Family
Parent of a Child Student visa for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£726
about ₹96,072 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
£1,035
Immigration Health Surcharge, 1 year at £1,035 a year; about ₹1,36,962
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Processing time from India
3 weeks
Priority 5 working days, super priority 1
Verified 8 October 2026
Our filing price
₹14,999
All-in, GST included
Verified 8 October 2026
Summary
In short
The UK Parent of a Child Student visa is listed in the Home Office fee table effective 8 April 2026 at £726, about ₹96,074 at the Home Office rate, plus the health surcharge at £1,035 a year. It is for one parent of a child aged 4 to 11 who holds a Child Student visa at an independent school, and you must hold enough money for living costs for 28 consecutive days, keep a main home outside the UK and not work. Decisions from India take about 3 weeks, and priority at £500 aims for 5 working days. The common Indian mistake is a bank statement that is older than 31 days at submission or that dips below the required amount inside the 28-day window.
In practice
Worked example
Example: a Ludhiana mother accompanying her 8-year-old to a prep school in Surrey. A file like the ones the desk prepares; the figures are from the datasets and dated.
The situation
Ritu Malhotra, 38, is a fictional applicant from Ludhiana whose son Aarav, 8, has a place at an independent prep school in Surrey from January 2027 with a CAS issued. Her husband Vikram runs the family textile export business in Ludhiana and stays in India with their daughter, so Ritu applies as the one accompanying parent. The school fees for the year are paid in advance with a receipt, and a fixed deposit that matured in June 2026 was moved into Ritu's savings account, where it has sat untouched since. The family house is jointly owned, and Vikram's notarised consent and his ITR are in the file. Both applications are filed on the same day with the priority service, 10 weeks before term.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Parent visa fee | £726, about ₹96,074 |
| Parent's Immigration Health Surcharge, 12-month grant | £1,035, about ₹1,36,962 |
| Parent's total to the Home Office | £1,761, about ₹2,33,033 |
| Child Student visa fee plus child-rate surcharge | £558 plus £776 a year, about ₹73,840 plus ₹1,02,688 a year |
| School fees paid in advance with receipt | £22,500, about ₹29,77,425 |
| Funds held in Ritu's account for 28 consecutive days | ₹48,00,000, about £36,273, with no day below that figure |
| Age of the bank statement at submission | 12 days, against a limit of 31 |
| Household income on Vikram's ITR | ₹32,00,000 |
| Priority service for both applications | £500 each, about ₹66,165 each; decision in 5 working days |
| Standard decision time without priority | 3 weeks after biometrics |
Outcome
Both visas are granted, the parent's for 12 months. The funds were held for the full 28 days in the applicant's own account, their source is the fixed deposit maturity letter, the home and the husband's business in Ludhiana show a main home outside the UK, and only one parent applied. The same file would have been refused if the statement had been 35 days old, if the balance had dipped on day 19 when a supplier was paid from the same account, or if both parents had applied for the visa.
