The UK Student visa: requirements, CAS, finances and dependants
The Student route lets you come to the UK for a course with a licensed student sponsor. This guide explains how you qualify — your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), the points, the English level, the money you must show, work conditions, the restricted dependant rules, switching, and the most common reasons applications are refused.
On this page
Quick answer. To get a Student visa you need a confirmed place on a course with a licensed student sponsor, shown by a CAS. You score 70 points — a valid CAS at the right level, the required English (usually B2 for degree-level study, B1 below that) and enough money for your course fees and living costs, held for a set period. Work is limited, dependants are now tightly restricted, and the Student route is not itself a path to settlement. Your CAS and evidence must match exactly.
In brief
- You must have a CAS from a licensed student sponsor and apply while it is valid.
- You need 70 points: the course/CAS (50), the financial requirement (10) and English (10).
- English is usually B2 for degree-level study at a university, B1 below degree level.
- You must show course fees plus living costs, held in your account for a continuous period — amounts are set in the Rules and are higher for study in London.
- Dependants can usually only come if you are a government-sponsored student or a full-time postgraduate research/doctoral student.
- Work is limited, and time as a Student does not count towards settlement.
1. What the Student visa is & who it is for
The Student route (under Appendix Student) is for people aged 16 or over coming to the UK to study a course with an institution that holds a student sponsor licence. Your permission is tied to your course and your sponsor. It is not a route to settlement in itself — but after studying many people switch into the Graduate route or a sponsored Skilled Worker job, which can lead to settlement.
You must be a genuine student: intending and able to follow the course, and meeting its requirements. The Home Office can ask you to attend an interview to check this.
2. Licensed sponsor & your CAS
Only an offer from an institution that is licensed as a student sponsor counts. When it offers you a place, it assigns a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) — a unique electronic reference that records your course, its level, start and end dates, the fees and anything you have already paid.
- You must apply within the validity period of the CAS.
- The details on your CAS must match your documents exactly — mismatches between the CAS and your evidence are one of the most common causes of delay and refusal.
- Some sensitive postgraduate and research programmes also need an ATAS certificate, which must be obtained before you apply.
3. How you qualify — the points
The Student route is points-based. You need 70 points, made up of three fixed blocks:
| Requirement | Points |
|---|---|
| A valid CAS for a course at the required level with a licensed student sponsor (study / course) | 50 |
| Financial requirement met (course fees + living costs) | 10 |
| English language requirement met | 10 |
(Point structure under Appendix Student — confirm the current requirements on GOV.UK.)
4. English language
The level you need depends on your course: generally B2 (CEFR) for study at degree level and above at a higher education provider, and B1 for courses below degree level and pre-sessional English, assessed across reading, writing, speaking and listening.
You can usually meet it with an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), an accepted degree taught in English, or by nationality; and a higher education provider with a track record of compliance can sometimes assess your English itself and confirm it on the CAS. See our English language requirement guide for every accepted method.
5. The financial requirement
You must show enough money for two things:
- Course fees — your outstanding fees for the first year (or the whole course if it is shorter), as stated on your CAS, less anything you have already paid.
- Living costs — a set monthly amount for a capped number of months, which is higher if you will study in London.
The money must normally be held in an account for a continuous period (the “28-day rule”), with the closing balance never dropping below the required total, and the statement dated close to your application. Some applicants are exempt from showing living costs — for example if you have been in the UK with permission for a set period before applying.
We do not publish the amounts here, because they change. The current London / outside-London monthly figures, the number of months and the exemptions are set in Appendix Finance. Work out the fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge with our Fee & IHS calculator, read our financial evidence guide for how statements are checked, and confirm the living-cost amounts on GOV.UK.
6. Working during study
Whether — and how much — you can work depends on your course level and sponsor, and it is written as a condition on your visa:
- Students on a degree-level or above course at a higher education provider can usually work up to a limited number of hours during term time (commonly 20 hours a week), and full-time outside term.
- Students below degree level at such a provider typically have a lower term-time limit, and some students have no right to work at all — always check the condition on your own grant.
- You cannot be self-employed or run a business, be a professional sportsperson or coach, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy.
Working more than your permitted hours is a serious breach that can lead to curtailment and future refusals. Confirm the exact limits on GOV.UK.
7. Dependants
The rules on bringing a partner or children as dependants were significantly tightened in 2024. For most courses, Students can no longer bring dependants. You can generally only bring dependants if you are:
- a government-sponsored student on a course of at least six months; or
- a full-time postgraduate student on a course of at least nine months that is a PhD, other doctoral or research-based higher degree (for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, a taught master’s does not qualify).
Where dependants are allowed, each needs extra money shown for them (again, higher for London), and there are continuing rules for dependants already in the UK. See our dependant-visa guidance and confirm current eligibility on GOV.UK.
8. Switching, extending & what comes after
Extending. You can usually extend your Student permission from inside the UK for a new course, with a new CAS, provided you have completed your previous course and the new course shows academic progression. Time limits apply to study below degree level and at degree level.
