Table Of Contents
- Dependants on student route
- Who can bring dependent family members to the UK on the student route
- Summary
The UK Government wanted to reduce migration and prevent the student route from being used primarily as a route for bringing family members to the UK. In this effort, from 1 January 2024, the UK significantly restricted which international students could bring their spouse/partner and children to the UK as Student dependants.
In 2026, international students in the UK can still bring their dependent partners and children as long as their course allows. Before 1 January 2024, if you were studying an RQF Level 7 course (for example, an ordinary Master’s degree), you could bring your spouse/civil partner, unmarried partner and children as dependants. However, if you are a postgraduate student with your course start date on or after this date, you can bring dependants only if your course is a PhD or other doctoral qualification (RQF level 8), or a research-based higher degree.
A student who had received government sponsorship/scholarship for study in the UK could and can still bring dependants if they were or are studying a full-time course of 6 months or longer.
Dependants on student route
A dependant partner or child is one of the following:
• your spouse (husband, wife) or civil partner
• your unmarried partner
• your child/children aged under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay
You will be required to submit documentary evidence of your relationship to the applicant (s) when you apply, for example:
• a marriage certificate/civil partnership certificate for your partner
• a birth certificate for your child
Who can bring dependent family members to the UK on the student route?
In 2026, you can bring your dependent partner and children on the student dependent route if you are either:
• a student who has obtained a sponsorship or scholarship from a Government (a national government or a qualifying government authority) for your study in the UK and has, or is applying for, immigration permission to study in the UK on a full-time course that lasts 6 months or longer; or
• a full-time student who already holds, or is applying for, immigration permission to study a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above (Master’s level or higher)) lasting 9 months or longer at a HEI (Higher Education Provider) that has a track record of sponsorship compliance and, if your postgraduate level course start date is on or after 1 January 2024, your course provider has confirmed the course is a PhD or other doctoral qualification (RQF level 8), or a research-based higher degree; or
• a student who holds, or held within the last 3 months prior to the date of your application, permission to study on a full-time course that lasts 6 months or longer, and you are now applying for permission to study a full-time course that lasts 6 months or longer where either:
(i) your partner or child already holds, or held within the last 3 months prior to the date of their application, permission as your dependent partner or dependent child; or
(ii) your child was born since you were last granted permission as a student, where you and your partner or child are applying at the same time.
If the applicant is your child who does not meet the requirement listed above, they must instead meet one of the following requirements:
(a) they must have been born during your current permission period to study a full-time course that lasts 6 months or longer and are applying for permission during that period; or
(b) where you have permission to re-sit examinations (taking an examination again because you did not pass it the first time) or repeat a module (one individual subject or unit within a larger course) of a full- time course that lasts 6 months or longer, your child must have been born either:
(i) during your original permission period; or
(ii) during the permission period granted to you for re-sitting examinations or to repeat a module; or
(c) they must have been born up to 3 months after the expiry of your most recent permission and must be applying for entry clearance to the UK within 6 months after their parent’s most recent permission expires
Summary
To discourage international students from using UK student visa to easily bring their partner and children to the UK as dependents, the government brought changes to student dependent visa rules in 2024. From 1 January 2024, postgraduate students whose course start date is on or after this date must be on a course that is a PhD or other doctoral qualification (RQF level 8), or a research-based higher degree, to bring their dependents to the UK, excluding previously allowed postgraduate courses at RQF level 7.
A government-sponsored student on a course lasting longer than 6 months can bring dependents in 2026.
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