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Entry Clearance for Child Student Visa UK - Specialist Child Student Visa Solicitors

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 09 May 2026

You can apply for a Child Student Visa entry clearance for the UK if you are a person aged 4 to 17 who wants to study at an independent school in the UK that is a student sponsor. An application for a Child Student Visa entry clearance is made in accordance with the requirements as set out in Appendix Child Student of the Immigration Rules.

A person aged 16 or 17 who wants to study a course at or above the Regulated Qualifications Framework level 3 or the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 6 can choose either to apply as a Child Student at an independent school or as a Student under Appendix Student.

Premium Solicitors, open 7 days a week and 365 days a year, are specialist UK immigration solicitors. The high quality of UK visa and immigration services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced SRA-regulated immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Free Immigration Advice for a Child Student Visa

Our specialist team of Student Visa Solicitors can provide 5 minutes of free, one-off immigration advice for a child's Child Student Visa application. Ask a question online to our specialist team of Student Visa Solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our Student Visa Solicitors concerning a child's Child Student Visa application.

Requirements for a Child Student Visa Entry Clearance

To qualify for a Child Student Visa entry clearance, you should meet the following requirements of the Immigration Rules as set out in Appendix Child Student:

The applicant should make a valid application for a child student visa entry clearance.
The applicant must be aged between 4 and 17 years at the date of application.
An application for entry clearance must be made no more than 6 months before the start date of the course stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
The applicant must meet all requirements for the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
The applicant must meet all requirements for the course of study.
The applicant must meet the points-based criteria and score 70 points to qualify for a Child Student Visa entry clearance.
An applicant aged 16 or 17 years old must be a genuine student.
The applicant should meet the parental consent requirement.
The applicant's application for entry clearance should not fall for refusal under the general grounds for refusal as set out in Appendix Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.
A person applying for entry clearance for more than 6 months must meet the requirements for a tuberculosis certificate if the criteria specified in Appendix Tuberculosis (TB) of the Immigration Rules apply.

Valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

The child student must meet the following requirements in relation to the valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS):

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) must have been issued by a student sponsor, which is an independent school whose licence is still valid on the date on which the application is decided.
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) must not have been issued by the student sponsor more than 6 months before the date of application.
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) must not have been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused (but could have been submitted in a previous application which was rejected as invalid, made void or withdrawn).
The student sponsor must not have withdrawn the offer since the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) was issued.
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) must contain the necessary information to confirm that the course requirement is met.
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) must state the cost of accommodation and fees (and any payment already made) so that the financial requirement can be assessed.

Course of Study Requirements

The applicant must meet the following requirements in relation to his/her course of study:

The application must be for a single course of study that meets the requirements in CS 8.2. unless it is for a combined pre-sessional course that meets the requirement at CS 11.1;
The course for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) has been assigned must be one of the following:
- taught in accordance with the National Curriculum; or
- taught in accordance with the Recognised Qualification Framework (RQF), and is not a foundation course intended to prepare the Child Student for entry to a course provided by a higher education provider; or
- accepted as being of equivalent academic status to (a) or (b) above by Ofsted (England), the Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland), Education Scotland (Scotland) or Estyn (Wales); or
- provided in accordance with prevailing Independent School education inspection standards.

Parental Consent Requirement

The applicant must have written consent from:

both parents; or
one parent, if that parent has sole legal responsibility for the applicant; or
the applicant’s legal guardian.

The written consent must confirm support for all the following:

the application; and
the applicant’s living and care arrangements in the UK; and
if the application is for entry clearance, the applicant’s travel to, and reception arrangements in, the UK.

If the applicant will be living with a close relative or private foster carer, that close relative or foster carer must be:

a British citizen; or
settled in the UK.

The close relative or private foster carer (the intended carer) must provide a letter of undertaking which contains the following information:

the name, current address and contact details of the intended carer; and
the address where the intended carer and the applicant will be living in the UK if different from the intended carer’s current address; and
confirmation that the accommodation offered to the applicant is a private address, and not operated as a commercial enterprise, such as a hotel or a youth hostel; and
the nature of the relationship between the applicant’s parent(s) or legal guardian and the intended carer; and
that the intended carer agrees to the care arrangements for the applicant; and
that the intended carer has at least £570 per month available to look after and accommodate the applicant for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months; and
a list of any other people that the intended carer has offered support to; and
the intended carer’s signature and the date of the letter of undertaking.

If the applicant is staying in a private foster care arrangement and is under 16 years old, they must also provide:

a copy of the letter of notification from their parent, legal guardian or intended carer to the UK local authority, confirming that the applicant will be in the care of a private foster carer while in the UK; and
the UK local authority’s confirmation of receipt, confirming that the local authority has received notification of the private foster care arrangement and have given permission to the arrangement.

Financial Requirement

Where the applicant is applying for entry clearance or permission to stay, and they have been in the UK for less than 12 months, the applicant must have the following funds:

Living arrangements	Funds required
Boarding at a residential independent school	The applicant must have sufficient funds to pay the outstanding course fees and boarding fees for one academic year
Living during term-time with a private foster carer or close relative who is a British Citizen or settled in the UK	The applicant must have sufficient funds to pay the outstanding course fees for one academic year. The private foster carer or close relative must have funds of at least £570 per month for each month of the course, up to a maximum of 9 months
Living with a parent or legal guardian who holds permission as a Parent of a Child Student	The applicant must have sufficient funds to pay the outstanding course fees for one academic year and: (a) if no other children are accompanying the parent, £1,560 per month for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months; and (b) if any other children are accompanying the parent, £625 per month of the course for each additional child, up to a maximum of 9 months
Aged 16 or 17 and living independently	The applicant must have sufficient funds to pay the outstanding course fees for one academic year and either: (a) 1,334 for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months, while studying in London; or (b) £1,023 for each month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months, where studying outside London

If the length of the applicant’s course includes a part of a month, the period of time will be rounded up to the next full month.
Unless the applicant is relying on a student loan or an award from a Government or international sponsorship agency, they must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period as calculated in Appendix Finance, FIN 7.1 to FIN 7.3.
Unless CS 13.1. applies, the applicant must show they meet the financial requirement as specified in Appendix Finance.
The applicant must not be financially responsible for anyone else.

