Citizeo
Pathway

UK Student Visa

United Kingdom Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The UK Student visa is for people aged 16 or older who have an offer from a licensed UK student sponsor. It generally requires a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, funds, English ability, and any required parental consent for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Type
Student residence
Study plan
People accepted into qualifying study or training
Core requirements
Admission, funds, housing, and insurance
What to know
Acceptance alone is not enough; documents still matter
Tuition
About £12,000–£38,000 per year
Funds to show
£1,023–£1,334 per month for nine months

Summary

The Student route is for study with a licensed sponsor that issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Applicants are normally 16 or older and must meet course, English, finance and genuine-student requirements. Permission is tied to the course and sponsor, not a general right to live or work in the UK.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

English is normally B2 for degree-level study and B1 below degree level. The applicant must show unpaid course fees stated on the CAS plus living costs for up to nine months: £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London. Funds normally must be held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of application; nationality, 12-month UK residence and other listed exceptions can remove documentary proof, not the underlying requirement.

The fee is £558 plus the immigration health surcharge. Maximum study time is usually five years at degree level and two below, with listed exceptions. A current visa brake requires refusal of an entry-clearance application submitted from 26 March 2026 by a main Student applicant applying as a national of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan, even with a CAS. It does not cancel an existing visa or prevent an eligible in-country application and does not apply to the separate Child Student route.

What This Route Allows

Work depends on the sponsor and course. A full-time degree-level student at a compliant higher-education provider is commonly allowed 20 hours a week in term and full-time in vacations; below-degree study commonly allows 10 hours; some courses allow none. The eVisa states the condition. Work placements have separate limits.

Dependents are now limited mainly to a government-sponsored student on a course over six months, or a full-time postgraduate student on a course of at least nine months that, if starting from 1 January 2024, is a PhD/doctorate or research-based higher degree. Each dependent needs additional funds: £845 per month in London or £680 outside, up to nine months.

What This Route Is Not

It is not a settlement route. Students cannot normally be self-employed, fill a permanent full-time vacancy, work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or claim public funds. A course offer without a valid CAS is insufficient. Work limits include paid and voluntary work together.

Next Steps

  1. Verify the institution and route on the sponsor register and inspect every CAS field.
  2. Calculate funds using the study location and keep clean 28-day bank evidence.
  3. Confirm whether dependents are allowed before paying fees or making travel plans.
  4. After grant, check the eVisa's work limit and report passport or sponsor changes; plan Graduate or another route before expiry.
Compare your options

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Sources