‍

UK student and child student visas latest update: Genuine student test, finance rules and common refusal risks

Receiving an offer from a UK university, college or independent school is an important step.

It is not, however, the same as qualifying for a visa.

The Student and Child Student routes contain separate immigration requirements covering sponsorship, finances, credibility, English language, academic progression and, for children, care and safeguarding arrangements.

A university may be satisfied that an applicant is academically suitable for a course while the Home Office still has questions about whether the immigration requirements have been met.

That distinction is particularly important in 2026.

The current Home Office Student and Child Student caseworker guidance was updated on 3 August 2026, following further Immigration Rules changes. The Home Office continues to assess not simply whether an applicant has been offered a place, but whether they meet the detailed requirements of the relevant route and, where applicable, whether they are genuinely coming to the UK to study.

What is the UK Student visa?

The Student route is available to applicants aged 16 or over who want to study with a licensed student sponsor in the UK.

It can cover full-time degree-level study, qualifying courses below degree level, pre-sessional English courses, certain recognised foundation programmes and other courses that satisfy Appendix Student.

An applicant aged 16 or 17 who wishes to study at an independent school at the relevant level may, depending on the course, be able to apply either as a Student or as a Child Student.

The Student route itself is not a direct route to settlement.

What is the Child Student visa?

The Child Student route is for children aged between 4 and 17 who want to study at an independent school in the UK that holds the appropriate student sponsor licence.

The route is specifically designed around independent-school education and contains additional requirements concerning parental consent, accommodation, care and safeguarding.

A Child Student cannot use this route simply to attend an ordinary state school.

Applicants aged 16 or 17 are also subject to the Genuine Student requirement.

Student and Child Student applications are not simply CAS applications

A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, usually referred to as a CAS, is central to both routes.

But having a CAS does not guarantee that the visa will be granted.

For a Student application, the applicant must satisfy the validity, suitability and eligibility requirements of Appendix Student. These include the Genuine Student requirement, the financial requirement, the English language requirement and the relevant course and sponsorship requirements.

Child Student applicants must satisfy their own route-specific requirements, including appropriate care and living arrangements and, where they are aged 16 or 17, the Genuine Student test.

What is the Genuine Student test?

Every Student applicant must be a genuine student.

The same requirement applies to Child Student applicants aged 16 or 17.

The decision is made on the balance of probabilities. In other words, the Home Office considers the application as a whole and decides whether it is more likely than not that the applicant genuinely intends to study and comply with the conditions of the route.

This is not a test that can necessarily be passed simply by memorising a university website before an interview.

The Home Office caseworker guidance requires decision-makers to consider the applicant's immigration history, education history, reasons for choosing the course and institution, academic progression, future plans, financial circumstances and the role of any dependants.

The Home Office may also consider how the applicant obtained the money required for their studies and whether their proposed course makes sense in the context of their previous education and future plans.

What does the Home Office expect an applicant to know about their course?

A genuine applicant should normally be able to explain why they chose the particular course and institution.

The explanation does not need to sound rehearsed.

What matters is whether it makes sense.

For example, someone who has already completed a Master's degree in one subject and is applying for another course at the same level may reasonably be asked why the second course is necessary and how it fits their career plans.

Likewise, an applicant returning to education after a significant study gap may need to explain why they have chosen to study again at this point in their career.

The current guidance specifically identifies knowledge of the course, the sponsoring institution and the relationship between the proposed study and post-study plans as relevant credibility factors.

Can the Home Office conduct a credibility interview?

Yes.

The Home Office can interview Student applicants and Child Student applicants aged 16 or 17 where credibility needs to be assessed.

Interviews can take place by telephone or through another arranged interview process.

Importantly, current guidance says that an applicant should not ordinarily be refused on Genuine Student grounds without an interview, subject to limited exceptions such as certain repeat applications following an earlier Genuine Student refusal.

If an applicant fails to attend an interview without an acceptable explanation, the application can be refused under Part Suitability.

What questions can arise during a Student visa interview?

The interview is not intended to be an academic examination.

The Home Office may, however, ask questions designed to test whether the application is internally consistent.