The officer’s view
What the officer checks
What the officer checks on a Parent of a Child Student file from India
| What they check | Why it matters | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Is the child aged 4 to 11 and on, or applying for, a Child Student visa at an independent school? | Appendix Parent of a Child Student limits the route to the parent of a Child Student under 12 at an independent fee-paying school, and the visa ends when the child turns 12. | The child's CAS reference, the school's offer letter stating fees, and the child's passport and visa or linked application. |
| Are you the parent, and is only one parent applying? | The appendix allows one parent only, and the officer checks that the other parent is not also applying and consents to the arrangement. | Child's birth certificate naming you, the marriage certificate, the other parent's passport copy and a notarised letter of consent. |
| Do you have enough money for living costs, held for 28 days? | Appendix Parent of a Child Student requires funds for you and the child at the Home Office monthly figure for each month of the visa, held for 28 consecutive days, on a statement no more than 31 days old at application. | Bank statements covering the 28 days with your name and account number, a source document for the funds, and the school's receipt for any fees already paid. |
| Will you leave the UK, and is your main home outside it? | The appendix requires an intention to leave when the child turns 12 or the visa ends, and a main home outside the UK. Officers refuse where the whole family's life appears to have moved. | Property papers for the Indian home, the other parent's employment or business evidence, other children's school certificates in India, and your own employment or business ties. |
| Will you work, study or claim public funds? | Work, business and study are prohibited on this route, so the officer tests whether your finances depend on earning in the UK. | A funds plan showing the stay is paid from savings and income from India, with ITR and business or salary records. |
| Are your other children in the UK also Child Students? | The appendix requires any other child of yours in the UK to hold or be applying for a Child Student visa, and children under 4 cannot. | Visa or application references for each child in the UK, and school certificates for children staying in India. |
| TB certificate and suitability | A visa over 6 months from India needs a TB certificate for you and for a child aged 11, and Part 9 covers undeclared refusals and unverifiable documents. | TB certificates from an approved clinic, and every previous refusal declared with a short explanation. |
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statement printed 35 days before the application is submitted | The statement is outside the 31-day limit, the funds are treated as unproved and the application is refused. | Submit within 31 days of the statement's closing date; print a fresh one on the day you pay if in doubt. |
| A supplier payment drops the balance below the required amount on day 19 of the 28 | The 28-day rule is broken, the window restarts, and an application already filed is refused. | Keep the maintenance money in a separate savings account used for nothing else until the visa is granted. |
| Funds in the husband's business account rather than the applicant's own | The officer cannot confirm the money is available to you, and the source looks like business cash flow. | Move the money into your own account at least 28 days before the statement date, with a source letter. |
| Both parents apply, or the father plans to join later on this visa | The route allows one parent only, so both applications fail and the fees are lost. | Choose one parent; the other visits on a Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months at a time. |
| Applying for the parent before the child's CAS and Child Student application exist | There is no Child Student to accompany, so the parent application is refused. | Obtain the CAS first, then file the child's and the parent's applications together. |
| Selling the Indian home and closing the business before applying | The officer finds no main home outside the UK and no intention to leave, which refuses the application. | Keep the home, the business and the other parent's life in India visible in the file. |
| Declared income on the ITR that cannot explain ₹48 lakh of savings | The source of funds is not credible, which is a stated refusal reason on this route. | Attach the fixed deposit maturity letter, sale deed or business distribution records that explain the balance. |
| The other parent's consent in Hindi, not notarised, or missing their identity proof | Consent is treated as not given, and the officer questions whether the child may lawfully live abroad with you. | Use a notarised consent with the parent's passport or Aadhaar copy and a certified English translation. |
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Decide and confirm eligibility
Week 1Check the child will be under 12 at application and that the school is an independent fee-paying school. Decide which parent applies.
Step 2: Secure the school place and the CAS
Month 1The school issues the CAS once the offer is accepted and any deposit paid. Pay fees in advance if you want to reduce the maintenance figure, and keep the receipt.
Step 3: Start the 28-day funds window
Day 1 of funds, at least 6 weeks before applyingMove the full maintenance sum into your own account and do not let the balance dip. Keep the source documents for the deposit.
Step 4: TB tests
Weeks 2 to 4You need a TB certificate, and so does a child aged 11; younger children attend for screening. The certificate is valid for 6 months.
Step 5: Collect the family documents
Weeks 2 to 4Birth certificate, marriage certificate, the other parent's notarised consent, property papers and the ITRs. Arrange certified translations for anything not in English.
Step 6: Complete both forms and pay
Day 29 of funds, with the statement under 31 days oldPay £726 plus £1,035 for the parent and £558 plus £776 a year for the child, in rupees at the Home Office rate. Add £500 each for priority if term is close.
Step 7: Biometrics day
1 to 2 weeks after bookingAttend VFS with the child; children under 5 give a photo only. Upload the statements and the CAS in advance.
Step 8: Decision
3 weeks after biometrics, 5 working days on priorityThe two applications are usually decided together. The parent visa cannot be granted without the child's.
Step 9: Passport return and travel before term
2 to 3 days after the decisionCheck the vignette dates for both passports and travel inside the window. The parent visa runs for the child's course or until the child turns 12, whichever comes first.
