UK Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility Visas: Children and School

This article is for parents who are considering a move to England on a UK Skilled Worker visa or the Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) assignment visa, and who are looking at schools for their children. Everything below comes from official guidance (the Home Office via GOV.UK and the Department for Education) as of 29 October 2026. It does not tell you whether your family qualifies for any visa.

How the two visas treat families

GOV.UK says the partner (married, civil or a relationship of 2+ years) and children under 18 of a Skilled Worker apply separately as dependants. Children must live with the worker unless they are in full-time education away from home, such as boarding school.

Maintenance funds are also set out: £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child, held for 28 days. Some people are exempt, for example when the employer certifies the first month's costs. Dependants can work and study but cannot claim most public funds.

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is for staff transferring to their employer's UK branch and replaced the Intra-company Transfer visa. Applicants must be existing employees of an approved sponsor and earn at least £52,500. A stay lasts until the certificate end date plus 14 days, or 5 years, whichever is shorter. The maximum is 5 years in 6, or 9 years in 10 for salaries of £73,900 or more. Partners and children can apply as dependants, but this route does not lead to settlement. The length of stay affects school choice and year-group planning, so look at it early.

Can dependant children attend state school?

Department for Education guidance (updated April 2022) says children who are dependants of a parent with settled status or on a work or student visa can generally attend state-funded schools. Schools and councils must not require proof of immigration status as a condition of admission. Applications from abroad are considered in the normal round.

By contrast, unaccompanied Child Student or Student visa holders cannot study at state-funded schools. They must attend a licensed independent school or college. Children on visitor routes cannot enrol in state schools either. This guidance was last updated in 2022, so confirm what applies now with the DfE or the local council.

School types and in-year admission

GOV.UK says children aged 5 to 16 in England are entitled to a free state school place. The main types are:

• Community schools: run by the local authority and following the national curriculum.
• Academies: free schools run by not-for-profit trusts, which can set their own curriculum and term times.
• Grammar schools: pupils are selected by an ability test.
• Faith schools: may have their own admissions criteria.
• State boarding schools: teaching is free, with charges for boarding only.
• Independent (private) schools: they charge fees, receive no government funding, and must be registered and regularly inspected.

Some families move during the school year. Hampshire County Council's in-year scheme for 2025/26 cites the School Admissions Code: any parent can apply for a place at any school, at any time. Children are usually admitted to their age group, and parents may request another year group. When moving house, parents send proof of the new address, such as a signed tenancy agreement. Schools aim to reply within 10 school days and must respond in writing within 15. Offers must be accepted within 10 school days and the place taken up within four school weeks. This is one council's document. It has no general rule for families arriving from overseas, and procedures differ by council, so check with the local council.

If a child studies alone or boards

A child who studies in England without a parent would look at the Child Student visa. GOV.UK says it is for ages 4 to 17. The stated requirements are an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsor, a suitable place to live, evidence of sufficient funds, and parental or guardian consent. From outside the UK you can apply up to 6 months before the course starts, and the typical decision time is about 3 weeks. The fee on that page is £558. These details can change, so check the current notice before applying.

For boarding, the DfE's national minimum standards (in force from 5 September 2022) are a useful reference. Under them, schools must:

• let boarders contact parents privately at a suitable time, considering time zones for international pupils;
• have policies for unwell boarders and medication, and give access to local medical, dental and optical care;
• have at least one member of staff sleeping or on duty overnight in each boarding building;
• give boarders an independent person to raise concerns with and details of at least two child support services;
• check and record that any educational guardian arrangement promotes the boarder's welfare. Staff may not be guardians of their own boarders.

Checklist

• Have you checked on GOV.UK who counts as a dependant (a partner and children under 18) and how to apply?
• Have you checked the maintenance funds, the 28-day holding period and any exemptions?
• For an assignment visa, have you built the permitted length of stay, and the fact that it does not lead to settlement, into your plans?
• Do you understand that school options (state or independent) differ depending on whether your child comes with a parent or studies alone?
• Have you looked up the admissions process and address-proof documents of the local council where you plan to live?
• If your arrival does not match the start of term, have you looked at in-year admission timelines?
• If you are considering boarding, have you compared contact times, medical care and guardian arrangements?

Ask the school

• What documents and timelines apply to applications from abroad, and what are the deadlines to accept an offer and start attending?
• Which documents do you accept as proof of address, and what happens if we have not yet found a home?
• How do we request the age-appropriate year group or a different one?
• (Independent or boarding schools) Do you hold student sponsor status? How are tuition and boarding costs structured? How do parents contact their child across time zones, and how is overnight staffing arranged?
• (Boarding schools) How is the school involved in appointing a guardian, and how are support-service contacts shared with pupils?

Visa rules, fees and admissions procedures can change and differ by council and school. Always check the latest details with the Home Office (GOV.UK), the Department for Education, the local council and the school.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.