Quick guides for students
Applying for a child student visa
This quick guide explains how a child can apply for a student visa under Tier 4 (Child) of the points-based system.
On this page
For full details of all Tier 4 (Child) requirements, you should read our Guidance for Tier 4 applicants. You can download the guidance from the right side of this page.
Who can apply?
A child between 4 and 17 years old can apply for a student visa under Tier 4 (Child). If they are between 4 and 15 years old, their education in the UK must be at a fee-paying school. Children aged 16 or 17 may need to apply under Tier 4 (General), not Tier 4 (Child).
The What type of student visa do I need? page contains more information.
How long can the child stay in the UK?
The length of a child student's permitted stay in the UK depends on the length of their course.
A 'course' is, for example, the period when the child studies for GCSEs or for A-levels. If a child wants to study for GCSEs and then A-levels in the UK, they will need to apply to extend their child student visa after taking their GCSEs.
| Child's age when they apply | Maximum length of stay in the UK |
|---|---|
| Under 16 years old |
The full length of the course, up to a maximum of six years plus four months after the end of the course |
| 16 or 17 years old |
The full length of the course, up to a maximum of two years plus four months after the end of the course |
If a child student turns 18 while they have permission to stay, they can continue on their course until their permission to stay expires.
Extending the child's stay to continue studying in the UK
If a child has been studying in the UK as a Tier 4 (Child) student or as a student under the former Immigration Rules which applied until 30 March 2009, they can apply to extend their stay when their current permission expires.
They can extend their stay for the full length of their course, up to a maximum of six years (or two years if they are 16 or 17 years old when they apply for the extension), plus four months after the end of the course.
If they are 16 or 17 and they want to extend their student visa for more than two years, they may be able to apply as an adult student or a child student. The What type of student visa do I need? page contains more information. If they have already turned 18 when their current permission to stay expires, they must apply for an extension as an adult student.
What does the child need when they apply?
A child needs 40 points to be able to apply for a child student visa, and must provide the evidence needed with their application form.
| Points | What we award points for | Proof and documents needed |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Doing an acceptable course with an approved education provider (also known as sponsorship) |
A confirmation of acceptance for studies reference number issued by your approved education provider (see below) - and, if the child is aged 16 or 17, the documents used to obtain the confirmation of acceptance for studies. |
| 10 | Having enough money to cover the child's course fees and living costs (also known as maintenance) |
Bank statement or letter confirming that there is enough money available to cover the child's course fees and living costs for a given period (see 'Money needed' below). The parent or legal guardian must be able to prove that the money has been in their account, or the child's account, for 28 days before the date of the application. |
You must also arrange for us to record the child's biometric information (photograph and fingerprints). See Biometrics for more information.
The child's parent or legal guardian must make suitable care arrangements for where the child will stay while they are in the UK, and must be able to send documents and proof to show this. A child can:
- live at a residential boarding school;
- live with a private foster carer or close relative who is a UK resident;
- (if they are under 12 years old) live with a parent or legal guardian who is coming with them to the UK; or
- live independently if they are 16 or 17 years old.
Approved education provider
The organisation that provides a child student's education must be approved by us. When we approve an education provider, we give them a sponsor licence to teach international students in the UK, and we add them to the Tier 4 register of sponsors.
When an education provider for the child has been chosen, the child or their parent or legal guardian should check to see whether it is on the Tier 4 register of sponsors. If it is not on the register, the child cannot get a student visa.
If an approved education provider offers a child a place on a course, it will assign a confirmation of acceptance for studies to the child. This is an electronic document containing the child's personal details and information about the course.
Acceptable course
A child student can do a course that is:
- taught in line with the National Curriculum; or
- taught in line with the National Qualification Framework (NQF); or
- accepted by Ofsted, Northern Ireland's Education and Training Inspectorate, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education in Scotland or Estyn in Wales as being at the same level as the National Curriculum or the NQF; or
- taught in line with current (prevailing) independent school education inspection standards.
The child can also do a short course to prepare them for a main course of study in the UK, if the main course will meet one of the conditions above. This short course is known as a 'pre-sessional course'. For more information, see the Course to prepare you for study page.
Money needed
The money that the child will need includes course fees and monthly living costs. The amount needed depends on the length of the course and the child's living arrangements in the UK.
| Care arrangement | Money needed |
|---|---|
| Studying and boarding at a residential independent school | School fees (course fees and board or lodging fees) for the first year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) |
| Private foster care arrangement or staying with a close relative (known as the 'intended carer') |
School fees for one year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) and confirmation from the intended carer that they have £500 per month, up to a maximum of £4,5000, to look after and accommodate the child |
| One child (under 12) coming with a parent or legal guardian |
Course fees for the first year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) and £1,333 per month (£800 for the parent or guardian plus £533 for the child), up to a maximum of £11,997, to cover their living costs |
| Each additional child (under 12) coming with the same parent or legal guardian |
Course fees for the first year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) and £533 per month, up to a maximum of £4,797, to cover their living costs |
| 16- or 17-year-old living independently and studying in inner London for more than 50 per cent of their study time |
Course fees for the first year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) and £800 a month, up to a mazimum of £7,200, to cover living costs* |
| 16- or 17-year-old living independently and studying outside inner London for more than 50 per cent of their study time |
Course fees for the first year (or for the entire course, if this is less than one year) and £600 a month, up to a mazimum of £5,400, to cover living costs* |
* A 16- or 17-year-old who will be living independently in the UK will not need to show so much money for their living costs if they:
- have, in the last four months, completed a UK course of study lasting at least six months; or
- have completed at least six months of a course which they are currently studying here.
They must be or have been here as a Tier 4 (Child) student or as a student under the former Immigration Rules which applied until 30 March 2009.
If they meet these requirements, the maximum amount that they will need to show to cover their living costs is:
- £1,600 if they will be studying in inner London for more than 50 per cent of their study time; or
- £1,200 if they will be studying outside inner London for more than 50 per cent of their study time.
How much does a student visa cost?
The Tier 4 (Child) application fee depends on where the child is when the application is made:
- Inside the UK by post - £357
- Inside the UK in person at a public enquiry office - £565
- Outside the UK - £145
Application form
If the child is applying from inside the UK, they must use the Tier 4 (Child) application form. You can download this from the right side of this page.
If the child is applying from outside the UK, you can find the correct application form on our Visa services website.
Application forms
Application form and guidance for Tier 4 (Child) students applying from inside the UK
- Tier 4 (Child) application formPDF 767KB opens in a new window
- Help text for Tier 4 (Child) applicationsPDF 392KB opens in a new window
- Tier 4 policy guidancePDF 839KB opens in a new window
- Photo guidance (new)PDF 325KB opens in a new window