UK Student visa holders can bring their partners and children ('dependants') to the UK on a PBS dependant visa if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Please contact our immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in the enquiry form to take the first step towards your successful PBS Dependent visa application.
Table of Contents
- What is a Student Dependent visa UK?
- Requirements for Student Dependent visa UK
- PBS dependent family members
- Financial requirements
- Documents required for Student Dependent visa
- Can you work on a Student Dependent visa?
- PBS dependant visa processing time
- UK Student Dependent visa application fees
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Need legal advice or help from an immigration lawyer?
What is a Student Dependent visa UK?
If you have a UK Student visa, your family members (the partner and children) can apply for PBS dependent visa to join you or stay in the UK as your dependents.
To apply for a Student Dependent visa, your family members need to complete separate applications and if their applications are successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.
Requirements for Student Dependent visa UK
A person applying for student dependant visa from outside the UK must meet the following requirements to be approved by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO):
- Use the correct application form
- You and your partner both must be 18 or over
- You need to prove that your relationship with the main applicant
- You must meet the financial requirement by showing the required level of funds for maintenance maintained for 28 days
The student visa holder must be one of the following:
- a full-time student on a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above) that lasts 9 months or longer
- a new government-sponsored student on a course that lasts longer than 6 months
- a Doctorate Extension Scheme student
You must also meet all the other eligibility requirements depending on type of application and your personal circumstances. Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and to discuss the options.
PBS Dependent family members
The Student visa dependent family member means your husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner and child under 18 years old. You'll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.
Financial requirements
To meet the financial requirements of a Student Dependent visa, your partner and child must each have a certain amount of money available to support themselves during their stay in the UK. Total money depends on where you will be studying. Each dependant must have either:
- £845 a month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London
- £680 a month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London
You must have funds in the bank account for at least 28 consecutive days.
Your partner or child does not need to prove they have this money if they’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.
Documents required for Student Dependent visa
When you apply as a dependant of a UK Student visa holder, you'll need to provide the following documents in support of your PBS dependant visa application:
- Your valid current passport
- Evidence that you have enough to support yourself in the UK without seeking public funds
- Evidence of the relationship to the main applicant
- Birth certificate for children under the age of 18
This is a general list of documents. Depending on type of application and your personal circumstances, you might also need to provide additional documents.
Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and find out the required list of documents in support of your application.
Can you work on a Student Dependent visa?
Yes, as a PBS dependent you can work full-time in the UK without any restrictions. However, you will not be able to take employment as a doctor or dentist in training.
PBS dependant visa processing time
You should get a decision on your UK Student dependent visa within 3 weeks if you are making the visa application from outside the UK by using standard service. Time starts once you've applied online and attended your biometric appointment.
For those applying for a Student dependent visa from inside of the UK, the Home Office (UKVI) aims to process visa applications within 8 weeks.
How long does the visa application process take?
Once you have applied online and attended your biometrics appointment, you'll usually get a decision on your visa within:
- 3 weeks, if applying from outside the UK using standard service
- 8 weeks, if applying from inside the UK using standard service
- 5 working days, if applying using priority service
- 24 hours, if applying using super priority service
Super Priority Service
You may be eligible to use the “super priority service” to get a faster decision by the end of the next working day (within 24 hours). You'll need to pay £1,000 in addition to the UK visa application fee.
Priority Service
You may be able to choose the 'priority service' when you apply for a UK visa to get a faster decision within 5 working days. You'll need to pay £500 in addition to the UK visa application fee.
When you apply, you might be eligible to choose the 'super priority service' or 'priority service' to get your visa faster depending on the type of application and what country you're in.
Applicants are advised to check the latest information about UK visa application processing time on the official UK government website either applying from inside the UK or outside the UK.
UK Student visa application fees
Home Office (UKVI) fees for UK Student visa application are:
- £363 per person when applying from outside the UK
- £490 per person when applying from inside the UK
Please note that these fees are subject to change, and you should always check the most up-to-date information on the UK government's official website before applying for a visa.
How much does a UK visa application cost?
The cost of a UK visa application varies depending on the type of visa you are applying for, your location and the type of service such as 'standard service', or 'priority service'.
Here are some common costs associated with applying for a UK visa:
- Home Office visa application fee
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) (unless visa length is less than 6 months or you're exempt)
- Biometrics fee (if applying from inside the UK)
- The 'priority service' fee to get a faster decision (if applicable)
- English language test fee (if required)
- Immigration lawyer fees (if using legal services to boost your chances of success & avoid mistakes)
Please note that the above is a general list of costs associated with UK visa applications. There may be additional costs such court fee and translation fee depending on your circumstances.
Immigration lawyer fees
Our expert UK immigration lawyer will guide you through every step of the UK visa application process including advice about legal requirements and eligibility criteria.
At Rex Law Chambers, our immigration lawyer charges a fixed fee between £800-£1000 for our complete legal services in relation to your UK visa application. The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.
How can an immigration lawyer help you?
As part of our immigration services for your immigration application, our expert immigration lawyer will:
- Assess your eligibility for the relevant visa type by fully considering your circumstances.
- Advise you on the required supporting documents to be submitted in support of your immigration application.
- Assess all the documents to ensure that the documents you provide are as per the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
- Advise you on strengths and potential weaknesses in your visa application and how you can overcome such weaknesses (if any).
- Complete the online immigration draft application form to share it with you for cross-checking.
- Submit your application online and schedule your biometrics appointments with the relevant commercial partner of the UKVI.
- Prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the immigration application explaining in detail how you are meeting all the requirements of the Immigration Rules so that you have the maximum chance of succeeding in your visa application.
- Upload all the supporting documents online in support of the immigration application in their correct format and order.
- Dealing and responding to any caseworker enquiries or correspondence from the Home Office caseworker for any further documents or information concerning your pending immigration application.
- Do all the follow-up work on your immigration application until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI.
Contact our experienced and friendly immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in our enquiry form to get reliable & confidential immigration advice and legal assistance with a UK visa application or any other immigration matter.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
UK Student visa allows international students to work for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time including paid or unpaid work. A student visa issued for full-time degree-level studies allows you to work full-time during official vacation periods.
Home Office usually takes 3 weeks to process a UK Student visa application from outside the UK. Time starts once you attend your appointment at the visa application centre.
The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you start your course.
If studying in London, you should have enough money in your bank account to pay the outstanding course fees and £1,334 for each month of the course (up to a maximum of 9 months).
If studying outside London then you need money in your bank account equivalent to your outstanding course fees and £1,023 for each month of the course (up to a maximum of 9 months).
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