UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) quietly published version 15.0 of its Student and Child Student case-worker guidance on 16 October 2026, but the 18-page change note carries significant operational implications for universities and corporate internship programmes. Most notable is the alignment with the post-Brexit Erasmus+ successor arrangements. Students arriving under Erasmus+ (and equivalent Turing Scheme placements) may now study part-time at any permitted level and undertake a broader range of ‘supplementary work’—including paid research assistance—without breaching the standard 20-hour weekly cap. The guidance also removes all references to Biometric Residence Permits, confirming the full transition to eVisas for Student route approvals issued after 31 October 2024. Sponsors must therefore ensure new international students create UKVI accounts and link their passport data well before travel. Financial rules shift too: from 30 November 2026 students can offset a higher portion of prepaid accommodation costs (now £2,200, up from £1,334) against their maintenance requirement. Sponsors issuing Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letters should adjust template wording immediately to reflect the higher deductible. For global-mobility teams the message is clear—review any secondments that rely on the Student route, particularly Erasmus+ interns placed in corporate R&D hubs, to capitalise on more generous work allowances and avoid inadvertent non-compliance under the new eVisa regime.
Source: UKVI Case-worker Guidance
