Each year, the Home Office grants thousands of UK Child Student visas, allowing children aged 4 to 17 to study at independent schools. Most applications go through without problems – but refusals do happen, and they’re often down to avoidable issues like missing documents, financial evidence that doesn’t meet the rules, or unclear care arrangements.
And when a refusal happens, it can be expensive and stressful – with knock-on effects for term dates, travel plans and school admissions.
This guide highlights the most common refusal risks and the practical steps that can reduce them, so you can submit a stronger application first time. If you’d like reassurance before you apply, we also offer a
Increased safeguarding checks
Safeguarding has become a bigger focus within the Child Student route. Changes that came into effect in May 2025 placed greater emphasis on ensuring a child is entering one of the permitted living arrangements and that the Home Office is satisfied with the care plan in the UK.
In particular, decision-makers may scrutinise arrangements involving an education guardian / nominated guardian (and, where relevant, close relatives or private foster carers). Depending on the child’s circumstances, applications may need to show clear evidence of:
- who is responsible for the child outside of school term-time and outside school hours
- the guardian’s suitability and immigration status (for example, evidence of being British or settled where required).
The key point: even where a child has a place at an excellent school, the application can still be refused if the Home Office is not satisfied about welfare and living arrangements.
Practical tip: where applications fall down is rarely the idea of guardianship itself – it’s the evidence. Small gaps or unclear wording can lead to questions you didn’t expect.
Common reasons for a child student visa refusal
The most likely reasons for a Child Student visa being refused are generally easily avoidable and can include simple errors such as:
- incomplete documentation
- insufficient evidence of funds to pay the school fees
- the student’s education guardian failing to provide evidence that they are either a British Citizen or settled in the UK (where required)
To minimise refusal risks, it is vital to ensure that your supporting documents meet the eligibility criteria set out in the UKVI rules and guidance for child students.
Where professional support helps most: we often see applications where all the ‘right’ documents are present, but the pack isn’t consistent (names, dates, responsibilities, living arrangements). A quick expert review from our team can spot issues that are easy to miss when you’re close to the detail.
How to avoid the risk of a refusal
Preparation is key. Give yourself time to gather documents and make sure everything aligns before you submit your application. Documents you’ll need include:
- Student’s valid passport
- Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) document from your school or college
- Student’s birth certificate (this must be translated and certified) – confirming their relationship to their parents
- Parental consent letter – consenting to the visa application, travel to the UK and the living/ care arrangements
- Financial consent letter – confirming financial support for the duration of the course
- Letter of undertaking – consenting to care and living arrangements outside of school hours
- Education guardian’s valid passport – confirming British citizenship or settled status
- TB test certificate (if required)
- Passports of both parents – confirming parent names match birth certificate
In summary
Before you apply, cross-check:
- names are identical across passports, birth certificate, CAS and letters
- dates and addresses don’t conflict
- the living arrangement described in letters matches what the rules allow
- financial evidence is presented in a way UKVI accepts (not just “we have the money”)
This is where many refusals start – not because families haven’t prepared, but because the evidence doesn’t read as one coherent, compliant pack.
