Child Student Visa Glasgow: UK Independent School Visa 2026

What is the Child Student Visa?

The Child Student Visa is the immigration permission for children aged 4 to 17 to come to the United Kingdom to study at an independent fee-paying school. It is a distinct route from the Student Visa used by adults studying at universities and further education colleges. The rules are designed specifically for younger students, with requirements around parental consent, care arrangements, and financial support that do not arise in the same form on the adult route.

Families relocating to Glasgow, Paisley, or the wider west of Scotland, and families who are sending a child to board at an independent school anywhere in the UK, use this route. The application is made by or on behalf of the child, but the evidence burden falls almost entirely on the parents or guardians. Understanding what the Home Office requires at each stage is the most important preparation a family can do before applying.

The Child Student Visa does not lead directly to settlement. It is a study permission, not a pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain. When the child turns 18 and wants to continue studying, they switch to the adult Student Visa route. Our Glasgow office advises families at every stage of that journey.

Who can apply

A child aged 4 to 17 can apply for the Child Student Visa if they have an unconditional offer of a place at an independent fee-paying school in the UK and that school holds a current Home Office Student sponsor licence. The school must issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) as the formal basis for the application.

Children aged 4 to 15 must be attending an independent fee-paying school. Children aged 16 to 17 have slightly wider options: they can study at an independent school or certain other independent institutions that hold a Student sponsor licence. In both age groups, the sponsor must be on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors.

The Child Student Visa does not apply to state schools, academies, free schools, or any school funded by a local authority. If the child’s school is not on the licensed sponsor register, this route is not available. The first step we take for every Glasgow family is to confirm the school’s current sponsor status before any other preparation begins.

Independent schools only: why this matters

The distinction between independent and state-funded schools is fundamental to the Child Student Visa. State schools in Glasgow and across the UK are funded by local authorities and cannot hold a Student sponsor licence for overseas pupils on this route. Independent schools, which charge fees and are privately funded, can apply for and hold a Student sponsor licence and therefore can sponsor Child Student Visa applications.

Glasgow and the west of Scotland have a number of established independent schools, including schools in Glasgow city and in surrounding areas such as Paisley and the wider central belt. Families considering which school to apply to should confirm sponsor status on the gov.uk register as part of their school selection process, not as an afterthought once a place has been accepted.

A school’s sponsor licence can be suspended or revoked. If a school loses its licence after the child is enrolled but before the visa application is submitted, the application cannot proceed. We check sponsor status at the point of the eligibility assessment and again immediately before submission.

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

The CAS is the formal reference issued by the school to the student, confirming that the student has an unconditional place on a course. The school generates the CAS through the Home Office Sponsor Management System. Without a valid CAS, no Child Student Visa application can be submitted.

The CAS contains specific information that must match the application form exactly: the child’s personal details, the course start and end dates, the fee amounts, and the care arrangements. Any discrepancy between the CAS and the application is a common reason for a refusal or a request for further information. We check the CAS against the application form line by line before submission.

Schools issue the CAS directly to the family, usually once an unconditional offer has been made and a deposit paid. Families in Glasgow and elsewhere should not begin preparing the application until the CAS is in hand, because the CAS reference number is required on the application form and the CAS details determine how the financial and care evidence must be structured.

The parental consent requirement

The Home Office requires consent from both parents or all legal guardians. The consent must cover four distinct matters: the application itself, the child’s travel to the UK, the living arrangements in the UK, and the care arrangements in the UK. All four must be addressed. A consent letter that addresses three out of four is insufficient.

Where both parents have parental responsibility, both must give consent. Where one parent has sole parental responsibility, evidence of that fact is required alongside that parent’s consent. Where a parent cannot be located or is unwilling to give consent, the Home Office has specific guidance on what evidence may be accepted. We advise Glasgow families on these situations at the eligibility assessment, because they require careful handling and the standard consent letter format is not appropriate in every case.

The consent documentation must be signed and, where the parents are not in the UK, should normally be notarised or apostilled depending on the country. We prepare consent documentation in the format the Home Office expects and advise on any notarisation requirements for families in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and other countries whose children are commonly applying to study at independent schools in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

Financial evidence

The financial evidence must show that the family can cover two things: the first year of school fees at the rate stated on the CAS, and sufficient funds for the child’s maintenance during the first year of leave. The exact maintenance amount depends on whether the child will be boarding at the school or living with a parent or carer in the UK.

The funds must be held in a bank account in the name of the parents or guardians. The account must show that the funds have been held for at least 28 consecutive days ending no more than 31 days before the application date. The bank statements must show the balance and the account holder’s name clearly. We calculate the exact figure required for each family based on the CAS fee information and the care arrangements, and we check the statements against the Home Office financial evidence rules before submission.

