Published date: 01 Jul 2020 Updated on: 01 Jul 2020 CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) letter is a prerequisite for getting a UK student visa. To study in the UK, international students need to get a General student visa (Tier 4). However, if you do not have a CAS letter, you will not be issued a student visa. Now, what really is a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies Letter, and how do you get it? Read on as we give you a complete guide to the CAS letter. What is a CAS Letter? The CAS number is a unique reference number assigned to a student by the university he/she is taking admission in. The college or university of enrolment in this context can also be referred to as your ‘immigration sponsor,’ which will issue you the CAS number. The CAS letter is an electronic document that will be sent to you by the university on the email ID that you use to carry out the application process. The letter will consist of the CAS number, and you will need to enter this number in your visa application. Note - Please remember that the university is sponsoring only your application. This should not be confused with financial sponsorship. Why is the CAS Number Required by Visa Officials? A CAS number actually acts as proof that you have received an unconditional offer from the university. The visa official uses this number to confirm that you have been accepted into the UK university and then kickstart the General student visa issuance process. In case the number used by the university proves to be inconsistent with the information you have provided in your application, your visa application will be rejected. How to Get the CAS Number? Getting the CAS letter is a simple but lengthy process. The whole process can be divided into different stages to understand it better. When Does the University Send the CAS Number? Before getting into the specifics, it is important to clear a question, and that is, whether students need to send a request or apply for the CAS letter on their own. It depends on the university you are enrolling in. Some universities like Kingston require students to send a request for the CAS number. However, the University of Nottingham sends you the CAS number on its own. Applicants in this case do not need to send a request for the CAS number. Therefore, you need to check the website of the university where you are enrolling in to understand its CAS process. The university sends you the CAS number or you request for a CAS number when - You have accepted the unconditional offer from the university. You have made the requisite deposit to finalize your seat in the university. It is less than three months before the beginning date of the course that you have applied to. How Does the University Send the CAS? Now we come to how the university carries out the process of sending the CAS letter. Different universities have their own process of sending the CAS number, but this is typically how it goes: The university will first send you an email on the ID you use for admission. In the email, you will be asked to log in to the given link. Once you log in, the dashboard should contain an option that allows you to check your CAS statement. In some cases, for example, when you need to request a CAS number, you can be asked to send some documents as well as academic proofs, financial documents, Tuberculosis (TB) certificate, an ATAS certificate to get the CAS statement. You will get the link to your CAS statement after submitting the documents. Once you click on the link, your CAS statement will appear which will list important details about your admission. You may also be asked to fill in details on the statement. You will then be asked to verify if all the information listed in your CAS statement is true. If the information given in the CAS statement is incorrect, send the admission authorities an email pointing out the errors and corrections. Once you have confirmed and filled in the details and submitted the statement, you will get an email again. This email will contain the final CAS statement and the CAS number. The email may ask you to log in to your account to access the CAS number. Although you only need to enter the CAS number in the visa application, and you will not be asked to attach or submit the CAS statement, it is better to take a printout of the statement and keep it for future reference. What is the CAS Number Processing Time? Universities usually take ten days to send the CAS number after you confirm the details in the statement. If you do not receive your CAS number within 20 days, you should send an email to the admission committee and bring their attention to the delay. What Does the CAS Statement Contain? 14-digit CAS number Sponsor details like name, license number, address, etc. Student details like name, gender, birth country, birthplace, nationality, date of birth, passport, etc. Course details like name, ID, qualification awarded, duration and type (full-time or part-time), The requirement of SELT, ATAS, English language level attained, test provider, etc. Accommodation details like provision of accommodation, accommodation fees, etc. Work placement details What is the Validity Period of a CAS Number? CAS number is valid for only one visa application. The expiration period of a CAS letter is six months. How to Apply for the Visa After Receiving CAS Number? After receiving the Confirmation of Acceptance Studies Number, you need to follow the given steps to get the General Student Visa: Visit the UK visa immigration services website and complete the tier-4 application process by filling all the important details including your CAS number correctly. Pay the fees for the immigration health insurance and application fee. Book a biometric appointment with any biometric application number to get a biometric residence permit Attend the biometrics appointment. You will have to submit documents at the time of the appointment as proof of your eligibility along with a passport, proof of finances, and Tuberculosis (TB) test results. In most cases, the CAS statement is not required, however, as mentioned above too, keep a printout of the CAS letter to be on the safe side. You may or may not be required to attend the credibility interview. Please do if you are asked to. The home office will get in touch with you with their final decision, that is if your visa has been accepted or not. The usual UK student visa processing time is three weeks. What Happens to the CAS Number if the Visa Application is Unsuccessful? If your visa application is rejected, you cannot use the old CAS number. You will have to apply for a new CAS number. To get the new CAS number, you will need to contact the university’s international student support team or admissions committee informing them about your problem. An advisor will get back to you and let you know if a new CAS number can be assigned to you or not. If a new CAS number is assigned to you, you will need to follow the aforementioned steps again to get the visa. Get Help In Visa Application At Lowest Cost With Gyandhan Important Points to Keep in Mind about CAS Number Getting a CAS number does not guarantee visa issuance. The university reserves the right to not issue a CAS if there is not adequate time left for the processing of the CAS letter. The CAS letter may not be issued if the student cannot furnish proof of sufficient funds. Upon submission of fraudulent or invalid/incorrect documents, the CAS number will be withheld. In cases where you need to request a CAS letter, the letter will be denied if you send a request after the deadline. Usually, the request needs to be sent at least 90 days before the beginning date of the course. Note - The steps and rules regarding CAS letter processing will vary as per different universities and may differ from what is mentioned above. It is advised that students check well in advance the CAS letter rules and process followed by their respective universities on their websites. How can GyanDhan Help you With UK Admission? Well, this was just a small part of the UK admission process and yet so overwhelming. Imagine how tiresome it will be to undertake the entire process, right from sending applications to getting the visa for the UK. Our advice to students is to proceed with the whole process systematically and take one stage at a time. And while you are at it, you can also seek help from us. We provide admission counseling for top UK universities, test preparation packages, SOP reviewing services, accommodation assistance, and most importantly, visa counseling services. If you need help in any of these areas, touch base with us now and get the best guidance at the cheapest rate! Need help with financing? Check your loan eligibility to know if you qualify for the education loan and get free assistance in availing the same.!
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.gyandhan.com/blogs/cas-letter-for-studying-in-the-uk