The Child Student visa brings 4 to 17 year olds to the UK for independent school education: a £558 application, an unconditional school place, parental consent, and money rules that change with where the child will live — boarding, with a parent, with a relative, or independently at 16 or 17. This guide covers the requirements, the short-term alternative for courses under six months, and the guardianship rules tightened in May 2025.
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School Places First, Visas Second
Every Child Student application starts with the school: the route serves children aged 4 to 17 with an unconditional place at a UK independent school holding a student sponsor licence — not academies, not state schools, not colleges. Around that anchor sit the pieces parents actually wrestle with: consent, care arrangements, and money evidence matched to the living arrangement. Get the school and the care story right and the visa follows; improvise either and it does not.
How the Child Student Route Works
Key Features
Ages 4 to 17 at an independent school with a sponsor licence. Visas run the course length up to six years plus four months for under-16s, or up to three years plus four months at 16 and 17. Younger children need a parent on the Parent of a Child Student visa or approved care arrangements; the child cannot bring dependants and the route leads to no settlement by itself.
Child Student Visa Requirements
Essential Requirements
| Requirement | What must be shown | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| School place | Confirmed place at a licensed independent school sponsor | CAS reference |
| Money | Fees plus living costs for the arrangement chosen | Bank statements or boarding-inclusive CAS |
| Consent | Both parents' written permission (one, with sole custody evidenced) | Consent letter, birth certificate, custody documents |
| Care | Suitable accommodation and guardianship for the child's age | Guardian details, school confirmation, care arrangements |
Parental Consent and Legal Guardians
Consent must come from both parents or every legal guardian, covering the study plan, the travel, and the care arrangements in the UK — with sole-custody cases evidenced rather than asserted. Where the child will live with anyone other than a parent, the guardian's identity, status and availability become part of the application, under rules that tightened materially in 2025.
The Short-Term Child Study Option
Short-Term Versus Standard
| Factor | Short-term (up to 6 months) | Child Student visa |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 6 months, no extension | Course length up to 3–6 years by age, plus 4 months |
| Institution | Accredited provider — no sponsor licence needed | Licensed independent school with CAS |
| Use case | Summer schools, language courses, taster terms | Full school education |
| Progression | None — leave at the end | Extend, or switch to the Student route at 16+ |
Foster Care Requirements
A child under 16 cared for by someone other than a parent or close relative for 28 days or more falls under private fostering law: the local authority must be notified and welfare oversight follows. Schools and guardianship organisations handle this routinely; informal arrangements with family friends are where applications — and safeguarding — go wrong, and the statutory guidance is unforgiving about it.
Applying for the Visa
Step-by-Step Application
Secure the place, obtain the CAS, assemble consent and care evidence, apply online up to six months before the course, enrol biometrics, and expect a decision in around three weeks from outside the UK (eight in-country), with paid priority options. Under-18 applications add signature layers — the forms, the consent and the finances must all tell one consistent story, because caseworkers read them against each other.
Money Rules by Living Arrangement
- Boarding: course fees plus boarding fees for one academic year, per the CAS.
- Living with a parent: £1,560 a month for up to 9 months, plus £625 a month for each sibling on a Child Student visa.
- With a foster carer or close relative: the carer confirms at least £570 a month for up to 9 months.
- Independent at 16 or 17: £1,334 a month in London, £1,023 outside — plus fees; all funds held 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of applying.
Recent Changes to the Route
Key Changes in Guidance
Guardianship expectations hardened from 29 May 2025: guardians are expected to be adults with settled UK status and genuine round-the-clock availability, with schools discouraged from serving as the emergency contact of record. The practical consequence for families without UK relatives is the rise of professional guardianship arrangements — a cost line worth budgeting alongside the fees, and a relationship worth choosing as carefully as the school.
Extending and Growing Out of the Route
Extensions follow the same requirements while the child remains under 18 and at a qualifying school. The standard progression is the switch to the adult Student route at 16 or over for sixth form or university — planned against course dates rather than birthdays. Child Student time builds no settlement rights of its own, and refusals, though rare in well-prepared cases, are handled by our refusal team; the wider reform backdrop sits in our student visa changes guide.
Frequently askedQuestions about the Child Student visa
What ages does the Child Student visa cover?
Ages 4 to 17 at application, studying at a licensed UK independent school. Under-16s receive up to six years plus four months; 16 and 17 year olds up to three years plus four months, before extending or switching to the adult Student route.
How much does it cost in 2026?
£558 per application, inside or outside the UK, plus the immigration health surcharge for the visa's length and the maintenance evidence matched to the child's living arrangement — from boarding fees on the CAS to £1,560 a month when living with a parent.
Do both parents have to consent?
Yes — written consent from both parents or all legal guardians covering the study, travel and care arrangements. A single parent with sole custody can consent alone, but the custody position must be evidenced with documents, not simply stated.
Can my child study a short course instead?
Courses of up to six months can run on the short-term child study arrangements at an accredited provider, with no sponsor licence or CAS needed — and no extension possible. Anything longer, or any full school enrolment, needs the Child Student visa proper.
Can a Child Student work?
Under-16s cannot work at all. At 16 and 17, limited part-time and holiday work is permitted within the route's rules. The visa is built around education; work rights only meaningfully begin after switching to the adult Student route and beyond.
What changed in the 2025 guardianship rules?
From 29 May 2025, guardians are expected to be settled UK adults genuinely available around the clock, with schools stepping back as default emergency contacts. Families without UK relatives increasingly use professional guardianship organisations to meet the standard.
Tell us the school, the start date and where your child will live. We'll match the money evidence to the arrangement, sort the consent and guardianship paperwork, and time the application to the term.
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