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Most new taught master’s students cannot bring dependants through the Student route. Check the exact course classification, government sponsorship rules and family circumstances before paying a deposit or planning a family move.
Start with the Student-route eligibility gateway
The current GOV.UK page provides two main categories: government-sponsored students on courses longer than six months, and eligible full-time postgraduate students on courses lasting at least nine months. For postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, the latter category must be a doctorate or a research-based higher degree.
A course being postgraduate does not make it research-based. Ask the university’s immigration team to confirm the classification of the exact programme and intake. Do not select a degree solely because an advertisement says dependants are possible. Its academic structure and your intended study still matter.
Check the qualifying family relationship
Partner and child rules have their own conditions and evidence requirements. A parent, sibling or other relative is not automatically a Student dependant because they are financially dependent on you. Read the relevant partner or child guidance for your actual relationship rather than treating one family’s documents as a universal checklist.
Prepare a factual family record: names, dates of birth, relationship documents and current immigration status where applicable. Ask about translations, children’s living arrangements and any complicated circumstances through the university’s qualified advisers. Do not upload sensitive family papers to an unofficial checker.
Build a separate evidence and household budget
A dependant application can require additional maintenance evidence beyond the student’s own requirements. GOV.UK distinguishes study in London from study elsewhere and explains the period for which funds must be shown. Open the current page when calculating; this guide deliberately does not substitute an undated family-funds figure.
The visa minimum and the family’s actual costs are different calculations. Budget for suitable housing, every applicant’s fees and healthcare charges, transport and everyday spending. Investigate childcare or schooling where relevant. A single student room or a student’s individual living estimate may be unsuitable for the household.
Treat extensions and existing permission individually
If family members already hold permission, the rules for extending or switching may depend on their immigration history and the student’s previous course or sponsorship. Read the relevant section of GOV.UK and Appendix Student rather than applying a new overseas applicant’s summary without checking.
Timing matters when family members apply separately. Keep a list of permission expiry dates, intended travel and course dates. Confirm which online application route is correct and whether the family can lawfully make it from their present location. An adviser should review complicated status questions using the underlying documents.
Resolve the family plan before committing
Ask the university for a written answer about course sponsorship and the relevant dependant category before paying a non-refundable deposit. Then confirm what evidence each person needs and whether accommodation suitable for the family is available. Keep the institution’s academic offer separate from the immigration decision.
If the Student dependant route is unavailable, do not assume a visitor route allows a family member to live in the UK throughout your studies. Any alternative has its own purpose and restrictions. Make the study decision using a plan that is actually workable for your family, with current qualified advice where needed.
Common questions
Can every master’s student bring a spouse or child?
No. Most new taught master’s courses do not meet the dependant gateway. Check the research-degree or government-sponsorship conditions and your individual circumstances.
Is an MRes title enough to prove dependant eligibility?
Do not rely on the title alone. Ask the university to confirm how the exact course is classified for Student sponsorship under the current rules.
Can my parents apply as my Student dependants?
The Student dependant route covers qualifying partners and children, not parents simply because they are related to or supported by the student.
Sources you can check
Open the original information and confirm the course, date and conditions that apply to you.
- GOV.UK: Student visa partner and children www.gov.uk
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Student www.gov.uk
- UKCISA: Student route bringing your family www.ukcisa.org.uk
- University of Edinburgh: bringing your family registryservices.ed.ac.uk
Source-check date: 25 October 2026. Published information can change. Course offers, individual circumstances and official rules take priority over general examples. Read our research standards.