An applicant may be asked why they selected the course, why they chose the particular university or college, how the course relates to previous study, how their education is being funded and what they intend to do after completing it.

Their answers may also be compared against information already provided in the visa application and CAS.

The current guidance makes clear that an applicant should not be refused merely because they do not know local bus routes or detailed geography around the university.

The focus should be on whether the overall study intention is credible.

What is a CAS and how long is it valid for?

The CAS is an electronic sponsorship record assigned by a licensed student sponsor.

For Student applications, the CAS reference must generally have been issued no more than six months before the visa application.

The CAS contains important information about the course, sponsor, fees, study level and, where relevant, how the English language requirement has been assessed.

It must remain valid when the application is decided.

What happens if the university or college has sponsorship problems?

This area is more nuanced than simply saying that every application will automatically fail if a university's sponsor licence is suspended.

Where a student sponsor is removed from the Register of Student Sponsors pending investigation, the Home Office can put an otherwise qualifying visa application on hold while the sponsor's position is resolved.

If the licence is subsequently reinstated, the application can proceed.

If the sponsor licence is revoked, surrendered or expires, the CAS becomes invalid.

For an entry clearance application, this will normally lead to refusal because the applicant no longer has a valid CAS.

For certain in-country applicants whose sponsor loses its licence, the Home Office can provide a limited period to obtain a new CAS and vary the application.

How much money does a Student need in 2026?

The financial requirement has changed from figures that appeared in older Student visa guidance.

For a Student studying in London who needs to demonstrate maintenance funds, the current requirement is £1,529 for each month of the course, up to a maximum of nine months.

For study outside London, the requirement is £1,171 per month, up to a maximum of nine months.

The applicant must also normally demonstrate sufficient funds to cover outstanding course fees shown on the CAS.

This means that someone studying in London for nine months may need to demonstrate up to £13,761 in maintenance funds, in addition to any outstanding tuition fees.

Someone studying outside London for the same period may need up to £10,539.

The precise amount depends on the course duration and any qualifying payments already made.

Does every Student applicant need to provide financial evidence?

No.

An applicant applying for permission to stay who has already been living in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months at the date of application will normally meet the Student financial requirement automatically.

There are also nationality-based differentiation arrangements under which certain applicants do not normally have to submit financial evidence with the application.

However, those applicants must still actually meet the financial requirement.

The Home Office can request the documents later.

This is an important distinction.

Not being required to upload a bank statement at the beginning does not mean that the applicant is exempt from having the required funds.

The 28-day financial rule

Where an applicant relies on money held in a bank or qualifying financial account, the required funds must normally have been held continuously for at least 28 days.

The most recent financial evidence must be dated no more than 31 days before the visa application.

If the balance falls below the required amount during the relevant 28-day period, even temporarily, the financial requirement may not be met.

The account must also allow immediate access to the money. Certain investments or financial instruments that cannot be accessed immediately will not qualify.

Can a Student use their parents' money?

Yes, subject to the requirements of Appendix Finance.

A Student or Child Student can rely on qualifying funds held by a parent or legal guardian.

Where parental funds are used, evidence of the relationship and written consent to use the funds will generally be required.

Applicants may also rely on qualifying student loans or official financial sponsorship where the relevant requirements are met.

The financial requirement is also part of credibility

Meeting the technical 28-day rule does not necessarily end the financial discussion.

The Genuine Student assessment allows the Home Office to consider whether the applicant has a credible source of funds for tuition and living costs and how those funds were obtained.

For example, a sudden large deposit immediately before the required holding period may prompt questions even where the bank statement technically shows the correct balance.

The application should therefore make sense financially as well as mathematically.

What English language level is required for a Student visa?

Student applicants studying at UK bachelor's degree level or above must normally demonstrate English language ability at B2 level across reading, writing, speaking and listening.

For qualifying courses below degree level or pre-sessional courses, the required level is normally B1.

The precise method of demonstrating English depends on the applicant, course and sponsor.

In some cases, an eligible higher education provider can assess the applicant's English ability itself and record that assessment on the CAS.

