do I need a UK guardian in place to apply for my child's student visa?

Currently, there is no legal requirement for parents to appoint a UK guardian, however almost all schools insist on this for overseas boarders. Having a responsible UK guardian in place helps schools to fulfil their duty of care, so their overseas boarders are kept safe throughout the duration of their stay in the UK and during the school holidays.

We advise parents to check the guardianship policy for their child's school and to ask them about their requirements as these vary between institutions.

Now that the UK has left the European Union, pupils coming from the EU are increasingly being asked to nominate a UK based guardian during their studies. The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for reliable guardianship, with guardians providing a life line for students when schools closed in March and during the beginning of 2021.

Guardianship details are now being requested as part of all Child Student visa applications. This also applies to students from the EEA using the ID Check App.

This section of the visa form is not mandatory however and so parents that have not yet confirmed their child's UK guardian, can still complete the visa application. They will just need to confirm the details to their child's school once everything is in place.

UK Boarding Schools are increasingly concerned about the reliability of their students' educational guardians, and so may strongly recommend that any guardian appointed be accredited by AEGIS (The Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) to Gold standard. This reassures all involved that the guardian organisation appointed has passed a thorough inspection and is operating professionally and following a strict safeguarding framework.

If you are not sure how to start your application and need help and advice, you can contact your Guardianship Care Manager. We can refer you to one of our overseas agents who can assist and who will guide you through the application process from start to finish.

If you have not yet applied for guardianship with Bright World and would like some more information, simply complete the online enquiry form by clicking the link at the bottom of the page and one of our Regional Managers will be happy to help.

Visit our Help Centre for;

• Guardianship Frequently Asked Questions
• Host Families Frequently Asked Questions
• Quarantine Frequently Asked Questions
• Guardianship Fees and Costs explained