Parent of Child Student Visa
- 15 Sep 2025, 04:22PM — Parent of a child student page had been updated. There has been no significant changes.
Where a child student applies for a student visa and is granted, they can come to the UK and complete their studies. Students who are aged 4 to 11 years can bring one of their legal parents to the UK.
The other parent must not apply under the scheme, nor can the parent apply on the basis of their second child.
The immigration program only permits one parent to be in the UK, to act as the legal guardian and support the child until he/she reaches the age of 12 years.
Visa requirements for a parent to meet
A parent must demonstrate that they would meet the following requirements in order to apply for the visa:
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The parent must provide suitable evidence to confirm they are related to the child who is studying in the UK. This can include the full birth certificate or a court order to confirm the parental responsibilities.
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The child must be aged 4 to 11 years at the date of the application. It permits a parent to remain in the UK until the child turns 12 years of age.
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As part of the application, the parent must provide evidence to confirm he/she would meet financial adequacy and have adequate accommodation in the UK. The evidence required to support that application must meet Immigration Rules Appendix Finance.
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When meeting the financial requirements, the parent must provide financial evidence to cover the 28 days requirements.
Permission in the UK for more than 12 months
Where the applicant has been in the UK for more than 12 months, the financial adequacy test is met automatically without the need to demonstrate financial funds.
Applying at the same time as the child student
If the parents submit their visa application at the same time as the child, they do not need to meet separate financial requirements.
How to apply for the parent visa
The application must be filed online – it can be applied either from the UK or inside the UK. If applying from the UK, the parent must meet the switching requirements.
Visa duration on the parent of a child student
Home Office will grant a visa for a parent in line with the child, and this must be extended in line with the child whilst living in the UK. A parent cannot live in the UK post the child’s 12 years of age. Any further application must be submitted in line with the Leave to Remain Outside of the Rules (LOTR) policy guidance.
Conditions of the visa
When the visa is granted, the parent is not permitted to work or study in the UK. If they wish to do so, the parent must consider applying for an appropriate immigration programs to undertake those activities in the UK.
Resources & references
The content has been written in line with the following policy law and guidance’s. Any changes are updated in the following:
- Immigration Rules Appendix Parent of a Child Student - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-parent-of-a-child-student
- Immigration Rules Appendix Finance - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-finance
Author
The contents on this page have been written by a qualified Lawyer at ICS Legal. We are a regulated law firm in the UK by the Immigration Advice Authority. Our Research & Innovation Team work with both Counsels and Lawyers specialising in immigration work. You can find all our information related to our regulatory bodies here.
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Legal Disclaimer
We update our pages with information to confirm the date/time this page had been updated on the top. However the information provided here is for general purposes and does not constitute legal advice. This also does not create a client-Lawyer relationship based on the contents of our pages. We recommend that you either speak to the Home Office or our Lawyers at ICS Legal to take advice on your matter before you proceed on an application.