Direct answerYes — dependant children of a Global Talent Visa holder can live and study in the UK, from state and independent schools through to college and university. Each child needs their own dependant visa, paying the dependant application fee of £766 and their own Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year for each person applying.
The figures below are current at 6 July 2026 and should be re-checked on GOV.UK, because Home Office fees change regularly, typically each April.
Why can dependant children study in the UK?
Dependant children can study because a Global Talent dependant visa grants permission to live in the UK, and that permission carries the right to attend school, college and university without a separate study visa. The route is designed to bring a talented individual and their immediate family together, so a partner and children under 18 (and, in defined circumstances, older children) may apply as dependants. Once a child holds valid leave as your dependant, education is one of the things that leave allows — there is no additional endorsement and no minimum-salary or sponsorship gate.
What does each child cost?
Each dependant child pays a £766 application fee plus their own Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year for each person applying. Dependants do not repeat the endorsement stage — that is a one-off step for the main applicant only — but each child is charged their own visa fee and IHS. The IHS is paid up front for the length of the visa granted, so a five-year grant means five years of surcharge for each person, while a shorter grant reduces it proportionally. State schooling is free at the point of use once the child is resident, but across a family the IHS becomes the largest line. For a full projection, use our family cost calculator.
What should families check first?
Two things are set outside the visa and must be checked separately: university fee status and each child's own eligibility to be added as a dependant. A child on a dependant visa may study, but whether a university treats them as a home-fee or overseas-fee student is decided by the institution under the applicable funding rules, based on residence — it is not conferred by the visa, so confirm fee status directly with the university. Separately, each child must qualify as a dependant in their own right; children under 18 are straightforward, while older children are subject to defined conditions. Neither point changes the core answer that dependant children can study. When in doubt, verify on GOV.UK — Global Talent dependants.
How do you add a child as a dependant?
Each child is added through their own dependant visa application, submitted alongside or after the main applicant's, with evidence of the relationship and of the main applicant's Global Talent leave. In practice that means a separate online application per child, the £766 fee and the IHS for each, plus documents such as the child's passport and a birth certificate showing the parental link. Every dependant application depends upon the main Global Talent case succeeding — which is why the strength of the main application is what matters most. Secure the endorsement and visa cleanly and the dependant applications are the comparatively mechanical part.
The dependant visas ride on the main application. Get that right first.
A £200 Fit Assessment scores your Global Talent case out of 20 and shows exactly where it is weak before you commit the family's fees.
How does the £200 Fit Assessment help a family applicant?
The £200 Fit Assessment tells you whether the main Global Talent application is strong enough to build a family move on, before you spend £766 plus IHS per child. Because every dependant visa depends on the main applicant being endorsed and granted, the single most important thing for a family is that the main case holds up. The assessment gives you a score out of 20, a Talent-versus-Promise route recommendation, a component-by-component read on your evidence and letters, a gap analysis and a risk register, delivered as a branded report with a 45-minute live review call. It is credited in full to any package within 14 days, so the family fees are only committed once the foundation is sound.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Dependant children can live and study in the UK on a Global Talent dependant visa, including at state schools, independent schools, colleges and universities. Each child needs their own dependant visa, paying the dependant application fee and their own Immigration Health Surcharge. Verify current fees on GOV.UK.
Each dependant, including a child, pays a £766 application fee plus their own Immigration Health Surcharge. Dependants do not repeat the endorsement stage, which is a one-off step for the main applicant only. The IHS is usually £1,035 per year for each person applying. A shorter visa grant reduces the IHS paid up front. Verify current amounts on GOV.UK.
University tuition status is set by each institution and the relevant funding rules, not by us, and is not a feature of the visa itself. A child on a dependant visa can study, but whether they qualify for home-fee status depends on residence and the university's assessment. Confirm fee status directly with the institution.
No separate Student visa is required while the child holds valid leave as your dependant — they can study on the dependant visa. Some families later choose a Student visa for other reasons, but it is not a requirement for study while the dependant visa is valid. Verify on GOV.UK.
Related reading: true cost for your family, full cost breakdown, who qualifies, switching from Skilled Worker, processing time, and the pain points hub.
Last updated: 6 July 2026. Facts verified against GOV.UK on 6 July 2026.