The Child Student route does not impose the same general English language requirement.

What is academic progression?

Academic progression is particularly important for Students applying from inside the UK for further Student permission.

The Home Office generally expects the new course to represent academic progress from previous study.

Usually this means progressing to a higher academic level.

However, a new course at the same level can sometimes qualify where the sponsor is a higher education provider with a track record of compliance and can demonstrate that the new course is related to the earlier course or that the combination supports the student's genuine career aspirations.

A course at a lower level will generally not satisfy the academic progression requirement unless a specific exception applies.

Can a Student study at the same level again?

Potentially, yes.

A second Master's degree, for example, is not automatically prohibited.

But where the applicant is extending their Student permission from inside the UK, the sponsor may need to explain why the new course represents genuine academic progression.

A closely related specialist Master's course may make sense.

A completely unrelated course at the same level with no convincing academic or career explanation may attract greater scrutiny.

Is there a maximum amount of time someone can study in the UK?

Yes, although the rules depend on the level of study and there are exceptions.

For courses below degree level, an adult Student will generally be limited to two years' permission for study below degree level.

For degree-level courses, there is generally a five-year limit from age 18.

Certain subjects are excluded from that five-year limit, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and science, architecture and certain specified law and music courses.

Applicants with a long UK study history should therefore check the time-limit rules before accepting a new course and applying for further permission.

What are the Child Student financial requirements?

The Child Student financial requirement depends heavily on where and with whom the child will live.

A boarding student at a residential independent school will normally need to demonstrate sufficient funds for the outstanding course and boarding fees for one academic year.

A Child Student living full-time with a close relative or private foster carer must normally demonstrate the outstanding course fees, while the carer must have at least £570 per month, for up to nine months, available for the child's accommodation and care.

Where the child lives with a parent who holds permission as a Parent of a Child Student, the rules currently require £1,560 per month, up to nine months, for the parent-and-child arrangement, with an additional £625 per month for each other child under that parent's care.

A Child Student aged 16 or 17 who is permitted to live independently must normally demonstrate £1,334 per month in London or £1,023 per month outside London, up to nine months, in addition to outstanding course fees.

These figures are different from the ordinary Student maintenance rates, so families should be careful not to use the wrong calculation.

Child Student safeguarding rules in 2026

Safeguarding has become an increasingly detailed part of the Child Student route.

The current rules require appropriate care, living and, where relevant, guardianship arrangements to be in place.

A Child Student may board at their school, live with an eligible close relative or private foster carer, live with a parent holding Parent of a Child Student permission or, if aged 16 or 17, live independently in circumstances permitted by the rules.

The current rules also contain specific provisions concerning nominated guardians and guardianship organisations.

A nominated guardian must be aged 18 or over and, where required, be a British citizen or settled in the UK. Where a guardianship organisation arranges the guardian, the application may need detailed information or undertakings from that organisation.

The Home Office can also consider the criminal history of nominated guardians, private foster carers, close relatives and, in some cases, adults who regularly live in the guardian's household.

What is a nominated guardian?

The current guidance defines a nominated guardian as someone who cares for the Child Student for less than 28 continuous days and/or acts as the school's emergency contact for the child in the UK.

This is different from a private foster carer or close relative.

The distinction matters because different evidential and safeguarding requirements may apply.

What is private fostering?

For immigration purposes, private fostering can arise where a child under 16, or under 18 if disabled, is cared for full-time for 28 continuous days or more by someone who is not their parent, legal guardian or close relative.

Where a Child Student will be privately fostered, the relevant local authority must be notified and appropriate evidence of that notification and the local authority's response may be required with the visa application.

This should be arranged before the application rather than treated as something to resolve after the child arrives in the UK.

Can a parent accompany a Child Student?

There is a separate Parent of a Child Student route.

It is generally available where the Child Student is aged between 4 and 11.

Only one parent can normally hold permission under that route, and the other parent must generally remain outside the UK.

The parent's permission normally ends when the Child Student's permission ends or when the child reaches age 12, whichever happens first.

The Parent of a Child Student route also prohibits work and study.

