Few phrases carry as much hope and paperwork as “dependent child student visa” — it reshapes every decision from country to savings target to timeline, especially since the UK closed its dependant route for most taught students in January 2024 (GOV.UK (student visa family members)), while Ireland and New Zealand still keep family pathways open. Here’s what a parent needs to know before choosing.
Ireland Dependent Visa Fee: €60 (single entry) / €100 (multiple entry) ·
UK Student Dependant Visa Fee: £490 per person ·
NZ Dependent Child Student Visa Fee: NZD $750 ·
Ireland Stamp 1 Standard Processing: 4 – 12 weeks ·
UK Dependent Rule Change: Most routes banned from January 2024
Quick snapshot
1Confirmed facts
- Since January 2024, most UK student routes do not permit dependants (GOV.UK (student visa family members)).
- New Zealand’s Dependent Child Student Visa is for children aged 19 or younger (Immigration New Zealand (official visa page)).
- UK maintenance for a dependant child is £845 a month in London and £680 outside London, for up to nine months (GOV.UK (student visa family members)).
2What’s unclear
- Official 2026 rejection rates for Irish student visas have not been published (Citizens Information Ireland).
- The full impact of Ireland’s 2026 dependency checks on family applications is still emerging.
- NZ dependent-child processing times vary significantly by application type and case location (