Tier 4 united kingdom visa

Tier 4 (Child) student visa

    Overview
    Eligibility
    Documents you must provide
    Apply
    Extend your visa
    Switch to this visa

1. Overview

You can apply for the Tier 4 (Child) student visa if you’re aged between 4 and 17 and you want to study in the UK.

You should also:

•     have a place on a course
•     have the consent of your parent or guardian
•     have enough money to cover your course fees and living costs
•     be from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
•     meet the eligibility requirements

How long it will take

• You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.
• You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.
Fees

How much you pay depends on how you’re applying.
Apply (outside the UK)     Extend or switch by post in the UK     Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service)
£310     £422     £822
How long you can stay

Your age and the length of your course of study will affect how long you can stay.
Age when you apply     How long you can stay

• Under 16     Course length (up to 6 years) plus 4 months afterwards
• 16 or 17     Course length (up to 3 years) plus 4 months afterwards

You can arrive in the UK:

•     up to 1 week before your course starts if your course lasts 6 months or less
•     up to 1 month before your course starts if your course lasts more than 6 months

What you can and can’t do

You can:

•     study at an independent fee-paying school (if you’re aged between 4 and 15)
•     study at a publicly-funded further education college (if you’re 16 or 17 and you’re a fee-paying student)
•     apply from inside or outside the UK
•     apply to extend your stay

You can also work, if you’re 16 or over:

•     part-time during term for up to 10 hours per week
•     full-time during vacations
•     on a work placement as part of your course, (but not for more than 50% of your course time)
•     as a student union sabbatical officer for up to 2 years

You can’t:

•     study at a publicly-funded school
•     get public funds
•     take a full-time permanent job or be self-employed
•     work as a doctor or dentist in training
•     work as a professional sportsperson (eg a sports coach) or entertainer
•     settle in the UK on this visa
•     bring in family members (‘dependants’) - if your parents want to accompany you, they’ll need to apply for a Parent of a Child At School visa

Read the full guidance on the Tier 4 (Child) student visa.

2. Eligibility

You must have:

    an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a qualified education provider
    enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - this will vary depending on your circumstances

You should read the guidance for the full list of documents and how much money you’ll need according to your situation.
Your course

You can do a course that’s taught in line with:

•     the National Curriculum
•     the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
•     independent school education inspection standards

You can do pre-sessional study, ie a short course to prepare you for your main course.

You can also do a course that’s accepted as being at the same academic level as the:

•     Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
•     HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
•     Estyn (in Wales)
•     Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
•     Independent Schools Inspectorate

Confirmation of acceptance of studies

• Your education provider will send you a reference number called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) once they’ve offered you a place on a course. You’ll need to enter this on your application.
• Your CAS can cover both the pre-sessional course and your main course of study.
• You must apply for your visa no later than 6 months after you’re sent the CAS.

 3. Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

•     a current passport or other valid travel documentation
•     2 passport size colour photographs for yourself and for each parent or guardian applying with you, with names written on the reverse side
•     proof that you can support yourself and pay for your course - this will vary depending on your circumstances
•     proof of parental or other legal guardian consent
•     your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa.

Read the full guidance for the full list of documents and how much money you’ll need according to your situation.