Can Students work in the UK?

Some Students can work, but the permitted hours depend on the type and level of study and the sponsor.

A Student undertaking a full-time degree-level course at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance can generally work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time outside term time.

A Student undertaking a qualifying full-time course below degree level at such a provider can normally work up to 10 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations.

Other categories of study, including most part-time study, may carry no general work permission.

Students should therefore check the conditions attached to their own immigration permission rather than assume that every Student visa permits 20 hours of work.

What work is prohibited?

Students who are permitted to work are generally prohibited from being self-employed or engaging in business activity, working as professional sportspeople or sports coaches, working as entertainers, or filling a permanent full-time vacancy unless a specific exception applies.

One important exception allows certain Students who have made a valid Skilled Worker application to start the permanent sponsored role before their Student permission has formally ended, provided the detailed requirements are satisfied.

There is also a narrow exception allowing a Student who has made a supported Innovator Founder application to engage in self-employment while that application remains pending.

Can a Child Student work?

A Child Student under 16 cannot work.

A Child Student aged 16 or over can work for up to 10 hours per week during term time and can work full-time during school vacations.

They may also undertake an eligible course-related work placement.

However, a Child Student cannot be self-employed, engage in business activity, work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy.

Can Students bring dependants in 2026?

The ability of international Students to bring dependants is now significantly restricted.

A Student can generally bring a partner and dependent children where they are government-sponsored to study a full-time course lasting at least six months.

Dependants may also be permitted where the Student is studying a full-time postgraduate course lasting at least nine months at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance and, for courses beginning on or after 1 January 2024, the course is a PhD, another doctoral qualification or a research-based higher degree.

A standard taught Master's degree beginning after 1 January 2024 will therefore not normally give the Student an automatic ability to bring a partner or children under the Student dependant rules.

How much maintenance does a Student dependant need?

Where the financial requirement applies, a dependant of a Student studying in London currently needs £845 per month, up to a maximum of nine months.

Where the Student studies outside London, the amount is £680 per month, again for up to nine months.

These amounts are required for each dependant.

As with the main Student applicant, some dependants who have already been living in the UK with permission for at least 12 months may meet the financial requirement automatically.

Immigration bail does not always mean automatic refusal

The original version of this article treated immigration bail as an automatic bar to a Student or Child Student application.

That is too broad under the current rules.

An applicant applying for permission to stay will generally not qualify where they are on immigration bail.

However, the current Home Office guidance expressly states that immigration bail must not automatically result in refusal where the applicant falls within the relevant Exceptions for Overstayers in Part Suitability.

Those cases must be considered on their individual circumstances.

The 2026 Student visa brake

An important development introduced on 26 March 2026 affects certain Student entry clearance applications.

Under the current Appendix Student, nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan are subject to a visa brake for out-of-country Student applications made on or after 26 March 2026.

Where the rule applies, the Student entry clearance application must be refused under ST 3.3.

The guidance also makes clear that the restriction applies according to the nationality used for the application, meaning certain dual nationals applying under a different eligible nationality may be considered normally.

This is a Student-route restriction. It should not be confused with the separate requirements governing Child Student applications.

Common reasons Student visa applications are refused

A Student visa refusal rarely turns on one generic issue.

Some applicants satisfy the academic requirements but fail to demonstrate the correct maintenance funds.

Others meet the financial requirement but give inconsistent explanations during a Genuine Student interview.

Applications can also fail because the CAS is invalid, the course does not meet the rules, academic progression has not been established, the English requirement is not met or previous immigration history creates suitability problems.

What matters is whether every relevant requirement is satisfied at the correct time.

Common Child Student visa problems

Child Student cases have a different risk profile.

The academic offer may be straightforward, while the immigration difficulty lies in accommodation, guardianship, parental consent or financial arrangements.

A family may, for example, identify a trusted friend in the UK without realising that the proposed arrangement falls within private fostering rules.

Another application may fail because the evidence relating to a nominated guardian or the adults living in their household does not satisfy the current safeguarding requirements.

Child Student applications should therefore be prepared as both an immigration application and a safeguarding application.

