you through the application process and provide legal advice and guidance on complex matters, such as appeals.
Are you hoping to work in the UK? Have you been offered a job role and seek permission to work here? Our immigration lawyers are experts in the operation of UK and European legislation that affects foreign workers.
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All content on this page was reviewed by Latitude Law and is accurate as of 11/02/2019