Where school fees are paid in advance, evidence of that payment can reduce the maintenance figure required. Where the child has a scholarship or bursary that reduces the fee, the CAS should reflect the reduced amount and the financial evidence must align with it. These are details that affect the calculation, and getting them right is worth the time it takes to prepare them properly.

Care arrangements in the UK

The Home Office requires evidence that the child will be properly cared for in the UK. There are three main types of acceptable care arrangement:

• Boarding at the school: The child lives at the school. The school confirms the boarding arrangements in the CAS. This is the most straightforward arrangement to evidence and is common for families across Glasgow and the west of Scotland who are not relocating to the UK.
• Living with a parent on a Parent of a Child Student Visa: Where the child is under 12, a parent can come to the UK on a Parent of a Child Student Visa to care for the child. The parent’s visa application is separate from the child’s. We advise on both applications together.
• Approved private foster or care arrangement: The child lives with a carer outside the school. The carer must be formally approved under UK fostering regulations. Living with a relative who has not been approved under those regulations does not normally satisfy the requirement.

An unapproved care arrangement is one of the most common reasons for Child Student Visa refusals. If a Glasgow family plans to have their child live with a relative in the west of Scotland rather than board at school, we advise on whether that arrangement can be formalised under the fostering regulations before the application is submitted.

The Parent of a Child Student Visa

A parent of a Child Student aged under 12 can apply for a Parent of a Child Student Visa to come to the UK for the duration of the child’s studies. This visa allows the parent to remain in the UK as a carer for the child. The parent cannot work on this visa, and the visa is dependent on the child’s leave remaining valid.

The Parent of a Child Student Visa is a separate application from the Child Student Visa. Both applications must be made, and the parent’s visa will not be granted if the child’s application fails or has not yet been approved. Families considering this arrangement should apply for both simultaneously or the child’s application first.

For families from Glasgow and across the west of Scotland who are relocating as a family unit, rather than sending a child to board independently, the combination of a Child Student Visa and a Parent of a Child Student Visa is a common and workable arrangement for children under 12. For children aged 12 and over, the parent needs a separate basis of leave to remain in the UK.

Age distinctions: 4 to 15 and 16 to 17

The Child Student Visa rules treat children aged 4 to 15 and children aged 16 to 17 slightly differently.

Children aged 4 to 15 must be coming to study at an independent fee-paying school. That is the only eligible institution type. The maximum grant is up to 6 years of leave.

Children aged 16 to 17 can study at independent schools and also at certain other independent institutions that hold a Student sponsor licence, which may include some independent sixth-form colleges and independent further education colleges. The maximum grant for 16 to 17 year olds is up to 3 years of leave. Children in this age group who want to study at a state sixth form or further education college funded by a local authority are not eligible for the Child Student Visa on that basis.

Where a child is close to an age boundary, the age at the date of application determines which rules apply, not the age at the intended start date of the course. This is worth clarifying at the eligibility assessment for children close to their 12th, 16th or 18th birthday.

Child Student Visa fees and costs in 2026

The Home Office application fee is £558 for entry clearance from outside the UK, and £558 to extend or switch from inside the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge applies at the discounted under-18 rate of £776 per year of leave granted. For example, a 2-year grant would attract around £1,552 in IHS; a 3-year grant around £2,328. The total Home Office cost for the initial application, before any adviser fee, is therefore the £558 application fee plus the IHS calculated on the length of the grant.

Additional costs to budget for include any notarisation of consent documents, document translation where required, and the biometrics appointment fee at a visa application centre. We provide a full written cost breakdown at the eligibility assessment. There are no surprises in our fixed-fee service.

How long it takes

From outside the UK, the standard service for a Child Student Visa takes about 3 weeks from the biometrics appointment. A priority service is available at most visa application centres for a faster decision. Applications from inside the UK to extend follow UKVI standard processing times published on gov.uk. We advise on whether priority processing is appropriate given the child’s proposed school start date. Most independent schools have a fixed autumn intake, and applying in time for September entry means beginning the process no later than the preceding June.

Document checklist

A Child Student Visa application typically requires the following documents. The exact list depends on the care arrangement and how the financial evidence is structured:

• The child’s current passport, valid for the duration of the intended stay.
• The CAS reference number and CAS details from the school.
• Parental consent documentation from both parents or all legal guardians, covering the application, travel, living arrangements and care arrangements.
• Financial evidence: bank statements covering at least 28 consecutive days showing sufficient funds for first-year fees and maintenance.
• Evidence of the care arrangements: boarding confirmation in the CAS, or Parent of a Child Student Visa application, or approved foster care documentation.
• Any relevant evidence of parental responsibility where one parent has sole responsibility.
• Two passport-size photographs of the child.