Why consistency matters

Student applications involve several organisations and documents.

The applicant completes the visa form.

The university or school assigns the CAS.

The financial evidence comes from a bank, parent, sponsor or loan provider.

Previous visa records may contain earlier information about education and employment history.

If those different sources tell different stories, credibility questions can arise.

A course choice that makes sense should be explainable consistently across the CAS, application form and any interview.

The same is true of finances.

If the application says a parent is funding the course, the financial documents and source-of-funds explanation should support that account.

Can a Student visa refusal be challenged?

Student and Child Student refusals can generally be challenged through Administrative Review where the relevant rules permit it.

An Administrative Review is not simply an opportunity to submit a better application.

The central question is normally whether the Home Office made a caseworking error when deciding the original application.

Where the refusal concerns Genuine Student credibility, the interview transcript and the reasoning in the refusal letter can be particularly important.

The current Home Office guidance requires credibility refusals to explain the allegations and reasoning clearly, partly because that reasoning may later need to be examined in an Administrative Review.

In some cases, making a fresh application may be more appropriate than Administrative Review. The correct strategy depends on the reason for refusal and the applicant's circumstances.

How GigaLegal Solicitors can help with Student and Child Student visas

At GigaLegal Solicitors, we advise international students, parents and families on applications under the Student and Child Student routes.

For Student applicants, we can review the CAS and immigration history, assess financial evidence, consider academic progression and advise where the proposed study history may raise Genuine Student questions.

Where an interview is likely or has been requested, we can help the applicant understand how the Home Office assesses credibility and identify inconsistencies or evidential issues before the interview takes place.

For Child Student applicants, we can advise on parental consent, living arrangements, private fostering, nominated guardians, guardianship organisations and the financial evidence required for the particular care arrangement.

We also advise on Student and Child Student refusals, Administrative Reviews, dependant applications and switching from Student permission into eligible work or business immigration routes.

Preparing a Student visa application in 2026

The strongest Student visa applications are usually not the ones containing the most documents.

They are the ones where the immigration history, course choice, finances and future plans make sense together.

A CAS establishes that a licensed sponsor is prepared to teach the applicant.

The visa application still has to establish that the applicant satisfies the Immigration Rules.

For Child Students, that assessment goes further. The Home Office must also be satisfied that the child's care and living arrangements are appropriate and properly evidenced.

If you are planning to study in the UK, applying for a Child Student visa for your child, preparing for a Genuine Student interview or dealing with a refusal, contact GigaLegal Solicitors for specialist immigration advice.

Our Immigration team can assess the application before submission and identify issues that could otherwise lead to avoidable delay or refusal.

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Student Visas in 2026

How much money do I need for a UK Student visa in 2026?

A Student who needs to demonstrate maintenance funds normally needs £1,529 per month for study in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to nine months, plus any outstanding course fees shown on the CAS.

How long must Student visa funds be held?

Qualifying cash funds must normally be held continuously for at least 28 days, and the latest financial evidence must be dated within 31 days before the application.

Can I bring my spouse on a UK Student visa?

Only certain Students can bring dependants. The main categories are government-sponsored Students on qualifying courses and Students on eligible PhD, doctoral or research-based postgraduate courses.

Can I work 20 hours a week on every Student visa?

No. Twenty hours during term time generally applies to Students on full-time degree-level courses at higher education providers with a track record of compliance, or qualifying study-abroad programmes. Other Students may have a 10-hour limit or no general work permission.

Is a CAS enough to guarantee a Student visa?

No. A CAS confirms sponsorship for study, but the applicant must separately satisfy the Immigration Rules, including the Genuine Student, financial, English language, suitability and other relevant requirements.

Does the Genuine Student test apply to children?

It applies to Child Student applicants aged 16 or 17. Younger Child Students are not subject to the same Genuine Student requirement, although they must meet the other Child Student requirements.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration Rules, Home Office guidance, maintenance figures and Student sponsorship requirements can change. Student and Child Student applications are fact-specific, and applicants should obtain advice tailored to their individual circumstances before applying.

‍