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
A small number of Indian families send a young child to a British independent school and want a parent there too. This visa is for that case only: a child on a Child Student visa, aged 4 to 11 at application, at a school that charges fees. The parent must show funds for the family's living costs on top of the school fees, keep a main home outside the UK, and cannot work, claim public funds, or bring their spouse. The visa ends when the child turns 12 or the child's visa expires, whichever comes first, and it does not lead to settlement. Decisions from India take about 3 weeks. We file the child's Child Student visa and the parent's application together.
The rules
Eligibility
- Your child is aged 4 to 11 when you apply and holds, or is applying for, a Child Student visa at an independent school in the UK
- You are the child's parent or legal guardian and only one parent applies
- You intend to leave the UK when the child turns 12 or the visa ends, and you keep your main home outside the UK
- You have enough money to support yourself and the child without working, in addition to the school fees, held for 28 days
- Your other children in the UK must also hold or be applying for Child Student visas
- You will not work, study a course, run a business or claim public funds
- TB certificate from an approved clinic in India for you and for a child aged 11
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Your passport and the child's passport
- Child's birth certificate naming you, and the other parent's notarised consent to the child living in the UK with you
- The school's Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference for the child and the school's offer letter with fees
- Bank statements for 28 consecutive days showing the maintenance funds for you and the child, dated within 31 days of applying
- ITR for 2 to 3 years and evidence of the source of funds, such as salary, business income or a fixed deposit maturity
- Evidence of your main home in India: property papers, a tenancy, or a spouse and other family remaining there
- Evidence of accommodation in the UK for you and the child
- Receipt for school fees paid, if paid in advance, to reduce the maintenance required
- TB certificates from an approved clinic
- Marriage certificate and the other parent's passport where applicable
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Parent of a Child Student visa (up to 12 months) application fee | £726 | ₹96,072 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 1 year at £1,035 a yearCharged for the full grant length up front; refunded only if the visa is refused. | £1,035 | ₹1,36,962 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST includedPaid to Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd. Home Office fees are paid by you on gov.uk. | ₹14,999 | |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £1,761 | ₹2,48,032 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- Maintenance funds not held for the full 28 days, or the statement older than 31 days at application
- Child outside the age range, or not yet holding a Child Student visa or CAS
- Officer not satisfied you will leave the UK, for example where the whole family's ties to India have moved
- Missing consent from the other parent, or both parents applying
- Source of funds not credible given your declared income
- Part 9 grounds: undeclared refusals or documents that could not be verified
Parent of a Child Student: child under 12, sole carer, funds and intention to leave
Refused because the child is 12 or over, the school is not an independent day school, the funds were short, or the officer believes the family is relocating rather than one parent accompanying a young child temporarily.
What to fix: check the child's age at the date of application and the school's status; separate funds evidence for the parent and the child; evidence of the other parent's life in India and the intention to return.
Decode Appendix Child Student / Appendix V (Parent of a Child Student)Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Free tools
Tools for this route
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
Can both parents come with the child?ShowHide
No. Only one parent can hold this visa. The other parent may visit on a Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months at a time.
Can I work while in the UK?ShowHide
No paid or unpaid work, no business and no study. You must fund the stay from savings or income from India.
How much money do I need?ShowHide
Living costs for you and the child for each month of the visa, up to the Home Office monthly figure, on top of any unpaid school fees. The figure changes on 30 November 2026; our student maintenance calculator applies the right one by application date.
What happens when my child turns 12?ShowHide
Your visa ends. The child can continue on a Child Student visa, usually boarding, and you return to India. You can visit on a Standard Visitor visa.
Can I switch to another visa in the UK?ShowHide
No. This visa cannot be switched to any other route inside the UK, and time on it does not count towards settlement.
Do I pay the health surcharge?ShowHide
Yes, £1,035 a year for the length of the visa, in addition to the £726 fee. The child pays the £776 student rate on the Child Student application.
Can I bring my younger child who is not at school yet?ShowHide
Only if that child also holds or is applying for a Child Student visa. Children under 4 cannot get a Child Student visa, so they cannot come on this route.
How long does it take from India?ShowHide
About 3 weeks for a standard decision, the same as the Child Student visa. Apply together so the decisions align with the school term.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. No outcome is guaranteed.
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.