International students, including EEA, Swiss and non-EEA nationals, who wish to come to the UK to study, must first make an application for a UK Student visa. The Student visa is for international students aged 16 or over who wish to study on a full-time or part-time course at an acceptable level at a licensed UK university, college or other higher education provider; Student visas are ordinarily granted for the duration of the course of study applied for with a small amount of additional time added on to the end of this. 

Student visa applicants need to meet certain suitability and eligibility criteria, including, having been offered a place to study at a licensed educational institution, and meeting English language and financial requirements. 

Your partner and children may apply to join you as dependants. 

If you are already lawfully residing in the UK on a different long-term visa, it may be possible for you to make an application from inside the UK to switch into the Student visa category.

If you are on an existing Student visa and wish to continue your course beyond the expiry date of your visa, or start an additional course, you may be able to make an application to extend your Student visa. 

Those on a Student visa are not permitted to undertake self-employment, full-time permanent employment or to engage in business activity. You may however be permitted to work alongside your studies - students with permission to work will have limits placed upon the type of work that can be undertaken and the number of hours they can work during term and non-term time.

The Student visa route does not lead to settlement / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. Student visa holders may, however, count any time spent in the UK as a student towards making an application for ILR under the 10 year ‘long residence’ rules. Students may also be able to switch into another visa category, such as the Skilled Worker visa category, which does provide applicants with a route to ILR/settlement. 

We can advise you on the requirements for a Student visa and assist you in preparing your visa application. 

Child Student Visa

International child students, including EEA, Swiss and non-EEA nationals, who wish to come to the UK to study, must first make an application for a UK Child Student visa. The Child Student visa is for students aged between 4-17 who wish to study at a licensed UK independent educational institution. 

Child Student visa applicants need to meet certain suitability and eligibility criteria, including, having been offered a place to study at a licensed educational institution, and meeting English language and financial requirements. 

If your child is under 16 years of age at the date they apply for their Child student visa, they will be able to stay for the duration of their course, up to a maximum of 6 years, plus an additional 4 months after their course ends. 

If your child is either 16 or 17 years of age at the date they apply for their Child Student visa, they will be able to stay for the duration of their course, up to a maximum of 3 years, plus an additional 4 months after their course ends. A child student can, subject to some restrictions, work part-time for a maximum of 10 hours per week during school term time and full-time during school holidays. They cannot, however, take a full-time permanent job or be self-employed.

A child student is not permitted to bring both of their parents to the UK with them whilst they undertake their studies. Instead, only one of child student’s parents may apply for their own visa to join the child student. This visa is known as a Parent of a Child Student Visa. For a parent to qualify for this visa, the child student must be between the ages of 4 and 11 and the child’s other parent must not reside in the UK. 

If a child is already lawfully residing in the UK and is aged between 4 and 17 years old, they may be able to apply from inside in the UK to switch into the Child student visa route. 

A child student may also apply to have their Child Student visa extended to enable them to continue their studies in the UK. To be granted an extension, the child student will need to prove they have been offered a place with a licensed independent school.

A child student will not be entitled to apply for settlement / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. However, any time spent in the UK on a Child Student visa can count towards an application for settlement/ILR under the 10 year ‘long residence’ rules.

We can advise you of the requirements for a Child Student visa and assist you in preparing the visa application. 

Short-Term Study Visa

Short-term study visas enable individuals to come to the UK to study the English language. You must have enrolled on an English language course that is between 6 months - 11 months long. 

A Short - Term Study visa will be granted for the duration on your course, (up to a maximum of 11 months), plus an additional 30 days after your course ends.

You must have secured a place to study with an accredited institution before you apply and show you have adequate funds to support yourself for the duration of your trip. This visa does not allow you to work in the UK or bring your dependant family members with you. 

It is not possible to apply to extend this visa or switch to this visa if you are already in the UK. Applications for this visa must be made from outside of the UK. 

A Short-term study visa does not lead to settlement / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. However, any time spent in the UK on a short-term study visa can count towards an application for ILR under to 10 year ‘long residence’ rules.

We can advise you of the requirements for a Short-Term Study visa and assist you in preparing the visa application. 

Parent of a Child Student Visa

A Parent of a Child Student visa enables one parent of Child Student to apply for a visa to accompany their child to the UK during their studies. The child student must be aged between 4 and 11 years old and must be either applying to attend, or already attending, an independent school in the UK.

The parent applying for this visa will need to meet certain criteria, including being the only parent accompanying the child student in the UK, maintaining a home outside of the UK, meeting financial requirements, and intending to leave the UK once their visa expires. Those granted a Parent of a Child Student visa are not permitted to study, undertake paid work or start a business during the course of their stay in the UK.

A Parent of a Child Student can remain in the UK until either their child’s student visa expires, or their child turns 12, whichever is sooner.

A Parent of a Child Student can apply to bring their other children to the UK with them, so long as those children have, or are applying for, a Child Student visa. 

It is not possible to switch to a Parent of a Child Student visa if you are already in the UK. All applications for this visa must be made from outside of the UK. It is however possible to extend a Parent of a Child Student visa if the child’s student visa is also being extended. 

A Parent of a Child Student visa does not lead to settlement / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. 

We can advise you of the requirements for a Parent of a Child Student visa and assist you in making the visa application.