UK Guardianship for
International Students

Although it might seem like a good idea to have UK-based friends act as your child's guardian while they are studying in the UK, there are many reasons why guardianship should be given to professionals who are equipped to deal with any and every situation.

• Family or friends could be hours away - most schools require guardians to be less than two hours' travel from school.
• Moreover, relatives, friends or business companions may not be fully prepared or able to support your child, whereas a professional guardianship agency has experienced people and procedures in place to fully support students whatever happens and whenever they might be.

Guardians commit to assuming delegated parental responsibility in case of emergencies and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your child. This means that we are there whenever your child needs help. As you might imagine, this might be difficult for your friends to do if they are working or if your child needs help in the middle of the night!

Do you have a friend in the UK who you’d like to use as your child’s guardian?

Whilst having a professional guardian such as Academic Families is recommended, we understand you might choose to rely on family or friends if they live near your child’s boarding school.

This is possible, however, in order to ensure compliance with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) rules for student visas and safeguarding purposes, your nominee will need to go through our Friends & Family Verification Service.

How does it work?

Even if your friend or family member will act as the guardian, you will need to nominate a professional company on your child’s student visa application.

It’s important to start this process early because there are several forms to complete and it can take 2-3 weeks for Academic Families to perform our verification checks.

You should also inform your family member or friend of the process, so they know what to expect and are comfortable engaging with us.

Ensuring your friend or family member meets the requirements

When choosing someone to look after your child, be sure they meet the legal requirements set out by the UK government:

• They must be a British Citizen or have Settled Status in the UK.
• The Intended Carer must be at least 18 years old, although many schools will insist they are over 25.
• The accommodation must be a private residence.
• The living arrangements must be suitable and pass safety checks.
• Every member of the household must not have committed a “relevant criminal offence”, as referenced in the Child Student Immigration rules.

What’s next?

Academic Families will conduct a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on every member of the household who is over the age of 16.

We will also visit the house for an in-person interview, ID check, and inspection.

Please note that in order to fulfil visa requirements, the DBS checks and inspection have to be completed prior to issuing the Letter of Undertaking which goes with your child’s student visa application.

 
If your friend or family member successfully passes the verification process, they will be given full access to our emergency 24/7 phone, WhatsApp, and email service. We will provide our full guardianship support if their plans change and your child needs to alter their travel or accommodation arrangements.

If your nominee does not pass our verification checks, then you can nominate Academic Families as your full and official guardian and we will take care of all your child’s needs.

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We work with schools throughout Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we have host families throughout the UK, too.

If your child needs a place to stay for a night or two during mini school breaks, our host families are ready to welcome them with open arms. And if your child wants to stay for longer holidays, it's never a problem.

Host families offer a lot of support for international students, however, a host family isn’t enough when it comes to guardianship. For example:

• Most hosts wouldn’t know what to do if an international student is stuck in the airport at customs or immigration.
• It’s also beyond a host family’s duties to attend school meetings - they only commit to taking a student at weekends.
• Hosts also do not deal with issues that arise during the week or during holidays (when parents come to spend time with their children).

Houseparents play a vital role in boarding schools. Often also teachers, they provide daily care, supervision and structure within the school – building strong relationships with students both in and out of the classroom.

At Academic Families, we offer an additional layer of personalised support beyond the school environment. As your child’s guardian, we are dedicated solely to their individual wellbeing - offering consistency, one-to-one attention and a trusted relationship that lasts throughout their time in the UK.

Guardians are available when school staff may not be – including during holidays, exeats and in emergencies. We bring experience across all aspects of boarding life and help facilitate open, supportive conversations when students need it most.

By working closely with houseparents and boarding school staff, we ensure communication, continuity of care and a strong support network, combined with the personal touch of a dedicated guardian who supports your child’s development, independence and overall UK experience.