What is the child student category?

The Tier 4 (Child) category is for children coming to the UK to be educated between the ages of four and 17 years old. Children between four and 15 years old must be educated at independent fee-paying schools.

Tier 4 (Child) students cannot study at publicly funded schools. The only publicly funded education providers that can teach Tier 4 (Child) students are publicly funded further education college which are able to charge for i nternational students.

If you are 16 or 17 years old and you want to study a course at or above National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 3, you and your Tier 4 sponsor can agree whether you should apply to us under Tier 4 (Child) or Tier 4 (General). If you want to study at NQF level 2 or below, you must apply as a Tier 4 (Child) student.

You cannot be a Tier 4 (Child) student if you have any children who are living with you or
for whom you are financially responsible.

Part 6A (paragraphs 245ZZ to 245ZZD) of the Immigration Rules contains full details of the category's requirements.

Using this website

1. Read Can you apply? to find out whether you are eligible to come to or remain in the UK to study under Tier 4 (Child).

2. Read What evidence must you provide? to find out which documents you must provide with your application - including evidence that you have enough money to pay your fees and living costs.

3. Read Visa fees to find out how much it costs to apply for a student visa under Tier 4 (General).

4. Read Applying to find out how, when and where to apply.

5. Read Conditions of your stay to find out when you can come (if you are applying from outside the UK), and what you can and cannot do while you are here as a Tier 4 (Child) student.

Do you need to apply for a Tier 4 student visa?

You can study in the UK without needing to apply for a student visa if:

• you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland; 
• you are a British overseas territories citizen, unless you are from one of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus; 
• you are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK because at least one of your grandparents was born here; or
• you have no conditions or time limit attached to your stay.

However, there may be restrictions on your ability to work during your studies if you are a national of a country that joined the European Union in or after 2004.

If you are a national of a country that joined the European Union in or after 2004

Bulgarian and Romanian nationals

If you are a national of Bulgaria or Romania, you do not need to apply to us under the points-based system in order to study in the UK.

You must not work for more than 20 hours per week while you study until we have given you permission. This is unless you are working during your vacation, as part of a course of vocational training, or are otherwise exempt from the worker authorisation requirements. See Bulgarian and Romanian nationals for more information.

Nationals of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia

If you are a national of one of these countries, you do not need to apply to us under the points-based system in order to study in the UK.

You will need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme if you want to work while you are studying in the UK, unless you are exempt from the worker registration requirements. See Worker Registration Scheme for more information.