One of the prerequisites to start the journey as an international student in the UK, the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter is an essential document required to obtain the UK student visa. The CAS letter is generally issued or given out by the particular university to which an international applicant has applied to.
- On confirmation of admission, the university sends the CAS information to the applicants through email.
- International students not having the CAS letter get their visa applications to study in UK straightaway rejected.
- Valid for around 6 months, the CAS letter makes the visa department in the UK familiar with the applicant.
Also Check: Cheapest universities in UK
What is the CAS Letter?
The CAS Letter is a digital document that a university issues to the applicant upon approval of his/her admission at that particular university. The CAS letter is valid for 6 months and has a reference number of 12 digits written over it. This reference number validates the UK visa de[partment of the applicant getting an unconditional admission at the university.
Along with the CAS letter is sent a CAS Statement which provides the visa department with the following information:
- Sponsor license number of the university.
- English language proficiency test scores (TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE and others).
- Program details in which the candidate has enrolled.
- Duration of the program along with start and end date of the program
- Tuition fee (complete and first-year) pertaining to the particular program
- Accommodation fees (if already paid by the applicant).
Know more: Travel and accommodation in UK
Who needs a CAS Letter?
International students willing to study in any program through a university in the UK are eligible to apply for a CAS letter in the university they have applied to.
How to apply for a CAS Letter?
- The applicant needs to take admission to a university, pay the required amount of tuition fees before 3 months of the commencement of the program.
- The university sends the applicant the CAS information on the official email id.
- The applicant can check his/her information on the dashboard and may also be asked to submit more documents for the issuance CAS letter.
- The applicant is then again asked to verify all of the information submitted, and after the entire process is complete, the applicant receives a final email with the CAS Reference number and statement by the university.
- The applicant can then use the CAS number for his/her visa application to the UK.
The basic requirements to acquire the CAS letter are listed below:
- Academic transcripts (high school/bachelor/master's degree)
- Valid passport
- Fee deposit
- English proficiency test scores
- Additional documents.
There are also some universities that issue a CAS letter with a fee deposit in the range of 1000 to 2,000 GBP(up to 1.83 lakh INR). Following is a table of the universities and the respective amounts of fee deposit required:
| Universities | Fee Deposit (GBP) |
|---|---|
| University of Essex | 2000(1.83 lakhs INR) |
| Swansea University | 4000(3.67 lakhs INR) |
| University of Bristol | 2000(1.83 lakhs INR) |
| University of Liverpool | 1000(0.91 lakhs INR) |
| University of York | 2000(1.83 lakhs INR) |
Processing Time for UK CAS Letter?
- A majority of the universities in UK take around 15 days to completely process all information and thereby send the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies letter to applicants.
- Applicants can email the university if their CAS letters are not received within a time span of 20 days.
- Applicants should also know that one CAS number is valid for only one visa application through a single university.
When is the CAS Letter Issued?
Universities in the UK issues a CAS letter to an international applicant when he/she fulfills all the admission-related requirements, and further accepts the admission offer by the university. Students should also remember that there is generally no fixed time taken by a university to issue the CAS letter.
What to do if the CAS Letter is delayed?
A university usually sends CAS letters to international students willing to study in the UK before 4 months of the commencement of their chosen program, so that students can get ample time to apply for their UK student visa. If by any chance, a CAS letter is delayed, students can contact the university and the international student department of the university.
Applying for Visa with CAS Number
Students after receiving their CAS letter along with the CAS number can directly apply for their UK student visa within 6 months of receiving the CAS letter in the UK.
- Visit the official website for acquiring a visa to study in the UK.
- Enter the CAS Number correctly.
- Students are then required to pay their visa application fee along with the health insurance fee
- Fill in the information for biometrics, and book a biometrics appointment
- Complete the biometric appointment
- Applicants can may or may not be asked for an additional interview with the UK embassy at their home countries
- Patiently wait to hear about whether the visa application has been successful or not.
Tips to get hold of the CAS Letter
- Applicants are required to show a substantial amount of financial proof in order to get a CAS letter from a university.
- If an applicant is found submitting any false/fake document, his/her CAS number is automatically cancelled.
- Applicants are strictly required to make CAS letter requests 90 days before the commencement of their programs.
- Applicants should also know that getting hold of a CAS letter, and eventually a CAS number does not automatically guarantee a visa to study in the UK.
- Lastly, universities in the UK have right to deny the CAS letter if deadlines are not met.
If an applicant's visa application is rejected, he/she can apply again for the CAS letter through the university. Applicants can also check with specific universities and their process of re-issuing the CAS letter and CAS number. Remember a CAS letter is valid for 6 months, but it can only be used at least 3 months before the beginning of classes.
FAQS
Ques.Why is Confirmation of acceptance for studies CAS letter important?\
Ans.The CAS letter is basically proof that a candidate has received an unconditional admission offer from the university in UK. The CAS is also important while a candidate is applying for a visa as it proves his/her confirmation to the UK university.
Ques.What are the further steps after receiving CAS letter?
Ans.After receiving the CAS letter, the candidate may gather all the documents required for the immigration process and may apply for a UK student visa by showing this letter in the UK embassy in their home country.
Ques.Does CAS letter guarantees the approval of UK Visa application?
Ans.It is not to get your UK visa approved just by showing the CAS letter. For visa approval, the applicant must be all the student visa requirements as prescribed in the application.
Ques.How much time does the university in UK takes to release the CAS letter?
Ans.Generally, it takes up to 15 working days for the majority of the university in UK to issue the CAS letter after the submission of the application. However, during peak season the issuance of CAS letters may take longer.
Ques.How long does the CAS letter remains valid?
Ans.The CAS letter has a validity of up to 6 months from the date is was issued. The selected applicants are advised to accept the CAS letter as soon as possible with the submission of the tuition fee deposit to register their seats.
Comments