If you are applying for a UK Student visa, the financial requirement is increasing. The Home Office confirmed the change in the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 3 September 2026. The new figures apply to applications made on or after 30 November 2026. From that date, students studying in London must show £1,570 for each month of their course, while those studying outside London must show £1,203 a month, in each case for a maximum of nine months.
That means the maximum living-cost requirement rises to £14,130 in London and £10,827 outside London. Applications made before 30 November 2026 continue to be decided under the previous figures of £1,529 and £1,171 a month. These amounts are separate from any outstanding course fees you also need to show.
How much do students need to show from 30 November 2026?
For most Student visa applicants, the financial requirement includes outstanding course fees for one academic year, up to nine months, as stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), plus the prescribed living costs.
| Study location | Current monthly figure | New monthly figure from 30 Nov 2026 | Monthly increase | Current 9-month total | New 9-month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,529 | £1,570 | £41 | £13,761 | £14,130 |
| Outside London | £1,171 | £1,203 | £32 | £10,539 | £10,827 |
Over nine months, the increase is £369 for London and £288 elsewhere. Under the new rules, if you have paid a deposit to your Student sponsor for accommodation arranged by that sponsor, up to £1,570 can be offset against the maintenance amount.
For this purpose, London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.
Which figure applies to you depends on your application date
The relevant date is when you make your Student visa application, not when your course starts or when you intend to travel.
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 584) states that the new Student maintenance provisions take effect on 30 November 2026. Applications made before that date are decided under the Rules in force on 29 November 2026.
If your CAS and circumstances allow you to submit a complete application before 30 November, the lower amounts can therefore apply. However, it is more important to submit a valid, properly evidenced application than to rush simply to avoid the increase.
Why the Home Office is raising the figures
The Home Office says the Student route maintenance requirement is aligned with maintenance loans available to home students, which the Department for Education reviews annually. The 2026 increase aligns the immigration requirement with home-student maintenance support for the 2026/27 academic year.
The government has also stated that it intends to continue aligning Student maintenance requirements with home-student maintenance loans in future. If you are budgeting well in advance, allowing some headroom is therefore sensible rather than assuming today’s minimum will still apply when you submit your application.
The wider cost picture
Maintenance funds are only part of the cost of a Student visa. The application fee is currently £558 whether you apply from outside the UK or extend or switch to the Student route from inside the UK.
Most Student applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. The reduced rate for students and their dependants is £776 per year, with the total calculated according to the length of immigration permission granted.
The visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge are separate costs. Paying them does not reduce the maintenance amount you are required to demonstrate under the Student rules.
How to show the funds without getting refused
Where you are required to provide financial evidence, sufficient qualifying funds generally need to have been held for at least 28 consecutive days. The end of that 28-day period must fall no more than 31 days before the date of your visa application.
Acceptable evidence can include bank or building society statements, passbooks, certificates of deposit, qualifying student loans or official financial sponsorship. Money held in an account must normally be immediately accessible.
You can generally rely on money held in your own account. A Student applicant can also use a parent’s or legal guardian’s account, provided the relationship is evidenced and written consent is supplied. A partner’s funds can qualify where the partner is in the UK or applying at the same time.
A few practical points are worth keeping in mind:
- Keep the available balance at or above the required amount throughout the full 28-day period.
- If using a parent’s or legal guardian’s funds, include evidence of your relationship and written consent.
- If relying on official financial sponsorship, provide the required sponsorship evidence if it is not already recorded on your CAS.
- If you are applying for permission to stay and have been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months on the date you apply, you normally do not need to provide financial evidence for the Student financial requirement.
- Some specified nationalities may not need to submit financial evidence with the application, although they must still meet the requirement and can be asked to provide evidence later.
- Foreign currency is converted into sterling using the OANDA spot exchange rate on the application date, so keeping a buffer can protect against exchange-rate movements.
The rules focus on whether sufficient qualifying funds have been held continuously. Moving money between accounts can make that evidential trail harder to demonstrate, so retain complete evidence if transfers are unavoidable.
You cannot use overdrafts, cryptocurrency, stocks and shares, pensions or certain accounts that do not meet the regulatory and electronic-record requirements.
What this means if you plan to stay and work after your course
If you intend to remain in the UK after studying, planning beyond the Student route is important. Our guide on switching from the Graduate visa to Skilled Worker explains one possible progression.
The Graduate route grants two years to eligible non-doctoral applicants who apply on or before 31 December 2026, but only 18 months where the application is made on or after 1 January 2027. PhD and other doctoral graduates continue to receive three years. The Graduate route itself does not lead directly to settlement, although holders can switch into another eligible route.
For example, an eligible Skilled Worker may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five years on qualifying routes if the relevant requirements are met.
Some people may instead qualify through the long residence route after 10 years of qualifying continuous lawful residence. Time spent with permission on many immigration routes can count, although important exclusions and absence rules apply.
A right of abode is different from a visa or settlement route. All British citizens have it, while some Commonwealth citizens qualify under specific historical rules. Having a UK-born parent alone does not automatically establish a right of abode; the parent’s status, the applicant’s citizenship and relevant dates can all matter.
Options for future business owners and employers
Some graduates eventually want to establish or work for their own UK business. What is often described as the self-sponsorship visa route is not a separate visa category in the Immigration Rules. In practice, it generally involves a genuine UK business obtaining a sponsor licence and sponsoring the individual for an eligible Skilled Worker role, with the business, job, salary and applicant meeting the applicable requirements.
A Skilled Worker job cannot be a sham or be created mainly so that the person can obtain permission to stay.
Our self-sponsorship visa support page explains this approach in more detail. Employers should also understand how certificates of sponsorship work and the requirements attached to a work sponsorship licence.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new UK student visa maintenance funds start?
The new figures apply to Student visa applications made on or after 30 November 2026. Applications made before that date are decided under the previous amounts. The change was published on 3 September 2026 in the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 584.
How much money do I need for a UK Student visa in London?
From 30 November 2026, most applicants studying in London who need to meet the financial requirement must show £1,570 for each month of the course, up to nine months. The maximum living-cost amount is therefore £14,130, in addition to any outstanding course fees that must be shown.
How long do I need to hold the money in my account?
Where the 28-day rule applies, you must hold sufficient qualifying funds for at least 28 consecutive days. The closing date shown on the most recent financial evidence must be no more than 31 days before the application date.
Do the higher figures apply if my course starts after 30 November 2026?
Not necessarily. The key date is when you submit the visa application. An application made before 30 November 2026 is assessed under the previous maintenance figures even if the course starts later.
Can my parents’ money count towards the maintenance requirement?
Yes. A Student applicant can rely on qualifying funds held in a parent’s or legal guardian’s account. You must provide evidence of the relationship and written consent allowing you to use the money.
Speak to us before you apply
Financial evidence is a technical part of the Student route, and an otherwise eligible application can still run into difficulty if the required amount, holding period or supporting evidence does not meet the rules.
Explore our UK Student visa support, or get in touch through Hedgley Immigration to arrange an initial discussion. Call Sean on 07704 909490 or Lydia on 07587 145994, and we can help you prepare the application against the rules that apply on your submission date.