# Parent of a Child Student visa: questions Indian applicants ask

Answers to the questions Indian applicants ask the desk about the Parent of a Child Student visa, from bank statements to reapplying after a refusal.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/parent-of-child-student-visa/faq · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

**Can both parents come with the child?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
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?**
About 3 weeks for a standard decision, the same as the Child Student visa. Apply together so the decisions align with the school term.

Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/parent-of-child-student-visa.md

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.