Child Student Visa

For children between the ages of 4 and 17 who want to study at an independent school in the UK.
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Child Student Visa

The Child Student Visa (formerly the Tier 4 (Child) Student Visa) is for children between the ages of 4 and 17 who wish to pursue their education at an independent school in the UK. Parents can join their children for the duration of their studies if they meet the requirements of the Parent of a Child Student visa.

How long a visa will be granted will be in line with the duration of the course.

The Student route does not lead to settlement in the UK. Once an applicant has completed their studies, in order to remain in the UK, they will be required to switch to another visa category.

How can we help?

We have extensive experience of preparing successful Child Student visa applications on behalf of our clients. We pride ourselves on the presentation of our applications to the Home Office. You can be assured that your application process will be managed in timeously and with expertise.

Key contact

Usof Shah PNG
Usof Shah
Legal Director

What our clients say about us

Liz Hailey has been my primary point of contact at Herrington Carmichael and has become a trusted adviser to me and my clients. Liz possesses unparalleled legal knowledge and offers a unique approach to issues, thinking outside the box to come up with solutions. The collaborative approach within the business ensures that we have access to a variety of different legal departments offering an end-to-end service. The communication has been a primary factor in my continuing use and recommendation of Liz and HC.

Rachel Duncan, Anna Svensson, Charlotte Keeper, and Jed Temple are working as a team with both extensive and developing skill sets to collectively deliver a valued leasehold acquisition and advisory service to our in-house team of property professionals. Trusted advice and guidance are always available and quick to respond.

A dedicated, commercially minded team at all levels, with direct communication to principals is a real benefit to us.

I deal with many law firms and in recent years I have noticed a 'shift' toward an 'over' emphasis on ensuring boxes are ticked rather than being solution-led. Jamie Lynch and his team struck the right balance and never forgot that the client actually wants the best outcome!

A strong real estate team with London experience in transactions while also located in the regions. Good communication and sufficient cover when anyone in the team is away from the business. Adapts to client requirements and maintains open communication throughout transactions.

Liz Hailey - huge depth of range, knowledge, and experience in the real estate sector. Liz has picked up our requirements very quickly and has accommodated these where needed. Liz explains things in a simple but knowledgeable manner, and we are confident she is acting in the best interests of her client at all times.

They are genuinely engaged and thoughtful people to work with through a variety of transactions. The key from my perspective is that all challenges are put into relevant context with thorough recommendations made.

The breadth of experience across a wide range of challenging assets is absolutely clear. Expectations and time scales are well managed proactively. Picking up the phone to discuss is of key value; thank you.

We have also greatly benefited from the excellent work of Usof Shah, Immigration Director, whose expertise has been instrumental in helping our members address critical skills shortages in the construction industry. Usof has provided clear, actionable guidance on immigration laws, empowering our members to legally employ skilled foreign workers and sustain their businesses. His commitment extends beyond traditional legal services - he has delivered live webinars and offered free advice to some of our SME members, which was highly valued and, in several cases, helped save their companies. This combination of deep legal expertise, accessibility, and genuine care for clients' success sets him apart from others in the field.

Throughout my UK career, I came across many solicitors and solicitor firms. But Herrington Carmichael is the best so far. Their quick response, wider knowledge, and straightforward decisions come with a very competitive advisory fee. I can easily recommend them, and I did. Their success rate for me is 100%. In a nutshell, they are brilliant.

The individual deals with my requirements and makes sure I fully understand what he is advising and what the best way to proceed is.

Responsive, commercial, and able to explain immigration requirements in clear, simple terms.

The individuals we work with stand out for being approachable, knowledgeable, and responsive. Usof Shah, in particular, has been extremely professional, helpful, and practical in his advice.

Usof Shah stands out for his strong combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and responsiveness. He is able to explain complex immigration matters in a clear and practical way while remaining highly approachable and solutions-oriented throughout the process. What differentiates him from competitors is the level of personal attention and ownership he brings to matters. He is proactive, detail-oriented, and demonstrates a strong understanding of the operational and business needs of his clients rather than approaching matters from a purely technical perspective. I have particularly valued his responsiveness, clear communication, and ability to manage matters efficiently under tight timelines. He consistently provides pragmatic advice and maintains a high level of professionalism, which creates a strong sense of confidence and reliability throughout the engagement.

Usof Shah and his team stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and clear communication.

Herrington Carmichael’s team stands out for its strong expertise in immigration matters, combined with a highly personalized and responsive service. Over the past few years, they supported me and three members of my family, managing each of our individual cases efficiently and professionally. Compared to other firms, they are notably more organized and responsive.

