Child Student Visa - Advice Needed!

[Questiontime77]

Here's hoping someone can point me in the right direction...

I’m currently in the UK with my daughter and my son (who works there). We’re Iranian nationals and have 10-year visit visas and have travelled to the UK multiple times over over a decade without issues. My husband is currently in the UAE, afraid to leave as to avoid the same fate as us.

However, our UAE residency has been revoked (blanket revocation of Iranians abroad https://www.ft.com/content/513a9646-d8e ... 25a6b1a6=1 ), so we can’t return there, and returning to Iran isn’t an option for us at the moment.

She's in Year 12 and planning for her future, a number of independent schools in the UK have accepted her. We are now evaluating our long term options and as such it's likely we'll opt to send her there.

We've had a look at the Gov.uk page. The schools are all on the sponsor list and willing to issue CAS. She'd live with her brother, although not confirmed.

Some questions I’d really appreciate help with:

- Where should we apply for the visa from? We know we need to leave the UK to apply. Since we can’t return to our country of residence (UAE) or Iran. As far as we know the VFS centre in Iran is currently only open once a week for passport returns.
--- Could we apply from a third country like Turkey?

- Guardianship: Would she require a nominated guardian in the UK? https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration ... ld-student
She's over 16 so as per law would be allowed to live independently. This is what we aim to state in her application. Her brother (not UK national nor ILR) will be in the same city and she may even stay with him.

- Would it be a problem to live with her brother, as the visa page appendix states "CS 9.3. If the applicant will be living with a nominated guardian, close relative, or private foster carer, that nominated guardian, close relative or foster carer must be:
(a) a British citizen; or
(b) settled in the UK."




- Ant issues that her father's bank statements would be from UAE banks?


- Length of stay: We originally entered intending to stay for 2 weeks, but due to the situation we’ve now been here almost 3 months (still within the 6 month visitor allowance). We will leave before the 6 months for sure. Do we need to explain this change of plans in the application, or is it fine as long as we haven’t overstayed?


Thanks!