Parent of Tier 4 child visa

You can apply for a Parent of Tier 4 child visa if:

• your child attends an independent fee-paying day school in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

How long you can stay

This visa usually lasts for either 6 or 12 months. After that, you can get extensions for 12 months at a time until your child reaches 12 years of age.

You’ll be given a shorter visa and won’t be able to extend that visa if your child is going to:

• have their 12th birthday in the next 12 months
• finish their final year at school in the next 12 months

You must leave the UK when your visa expires in either case, and can’t switch to a different visa category. If your child is staying in education in the UK without you, you must make arrangements for their ongoing care.

What you can and can’t do

You can:

• extend your visa for 12 months at a time, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements

You can’t:

• switch into a different immigration category from a ‘Parent of a Tier 4 child visa’ when it expires
• get public funds
• make your main home in the UK
• take paid work
• study
• bring other family members (‘dependants’) with you on your application – they must apply separately