Visa
School admission does not settle the care arrangements
Families arranging independent schooling in the UK should prepare a care plan covering both term time and periods away from school. This current explainer reviews the Child Student route and the Home Office caseworker guidance updated on 16 October 2026. That guidance includes clarification of brief care arrangements. It does not remove the need for a suitable core living arrangement or turn every informal holiday invitation into an acceptable long-term care plan.
The Child Student overview identifies the route for applicants aged four to 17, with an unconditional place from a licensed sponsor, sufficient funds and parental or guardian consent. It gives an application fee of GBP 558, with the healthcare surcharge payable separately. Applicants outside the UK can normally apply up to six months before the course starts. These application steps should be planned alongside accommodation, rather than leaving the child’s non-school arrangements unresolved until departure.
Boarding students still need somewhere suitable when school closes
The Where you will live resource allows boarding, living with an eligible foster carer or close relative, living with a parent or legal guardian under the relevant route, or independent living at age 16 or 17. A boarding place does not answer where the child will stay during holidays or other non-boarding periods. The page identifies options including returning overseas, staying with an eligible adult in the UK or living with a parent who has Parent of a Child Student permission.
For a nominated guardian, the public guidance sets a maximum of 27 consecutive days and a minimum age of 18. A foster carer or close relative must be British or settled in the UK. Read the definitions before using a family label: a close relative has a defined relationship, rather than simply being someone the parents trust. The caseworker guidance separately explains that brief arrangements, such as a school trip or weekend with a friend, can be acceptable with consent while the core arrangement remains unchanged and safeguarding duties are met.
Consent and the carer’s letter must describe the actual plan
The Documents you will need resource requires a current travel document, Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies and written parental or legal-guardian consent. Consent must cover the application, journey and UK living and care arrangements. It normally comes from both parents, or one parent with sole responsibility, or the legal guardian. Evidence of the relationship and other documents can also be required according to the circumstances.
Where the child will stay with a foster carer, close relative or nominated guardian, a supporting letter is needed. The checklist specifies identity, address, contact and care information, with additional details about adults regularly living with a nominated guardian. Where a guardianship organisation has not yet identified the individual, the guidance provides a separate organisational letter requirement. Use the appropriate checklist rather than submit a generic invitation that leaves the responsible adult or proposed accommodation unexplained.
Match the financial evidence to the accommodation category
The Money you need resource calculates support differently for boarding, family-based care and independent living. Boarding students need course and boarding fees for an academic year, up to nine months. For someone living full time with a foster carer or close relative, the page requires course fees and confirmation that the carer has at least GBP 570 a month, for up to nine months. A single maintenance amount should not be applied to every care arrangement.
The page also explains the usual 28-consecutive-day holding period and that its end must fall within 31 days of the application. It identifies circumstances in which evidence is not initially required, while warning that UKVI can still request it. An evidence concession should not be treated as permission to ignore the underlying finances. Confirm the applicable category and supporting documents before selecting an application date, especially if money has only recently entered the account.
An accompanying parent needs separate permission
The Parent of a Child Student resource is relevant where one parent intends to accompany a child aged four to 11 at an independent school. It requires the parent to maintain a main home overseas and be able to support the stay. Only one parent can accompany the child under this route; it does not provide a general route for the whole family to relocate. Permission normally ends when the child turns 12 or the child’s visa expires, whichever occurs first.
That parent cannot work, study or make the UK their main home under this permission. For illustration, a family choosing boarding for an older child and a family accompanying a younger child have different accommodation and immigration questions. Neither can substitute the other’s arrangement without checking the rules. Agree the term-time and holiday plan with the school, obtain the corresponding consent and letters, and use the linked official pages to verify the category before applying. An admission offer does not guarantee approval of either application.
