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 are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
you meet the other eligibility requirements
How long it will take
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.
Find out about paying for a faster decision.
Fees
A Parent of a Tier 4 child visa costs £516.
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 will be given a shorter visa and will not 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 cannot 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 cannot do
You can:
extend your visa for 12 months at a time, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements
You cannot:
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
See Also:
Additional information on Parents of a tier 4 child visa can be found on GOV.UK's website.