We issue every Glasgow family a tailored checklist based on their specific situation, rather than a generic list, because the exact evidence requirements vary depending on the care arrangement and where the family is based.

Extending the Child Student Visa

If the child remains at the same school, transfers to another licensed independent school, or takes up a place at a different licensed institution, the visa can be extended from inside the UK before the current leave expires. The extension application requires a new CAS from the new or continuing school, updated financial evidence, and updated parental consent documentation. The application fee for an extension is £558.

Extensions must be applied for before the current visa expires. A child who overstays, even by a short period, has a period of unlawful presence recorded on their immigration history. We advise Glasgow families on extension timing as part of the initial application, so the expiry date is tracked from day one and the extension is prepared well in advance.

What happens when the child turns 18

The Child Student Visa is not available to adults. When the child reaches 18 and wants to continue studying in the UK, they must switch to the adult Student Visa route. The Student Visa covers higher education at universities, degree-awarding bodies, and licensed further education colleges. It has its own eligibility criteria, including a CAS from an adult higher education sponsor, and its own financial requirements.

The transition from Child Student to Student Visa is a natural progression that should be planned rather than left to the last moment. Most Glasgow independent school students who go on to university in the UK, whether at the University of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian, or any other institution, will need a Student Visa to cover their undergraduate or postgraduate studies. We advise families on the transition from the point of the initial Child Student Visa application, so the planning is in place before the child reaches sixth form.

For full details of the adult route, see our Student Visa page.

Child Student Visa for families in Glasgow and the west of Scotland

Glasgow and the west of Scotland have a number of independent schools with strong academic reputations that attract pupils from across the UK and from overseas. Families relocating to the Glasgow area from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, the UAE, Hong Kong, and other countries, or families sending children to board at independent schools in and around Glasgow, regularly use the Child Student Visa route.

Independent schools in Glasgow city and in the wider west of Scotland, including schools in Paisley, Renfrewshire, and the surrounding areas, can hold and do hold Student sponsor licences. Whether the child will board at a Glasgow independent school or will live with a parent who is also relocating to the west of Scotland, the Child Student Visa is the correct route and the requirements are the same regardless of where in the UK the school is located.

Our Glasgow office is familiar with the specific patterns of the west of Scotland independent school sector, including common intake dates, the typical CAS timeline, and how Glasgow families most commonly structure financial and care evidence. We also act for families overseas whose children are applying to board at independent schools in other UK cities, because the application requirements are national, not local.

Families in Paisley, Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and across the central west of Scotland who are considering an independent school place for a child from abroad should come in for an eligibility assessment before accepting the school’s offer, so that any issues with sponsor status, consent, or care arrangements are identified before the family is committed.

If a Child Student Visa application is refused

Refusals on Child Student Visa applications most commonly arise from three areas: parental consent documentation that is missing, incomplete, or incorrectly worded; financial evidence that does not meet the 28-day holding requirement or does not cover the full fee and maintenance amount; and care arrangement evidence that does not satisfy the Home Office that the child will be properly looked after in the UK.

Where the refusal contains a case-working error, there may be a right of administrative review. Some refusals carry a right of appeal on human rights or other grounds. In many cases a carefully rebuilt fresh application, addressing the specific ground of refusal, is the faster and more reliable option. We review the refusal letter against the Immigration Rules, advise which option gives the best realistic prospect, and where an appeal is the right path we refer you to a representative for the tribunal hearing while we support the underlying evidence file.

A refusal is not the end of the process. Many Glasgow families who have experienced a refusal on an initial Child Student Visa application have subsequently succeeded on a properly prepared second application. We do not advise a fresh application when administrative review is the correct remedy, and we do not advise an appeal when the evidence gap can simply be fixed.

2026 updates

The Child Student Visa fee is £558 for entry clearance and to extend or switch, following the April 2026 Home Office fee schedule. The Immigration Health Surcharge for under-18s is £776 per year of leave. The requirement for the school to hold a current Student sponsor licence and to issue a CAS has not changed. The parental consent requirement, the financial evidence standard, and the care arrangement rules remain as set out on gov.uk. We apply current rules to every application we prepare and update our guidance when the Home Office publishes changes.

How UK Visa Assistance helps

UK Visa Assistance is a Glasgow immigration practice. We prepare Child Student Visa applications end to end: confirming the school’s sponsor status, reviewing the CAS, advising on and preparing parental consent documentation, building the financial evidence bundle to the Home Office standard, and confirming that care arrangements satisfy the requirements before we submit. We work on fixed fees agreed in advance.

We act for families in Glasgow, Paisley, and the wider west of Scotland, and for families abroad whose children are coming to independent schools anywhere in the UK. Most of the work is done by phone, video call, and secure document exchange, so location is not a barrier. To start, call 0141 496 0321 or request a callback for a free initial assessment of your Child Student Visa.