Dedicated family law team with a passion for the area and a strong commitment to client service. Technically excellent lawyers with good legal judgment. Pragmatic and solutions-focused, providing realistic advice enabling clients to make informed decisions from an early stage.

I have always been impressed with how strong the team's commitment is to client outcomes and how well they balance each other in pushing forward for an outcome while also exploring settlement.

Personalised service - understood requirements. Work lasted several years and through several partners and associates, but the practice was able to ensure a seamless handover of information. Billing was clearly supported.

Herrington Carmichael punches above its weight. For a relatively small firm, it provides excellent service for high-net-worth individuals.

Sarah Speed is an outstanding family lawyer who is a joy to work with. She is very bright as well as being a calm and reassuring presence for her clients. Her down-to-earth and pragmatic advice means that she is not distracted in a case from the issues that matter. She is no pushover, and her clients can rest easy in the knowledge that she will skillfully argue their case for them when necessary, but also find a compromise when contested litigation is not the best way forward for her client.

I am not familiar with the team, but rather with one of the partners, Sarah Speed. However, it seems to me that the breadth of work that the firm covers provides good cross-pollination of legal expertise across various sectors, which may be enormously helpful in some cases.

A lovely team. All very professional and, importantly, friendly.

Graeme Black comes with a host of experience delivered in a manner that is simple to understand. He is friendly, supportive, and a great asset to the firm.

They are extremely knowledgeable about their field and genuinely care about the clients. They are honest and transparent.

Stephen Baker is exceptionally well-experienced, has a steadfast, logical mind, and an incredible ability to pinpoint real issues.

Very knowledgeable team, highly client-focused and with generally quick turnaround of any requests. Very professional approach and very open and honest with their respective areas of expertise.

Stephen conducted complex and challenging litigation and responded to the demands of a demanding client with great patience, determination, and tactical astuteness, while also developing a strong and positive relationship with the other members of the legal team, including counsel. He is a seasoned and highly skilled litigator.

From the first person I spoke to, then to all of the team, they were all polite, precise, and knew exactly what service I was going to need.

Jed was brilliant and really compassionate about my tough situation. He was calming and reassuring when I was quite stressed about my situation. This alone was a real quality that helped me out and one that made him stand out. The whole team was brilliant, very clear on what needed to be done and what the process would look like.

I have now met several partners across a number of disciplines and find them all most accommodating. Mostly, we deal with the litigation team, who are very good, provide sound advice (even when it is not what you want to hear), and are personable and professional. The conveyancing team is also very efficient and seems to look to reserve costs where they can, which is very impressive. HC's billing is also good, quick, and easy to understand.

I have done a lot personally and with my firm over the years with Ed Jones, who is especially effective and with whom we have had a number of wins. He is also a very effective mediator. Jed Temple too has provided excellent advice, and Michelle Lambeth has also been helpful and accommodating.

The whole team was brilliant. They were great at listening and understanding my problem, with the main thing being reassuring about my situation. They explained clearly the different approaches to take and what the outcomes could be.

Friendly service with a clear understanding of what services are involved in a complex legal environment.

The personal touch made me feel like a normal person who made a mistake. They were always quick in responding to my emails and didn’t make me feel like just another case. They related to me in my scenario.

The team's strengths were being very knowledgeable and being able to explain to me the process we would go through with the possible outcomes.

We were very happy with our service. Being first-time buyers and brand new to the property world, Annari & Mary-Jayne relieved all of our worries and made our journey very stress-free and relatively easy. Thank you.

We received excellent support in reviewing and modifying our Wills to our latest needs. The communication has always been straightforward and very effective and we achieved the objectives we set at the beginning of the process. Strong expertise and legal knowledge have been key to the successful completion.

It was a very straightforward process & Charlotte explained everything clearly to us in a very friendly way & answered any queries we had. It was a pleasure to have her deal with this matter, and I would certainly come to your firm of solicitors on that basis. Thank you so much.

Paul provided calm, helpful, constructive and thorough advice on my matter and I will be in touch again to progress.

Aadil has been representing my son through a very challenging child custody/recovery case. His help and knowledge has been fantastic. He went above and beyond working on his day off too make sure court papers were delivered on time. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Aadil.

I just wanted to write a huge thank you for all your help and support during my recent divorce proceedings There were times when it seemed things would never get resolved but thankfully with your guidance everything went relatively smoothly in the end.

Annari is an excellent Solicitor. We have always used her services for all of our property conveyancing jobs. She is a valuable asset to your company.

We had the pleasure of working with Annari on buying our very first house. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know how efficient Annari was throughout the entire process. Annari really helped to make buying our first home an easy process! She absolutely went above and beyond her call of duty.