Combined Pre-sessional Course Requirement

A single Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) can be assigned by an independent school for a combined pre-sessional course and a main course if:

the applicant has an unconditional offer of a place at the independent school; and
the duration of the pre-sessional course and period of study at the independent school does not exceed the maximum period of permission granted as set out at CS 15.2.

Evidence Of Qualification Requirement

Unless CS 13.1 applies, the applicant must provide evidence of the qualifications they used to obtain the student sponsor's offer of a place on the course.

The evidence of each qualification must be one of the following:

the certificate(s) of qualification; or
the transcript of results; or
a print-out of the qualification or transcript results from the awarding body’s online checking service.

Where the applicant has provided a print-out of qualifications or transcript results from the awarding body’s online checking service, the decision maker may require the applicant to provide the certificate of qualification or transcript of results.

Differential Evidence Requirement

Evidence to show that the applicant meets the financial requirement and the requirement to provide documents used to obtain an offer does not need to be provided with the application (but may be required by the decision maker) if the applicant is applying from the country or territory where they are living, or from in the UK, and the applicant either:

holds a valid passport which shows they are registered as a British National (Overseas), or which was issued by the competent authorities of Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR or Taiwan (which includes the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan); or
is a national of any of the following:

Study Conditions

A Child Student must study the course or courses for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned, unless:

they have yet to complete the course for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned; and
they begin study on a new course at the student sponsor institution, and the new course is at a higher level or the same level as the course for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned, and is not a foundation course intended to prepare the student for entry to a higher education provider.

A Child Student must study with the student sponsor who issued their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, unless:

they are studying at an institution which is a partner institution of their student sponsor; or
they have made an application for permission to stay while they have permission as a Child Student which is supported by a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies assigned by a student sponsor, the application has not yet been decided, or any administrative review against refusal of that decision has not been determined, and the Child Student will be studying at the student sponsor that assigned the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.

Supplementary study is permitted.

A Child Student must not study at a State School or Academy except for:

a voluntary grammar school with boarding in Northern Ireland: or
if the Child Student has been granted permission to study at a student sponsor which becomes a State School or Academy during that period of permission, in which case the Child Student may complete the course for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned.

Conditions and Period Of Grant

The grant of permission will be subject to the following conditions:

no access to public funds; and
no work until the Child Student is over 16 years, then work is allowed as specified in CS 16.1. and
no study except as specified in CS 17.

The period of grant before the start of the course for an applicant applying for entry clearance will be:

the relevant period of permission granted before the course date, which is set out in the table below, if entry clearance is granted 1 month or more before the start date of the course or; or
7 days before the intended date of travel, if entry clearance is granted less than 1 month before the start date of the course; or
with immediate effect, if entry clearance is granted less than 7 days before the intended date of travel and less than 1 month before the start date of the course.

The applicant will be granted permission for the duration of the course as specified on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) and the relevant additional periods dependant on their age as specified in the table below:

Age	Period granted before the course start date	Period granted for study	Period granted after course end date
Under 16 years	1 month	The shortest of: · the period requested by the applicant; or · the duration of the course of study; or · 6 years	4 months
16 or 17 years	1 month	The shortest of: · the period requested by the applicant; or · the duration of the course of study; or · 3 years	4 months

How Can We Help?

Our specialist team of Student Visa Solicitors specialise in UK child student visa entry clearance applications. Our highly experienced team of Student Visa Solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legally represent you in your application for a Child Student Visa UK and carry out all the work on your application until a decision is made by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) on your Child Student Visa entry clearance application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our specialist team of Student Visa Solicitors will entail the following:

Our Student Visa Solicitors will assess your eligibility for a child's Child Student Visa entry clearance by considering all the relevant information and evidence.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will advise you on the weaknesses and strengths of your child's Child Student Visa entry clearance application.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will advise you on the relevant documents to be submitted in support of your child's Child Student Visa entry clearance application.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will assess your documents to ensure that the documentary evidence you provide is as per the requirements of the Home Office UKVI immigration Rules.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will complete and submit the online application form for a child's Child Student Visa/UK entry clearance, gathering all relevant information from you.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will help you pay the child's Child Student Visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for your application.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter to introduce and support your child's Child Student Visa entry clearance application, explaining in detail how you satisfy all the relevant requirements of the Immigration Rules for the grant of your child's Child Student Visa.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will upload all relevant supporting documents online and schedule an appointment for the submission of your passport and enrolment of your biometrics.
Our Student Visa Solicitors will liaise with the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) and carry out all the follow-up work until a decision is made by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) on your child's Child Student Visa entry clearance application.

Specialist Student Visa Solicitors

Our Student Visa Solicitors are specialists in Child Student Visa applications. As one of the best Student Visa Solicitors, we have an excellent track record of helping clients obtain UK Child Student Visas. Our highly experienced and fully qualified Student Visa Solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable, and fixed-fee immigration advice and legal representation for your Child Student Visa application.

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