Parents of children at school
Can you come to the UK as a parent of a child school?
This page explains whether you can come to the UK as a parent of a child at school.
The 'parent of a child at school' category is for nationals of countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. If you are an EEA or Swiss national, or a family member of an EEA or Swiss national, the European nationals section explains how you can come to the UK.
You can come to the UK as a parent of a child at school if your child is:
- under 12 years old; and
- attending an independent fee-paying day school under Tier 4 (Child) of the points-based system or under the student category that existed before 31 March 2009.
You must be able to show that, during your visit, you do not intend to:
- live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits;
- take paid or unpaid employment, produce goods or provide services, including the selling of goods or services directly to members of the public;
- do a course of study;
You must also be able to show that:
- you are not seeking to make the UK your main home;
- you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit;
- you have adequate and reliable funds to maintain a second home in the UK;
- you have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working or help from public funds, or you and any dependants will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
- you were not last admitted to the UK under the Approved Destination Status Agreement with China; and
- you can meet the cost of the return or onward journey.
You will initially be allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of 12 months, but you can then apply to extend your stay for 12 months at a time if you still meet the above requirements.
For information about your rights and responsibilities while you are in the UK, see the Visitors' rights and responsibilities section.
You should provide documents to show that you meet the above requirements. The Documents page contains more information.
You may need to obtain a visa before you can come to the UK as a parent of a child at school. The Do you need a visa? page contains more information.