Short answer: Not every Student visa holder can bring dependants. The ordinary eligible categories include government-sponsored study lasting more than six months and qualifying full-time postgraduate study lasting at least nine months. For postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, the course normally needs to be a PhD, another doctorate or a research-based higher degree.
A family move can influence your course choice, housing and finances. Check dependant eligibility before committing to a programme on the assumption that a partner can work in the UK or children can join later.
Check the course description carefully
The official dependant page distinguishes the relevant sponsored and postgraduate categories. A course being labelled “postgraduate” or “master’s” is not enough to establish eligibility.
Ask the university to confirm the classification used for immigration purposes. A taught master’s degree with a dissertation should not automatically be treated as a research-based higher degree. The Student caseworker guidance explains the research-based distinction.
Course start dates and continuing permission
The date the course starts can matter, as can an existing family’s permission and any continuing-course arrangements. Do not copy a friend’s experience from an earlier course into a new application.
The Student Rules contain detailed dependant provisions. Existing dependants, children born during permission and changes of course can need more specific assessment than a general “yes or no” based on course level.
Who is a qualifying family member?
A partner may be a spouse, civil partner or qualifying unmarried partner. Relevant evidence of the relationship is needed. Children have age, relationship and care requirements, with particular rules for some continuing applicants.
Do not assume a separate adult relative can come as a Student dependant, or that a child is automatically included in the student’s application. Check the route and person individually.
Build a family eligibility sheet
| Item | Information to confirm |
|---|---|
| Student | Current permission, course, institution and start date |
| Course | Level, duration and taught or research classification |
| Partner | Relationship evidence, current location and permission |
| Child | Age, relationship, current status and parental arrangements |
| Finances | Maintenance evidence and separate government costs |
| Timing | Application, expected grant and planned travel dates |
This is a planning tool. Completing it does not establish eligibility, but it prevents important assumptions from remaining hidden until you pay fees.
Maintenance and charges are separate for dependants
Eligible dependants can need their own maintenance evidence, with the relevant location and period calculation. Application fees and IHS are separate from that maintenance requirement. The Student family guidance describes the amounts and evidence arrangements.
Where savings support several family members, calculate the complete requirement rather than reusing one person’s balance for everyone without checking the total. If the university or official sponsor covers family costs, confirm precisely what the sponsorship evidence says.
What can a dependant do after a grant?
Check the actual conditions of the dependant’s permission. Work rights and restrictions are not the same as the student’s term-time work limit, and the decision information should be read carefully.
Do not build a budget that depends on a partner immediately obtaining a particular job. Visa permission, employment availability and income are different matters. Our company provides immigration assistance, not a guarantee of employment.
Think ahead to Graduate permission
The Graduate dependant rules generally depend on a qualifying existing dependant history, with specific arrangements for children. A successful Graduate application does not automatically open the route to every new family member.
If keeping the family together is central to your plans, assess the Student-to-Graduate sequence before choosing a course. Our Graduate duration guide explains the separate January 2027 timing change.
Frequently asked questions
Can every master’s student bring a spouse?
No. For new postgraduate courses subject to the current restrictions, the course classification and other eligibility conditions matter.
Does a dissertation make my course research-based?
Not automatically. Ask the institution for the proper immigration classification and check the relevant guidance.
Can a new partner join after I obtain a Graduate visa?
Do not assume so. Graduate dependant eligibility has its own requirements and should be checked separately.
Plan the family move before committing
London Immigration Assistance can help assess routine Student and dependant applications within our scope. Book a free consultation with the course details and family’s immigration history. The standard professional fee is £500 per application, per person, with government and third-party charges separate.
Official sources
Sources checked: 6 October 2026. Check the current official requirements for your application date.
- GOV.UK: family members
- GOV.UK: immigration rules appendix student
- GOV.UK: student and child student accessible
- GOV.UK: your partner and children
This guide provides general information and is not a decision about your individual eligibility. Rules and charges can change. The agreed service and care letter set out our professional scope; no outcome is guaranteed.