Switching in. You can switch into the Student route from inside the UK from some immigration statuses — but not from several others, including as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker, or on leave outside the Rules. Those applicants must apply for entry clearance from outside the UK.
After your studies. Common next steps are the Graduate visa (stay and work for a set period without a sponsor) or a sponsored Skilled Worker role, which can lead to settlement. Time spent as a Student does not by itself count towards indefinite leave to remain.
9. If your application is refused
Common refusal reasons include a CAS that does not match the documents, financial evidence that does not meet the 28-day rule, missing ATAS, or the caseworker not being satisfied you are a genuine student. Depending on the reason, the right response may be an administrative review (if there was a caseworking error) or a fresh application. See our refusal help.
“Not a genuine student” refusals are complex. A refusal that turns on credibility — the Home Office not accepting that you are a genuine student — falls outside our IAA Level 1 scope; we will tell you at the outset and help you find an appropriately authorised adviser.
10. How ENS can help
We can check that your CAS and evidence line up, confirm the English level and the financial requirement that apply to your course, make sure your money is held correctly for the required period, and prepare a straightforward Student application — or advise on switching to the Graduate or Skilled Worker route afterwards.
Our regulatory scope. ENS is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1 and helps with straightforward applications within that authorisation. Matters that turn on credibility or genuineness, and any appeal, tribunal or judicial review, fall outside our scope — we will say so after an initial assessment and, where needed, help you find an appropriately authorised adviser. How our IAA Level 1 scope works.
11. Common mistakes
- Evidence that does not match the CAS — names, course dates, fees or amounts paid out of step.
- Breaking the 28-day rule — the balance dipping below the required total, or a statement that is too old.
- Using the wrong living-cost figure — London vs outside London, or too few months.
- Missing ATAS for a programme that needs it.
- Assuming you can bring dependants on a course that no longer qualifies.
- Trying to switch from a visitor visa in the UK, when you must apply for entry clearance.
- Working more than the permitted hours, which is a serious breach.
12. FAQs
Do I need a place before I apply? +
Yes. You need an unconditional offer and a CAS from a licensed student sponsor before you apply, and you must apply while the CAS is valid.
What English level do I need? +
Usually B2 for degree-level study at a university and B1 below degree level, across all four skills. There are several accepted ways to prove it — see our English language requirement guide and confirm your course’s level on GOV.UK.
How much money do I have to show? +
Your outstanding course fees plus living costs for a capped number of months, held in your account for a continuous period. The living-cost amounts are higher for London and change, so we do not quote them here — use our Fee & IHS calculator and check GOV.UK.
Can I bring my partner or children? +
Usually only if you are a government-sponsored student or a full-time postgraduate research/doctoral student. For most other courses, dependants can no longer come. Confirm your course’s eligibility on GOV.UK.
Can I work on a Student visa? +
Often yes, but only within limits set as a condition on your visa — commonly up to 20 hours a week in term time for degree-level study, less or none for other courses. You cannot be self-employed or fill a permanent full-time job. Check the condition on your own grant.
Does time as a student count towards settlement? +
No. The Student route is not a route to settlement on its own, though many students later switch to the Graduate or Skilled Worker route, which can lead to settlement.
Can I switch to a Student visa from a visit visa in the UK? +
No. Visitors (and several other statuses) cannot switch into the Student route inside the UK and must apply for entry clearance from outside.
As a Turkish national, do I get reduced documentation? +
Generally no — Turkish nationals are usually not on the Home Office differentiation (reduced-evidence) list, so plan to provide full financial and other evidence. Confirm the current position on GOV.UK.
Related guidance
English language requirement
Every accepted way to meet the English level for your course.
Learn more →Fee & IHS calculator
Estimate the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.
Open the tool →Disclaimer. ENS Immigration Advice is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1 (F202331709) and is not a firm of solicitors. This page gives general information about the Student route; it is not legal advice on any individual application and does not guarantee an outcome. Financial amounts, English levels, work conditions and dependant rules change — confirm the current position on GOV.UK before you apply.
Source basis. This page summarises Appendix Student, Appendix Finance and Appendix English Language and the related Home Office Student route guidance published on GOV.UK. Immigration Rules and guidance change; the fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge and the living-cost amounts that apply to you are set out on GOV.UK. Confirm the current position before relying on this information.
Eyyup Yaprak
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Founded to make regulated advice honest and accessible.
Before founding the practice, Eyyup spent 10 years teaching English in Turkey and Liverpool, so every stage of an application is explained clearly, in English or Turkish. A BA and MA in English Language Teaching and an Associate Degree in Computer Programming & Technology sit alongside AAT Level 4 in Accounting, giving a strong grasp of the financial evidence many visa categories require.
Casework spans family, work, settlement and Ankara Agreement (ECAA) applications, plus sponsor licence guidance for employers.
Planning a UK Student application?
We can check your CAS and evidence line up, confirm the English level and the money you need, and prepare a straightforward application — or advise on what comes after your studies.