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International students SCQF level and dependants

As a Student visa holder, you may be able to bring your partner and children to the UK with you as your dependant. This will depend on the course level, or what is called  (SCQF) level noted in your offer letter. The SCQF helps with understanding and comparing different qualifications in Scotland.

For a comparison of qualification levels from England, Wales and Northern Ireland the .

The UK Immigration Rules also apply to babies born in the UK after you arrive. There are some exceptions to the rules noted below.

Check your offer letter

If the offer letter states that the course is at SCQF11_RE or SCQF12_RE;  the course is eligible to apply to bring dependants.

What does this mean?

Courses that have a research component will have _RE added at the end of the course level, for example SCQF11_RE.

A course having a research component means there is a .

If you are not sure whether your course of interest is eligible to bring dependants, please contact the International Student Support Team with the full name of the course of interest and your expected start date.

Check your offer letter

If the offer letter has an SCQF level noted that is not SCQF11_RE or SCQF12_RE; the course is not eligible to apply to bring dependants.

Some exceptions to this rule can be seen in the next section.

What does this mean?

Only courses that are labelled as SCQF11_RE or SCQF12_RE on your offer letter or CAS mean that you would be eligible to bring dependants.

A course having a research component means there is a . Usually these will be postgraduate research courses, such as a research-based higher degree, MPhil, MRes, other doctoral qualification or PhD. Check your offer letter carefully for the SCQF level.

Only students studying a full-time course 6 months or longer and who are sponsored by a national government for their study are exceptions to the above.

To be eligible to bring dependants on a government scholarship or sponsorship, the award must be a government funded scholarship or sponsorship from a national government department. 

The scholarship or sponsorship is not required to cover the full tuition fees and living costs of the student to permit them to sponsor dependants.  In these cases, the applicant must provide additional financial evidence to demonstrate that they meet the financial requirement. 

If a scholarship does not cover the living costs for any dependants of the student, then the applicant must provide separate financial evidence to cover them.

Dependant partner

A dependant partner is defined as:

  • your husband, wife, or civil partner
  • your unmarried partner (you will have to provide additional evidence if this is your relationship status)

Dependant children

A dependant child is defined as:

  • your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay

If you, the main Student visa applicant, plan to bring your children to the UK both parents must also be coming to the UK. This is confirmed in .

Other family members

Other family members are not considered to be dependants.