United Kingdom · Immigration Rules
UK raises Student visa funds and changes work, visitor and settlement rules
The Home Office's HC 584 changes raise Student visa maintenance funds from November 30 and alter Visitor, Skilled Worker, family settlement and EU Settlement Scheme rules on separate dates. Most changes start October 8, 2026.
Published . Updated .
Reported and checked by the QueueCheck news desk. Last checked September 4, 2026. How we verify information
UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes: the answer before you make plans
The Student maintenance increase is not in force yet. Applications made from November 30, 2026 must normally show £1,570 a month in London or £1,203 a month outside London, for up to nine months. Most other HC 584 changes begin on October 8, while the EUSS biometric residence permit evidence change begins on December 9. An application made before its relevant commencement date remains under the previous rules.
Visa applicants affected by this United Kingdom update
New Student and Visitor applicants, Erasmus+ participants, Skilled Workers with a positive modern-slavery Conclusive Grounds decision, EUSS joining family members, BN(O) families and eligible adult dependent children using the domestic-abuse settlement route.
The United Kingdom visa update behind this page
- Student maintenance rises from £1,529 to £1,570 a month in London and from £1,171 to £1,203 outside London, for up to nine months.
- The accommodation payment offset rises from £1,529 to £1,570.
- Skilled Workers with a positive Conclusive Grounds decision can take work outside their sponsored employment during their existing permission, subject to the route's stated exclusions.
- Eligible BN(O) dependent children under 18 can settle with qualifying parents without first completing five years of continuous residence themselves.
- Visitor and Student rules expand permitted Erasmus+ activity, and the Visitor training rule no longer requires equivalent training to be unavailable in the visitor's home country.
- First-time EUSS joining family applicants generally receive three months from their latest legal UK entry to apply. Biometric residence permits, including recently expired permits, cease to be accepted as EUSS identity evidence from December 9.
Home Office: Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 584 details that affect applicants
The Home Office published HC 584 and its explanatory memorandum on September 3, 2026 without displaying a publication time.
Most changes begin on October 8, the Student maintenance figures begin on November 30, and the EUSS biometric-residence-permit evidence change begins on December 9.
An application made before its relevant commencement date is decided under the rules in force on the date of application.
Adult dependent children can qualify under the Victim of Domestic Abuse settlement route where the relevant parental relationship broke down because of domestic abuse.
HC 584 commencement dates and Student maintenance
Home Office HC 584 and explanatory memorandum, checked September 4, 2026
The package uses three commencement dates. The Student financial increase is later than most eligibility and permitted-activity changes.
London maintenance
£1,570/month
Up to nine months from November 30, 2026.
Outside London
£1,203/month
Up to nine months from November 30, 2026.
Most changes
October 8
Main commencement date for the package.
EUSS BRP evidence
December 9
Separate commencement date.
| Change | Previous | New | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student, London | £1,529 monthly | £1,570 monthly | November 30 |
| Student, outside London | £1,171 monthly | £1,203 monthly | November 30 |
| Accommodation offset | Up to £1,529 | Up to £1,570 | November 30 |
| Most other provisions | Existing rules | Targeted eligibility and activity changes | October 8 |
| EUSS BRP evidence | BRPs accepted | BRPs cease to be accepted | December 9 |
Official visa material summarized
- Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 584
- Explanatory memorandum to HC 584
Check route, residence, and stage before comparing
- The nine-month maximum produces totals of £14,130 in London and £10,827 outside London.
- These are maintenance amounts, not application fees or tuition figures.
UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes questions, answered
I apply for a Student visa before November 30. Which maintenance figure applies?
HC 584 says applications made before the relevant commencement date remain under the previous rules. The new £1,570 and £1,203 monthly amounts apply to applications made from November 30, 2026.
Can every Skilled Worker now take a second job with any employer?
No. This change is for a defined group with a positive modern-slavery Conclusive Grounds decision. The ordinary Skilled Worker conditions continue for everyone else.
Does HC 584 shorten visa processing times?
No new processing-time target is announced. The package changes requirements, evidence and permitted activity rather than the length of the Home Office queue.
What this United Kingdom update changes for UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes
A Student applying from November 30 needs £14,130 for nine months in London or £10,827 outside London before adding any unpaid course fees, unless an exemption applies.
The date an application is submitted determines which Student maintenance figure and which version of the other affected rules applies.
The Skilled Worker change removes an employment restriction for a defined group of recognised modern-slavery victims. It is not a general permission for every sponsored worker to change employer.
The settlement changes remove specific barriers for eligible children and abuse survivors, but the remaining suitability and route requirements still apply.
UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes checks before changing your plans
- Students filing on or after November 30 should recalculate the full 28-day maintenance balance using the new monthly amount.
- If accommodation money has been paid to a Student sponsor, use the new £1,570 maximum offset only for an application made under the new rules.
- EUSS joining family members should record the date of their latest legal UK entry and prepare to apply within the three-month period.
- Anyone relying on a biometric residence permit for EUSS identity evidence should review the December 9 change and the identity options in updated guidance.
- A Skilled Worker or settlement applicant relying on a new protection should read the final rules and obtain case-specific advice before changing work or filing.
Read Home Office: Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 584 by route, stage, and source date
HC 584 is a package of targeted rule changes rather than one new visa route. The commencement date must be matched to the particular provision.
QueueCheck tracks processing queues, but this update mainly changes eligibility, evidence and permitted activity. It does not announce faster Home Office processing times.
What this UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes update cannot decide
- The Home Office says operational guidance will be updated when the provisions take effect. That guidance may add procedural detail without changing the rules described here.
- This article summarises the main user-facing changes and does not reproduce every amendment in HC 584.
- The application date, immigration history and exact family relationship can change how a transitional provision applies.
Compare UK Student, Visitor, Skilled Worker and settlement routes waits
This update covers more than one queue. Choose the service that matches your own application before sharing a date or comparing waits.
Official citation
Published September 3, 2026. Original source: Home Office: Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 584.
- Also checked: Home Office: explanatory memorandum to HC 584.