The service we received was exceptional. We were always updated and Annari would answer any questions I had immediately. Keep doing what you do Annari. Thank you so much for everything, and Amy too.

Thanks again, we’ve always felt in good hands. It is for this reason we’d highly recommend Herrington Carmichael and especially Annari.

Annari is an excellent Solicitor. We have always used her services for all of our property conveyancing jobs. She is a valuable asset to your company.

We had the pleasure of working with Annari on buying our very first house. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know how efficient Annari was throughout the enitre process. Annari really helped to make buying our first home an easy process! She absolutely went above and beyond her call of duty.

Both Holly Bray & Jessica Brooke were fantastic from start to finish on the purchase of my new build property. Nothing was an issues for them and I didn’t need to chase them for anything at all. I was kept well informed all the way through the process to completion and everything was dealt with in a very pleasant and professional manner. I would happily recommend Herrington Carmichael to anyone looking for a conveyancer for the purchase of their property. 5 stars.

From start to finish Herrington Carmichael staff have been excellent. Communication has been second to none and cannot fault them for everything. Would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, friendly and very efficient service.

Meet our experts

Dedicated professionals ready to assist you.

Usof Shah PNG
Legal Director
Neelu-Gurung-PNG
Paralegal

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your most pressing questions about our services and processes.

You can apply for the Student visa if you meet the following requirements:

  • Are between the ages of 4 and 17 years old
  • You have a place at an independent school with an unconditional offer
  • You can demonstrate that you have enough money available to pay for your course and support yourself in the UK
  • Have the consent of your parents or guardians.

Yes. You will need an unconditional offer for a place at a course in an independent school.

Yes. Your education provider will send you a reference number called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies that you will need to enter on your visa application.

Yes, this application can be submitted either in the UK or from overseas. You can apply 6 months before the start of your course.

You should get a decision on your visa within 8 weeks for an application submitted in the UK or within 3 weeks of applying from overseas. Please note, these timeframes are a guideline, and some applications do take longer to receive a decision.

Your parent can join you if they have a Parent of a Child Student Visa.

You will need:

  • A valid passport
  • Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your course provider
  • Written consent from your legal guardian

You might also need:

  • proof that you meet the financial requirements and can support yourself
  • proof of consent from your parent or guardian if you are under 18
  • proof of your relationship with your parent or guadian if consent is required
  • tuberculosis test results if you are from a qualifying country
  • written consent from your financial sponsor if you have received sponsorship for your course fees and living costs

If you need to receive consent from your parent or guardian if you are under 18, it needs to include:

  • their consent for your visa application
  • your living and care arrangements while studying in the UK
  • your travel to the UK (flights, for example)
  • copy of your birth certificate showing the names of your parents

The fees charged by Home Office can be found on their official website here.

Yes. You will need to pay £1,035 per year that that the visa is valid for. You need to pay the full amount at once.

You will need to show that you have enough money available to you to pay for your studies and support yourself.

Money to Support Yourself

If you will live with your parents:

Your parent must have a Parent of a Child Student Visa, however, if you are over 12 then your parent is not eligible unless you have a sibling under 12 also applying for a Child Student Visa.

  • You will need enough money to pay for your first academic year (9 months)
  • You will need £1,560 per month for you and your parent for the 9 months of the academic year

For each additional child living with your parent on a Child Student visa, you will collectively need an additional £625 per month.

If you are at a boarding school

You will need to pay your course fees and boarding fees for the first academic year.

If you will live with a close relative or a foster carer

You will need enough money to your course fees for the first academic year.

Your carer will need to confirm they have at least £570 per month for your care. They must also be a British citizen or have settled status in the UK.

If you are 16 or 17 living independently

You will need enough money to pay your course fees for the first academic year.

You will also need:

  • If studying in London, £1,334 per month for 9 months
  • If studying outside of London, £1,023 per month for 9 months

If you wish to pursue tertiary education, you will need to apply for a Student Visa.

You can stay for the duration of the course.

If you are under 16 years old when you apply, you can stay for the course length of up to 6 years plus 4 months afterwards. If you are 16 or 17 when you apply, you can stay for the course length of up to 3 years plus 4 months afterwards.

You can swap to a Student Visa if you are pursuing tertiary education in the UK afterwards.

Yes. You will need to prove your identity by either:

  • having your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application centre
  • use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document

You can legally work from 16 years old. If you are 16 or over you can work:

  • 10 hours per week / part-time during term time
  • full time during holidays
  • on a work placement if it is part of your course

You will not be able to:

  • study at an educational institution that is authority-funded
  • have access to public funds/benefits
  • take on full-time work or be self-employed
  • work as a pro sportsperson or entertainer
  • apply to settle
  • bring family members unless your parent applies for the Parent of a Child Student visa