Student case study · United Kingdom
Sabina, from Pokhara to Leeds
MSc Public Health, September 2025 intake
Wanted to take her husband on a taught master's. We told her the rule on the first call. She went, and planned around it.
- Married
- 4 years' work
- After bachelor's
- Starting point
- BSc Nursing, 68%
- English
- IELTS Academic 7.0
- Study gap
- 4 years after her bachelor's, working as a nurse
- Paid for by
- Her own savings, her husband's salary and an education loan
- First call to visa
- 121 days
Where Sabina started
Sabina had worked as a nurse in Pokhara for 4 years and wanted a public health master's to move into programme work. Another consultancy had told her she could take her husband with her to the UK.
That had been true until January 2024. It wasn't any more.
What we found
On the first call we told her plainly: on a taught master's, your husband can't come with you on your visa. Only postgraduate research students can bring dependants now. If an agent says otherwise, they're wrong or they're planning something we won't do.
We laid out three choices in writing: a one-year UK master's alone, a 2-year option in a country that allows family to join, or a research route with a longer timeline. She chose the one-year UK course because it kept her away for the shortest time.
Her 4 years of nursing made her statement strong, and her experience letters did most of the work.
Step by step, with dates
2 Apr 2025
First counselling. The dependant rule explained; three options sent in writing.
9 Apr 2025
Decision: one-year MSc Public Health in the UK, travelling alone.
14 Apr 2025
Applications submitted with hospital experience letters.
12 May 2025
Offer from Leeds.
20 Jun 2025
Funds in place; 28-day count starts.
21 Jul 2025
NOC, deposit and CAS.
23 Jul 2025
TB test and visa application.
1 Aug 2025
Visa granted, 121 days after the first call.
13 Sep 2025
Flies to Leeds.
The result
Sabina finished her MSc in September 2026 and is applying for public health roles in Nepal and with international organisations. She worked as a healthcare assistant 20 hours a week in term and full-time in the Easter break.
In Sabina's words
I'm glad they told me the truth on the first day. If I'd found out after paying the deposit, I don't know what we would have done.
If your profile looks like this
- 1
Ask about family rules before anything else. On a UK taught master's, dependants can't come. See UK essentials.
- 2
Work experience in your field is the strongest part of a postgraduate statement. Get detailed letters.
- 3
If family must come with you, compare countries before you choose a course. Our destinations comparison has the rules side by side.
