Tier 4 (Child)

The Tier 4 (Child) category is for children wanting to come to the UK to be educated, who are aged between 4 and 17 years old. Children aged between 4 and 15 years old must be educated at independent fee-paying schools. Tier 4 (Child) students cannot study at publicly funded schools. There is an exception to this rule, where publicly funded further education colleges which are able to charge for international students are able to sponsor students.

If the child is 16 or 17 years old and they want to study a course at or above national qualifications framework (NQF) level 3, they can agree with their Tier 4 Sponsor whether to apply under Tier 4 (Child) or Tier 4 (General). If the child wishes to study at NQF level 2 or below, they must apply as a Tier 4 (Child) student.

The Tier 4 (Child) category is similar to that of the Tier 4 (General) category, in that the child will need to score 40 points to be eligible to come to the UK. The child’s parent or legal guardian must provide proof of suitable arrangements for the child’s care for the duration of their stay in the UK.