CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
A CAS is a virtual document, that confirms that your institition is willing to act as your educational sponsor.
You must have an unused CAS for each Tier 4 visa application you make.
When you put your CAS number on your Tier 4 visa application form, this allows a UKVI caseworker to access your information electronically.
Your CAS will provide the UKVI caseworker with your personal details, details about your proposed course of study and any course related fees.
If you are:
- An International Student
- Who does not hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport,
- Coming to the UK to study for a course which is longer than 6 months
You will need a to make a Tier 4 visa application, if you do not already hold a visa for the UK that confers the Right to Study.
For information on how to request a CAS please see the relevant sections below for who is responsible for assigning your CAS for new students, continuing students and following a visa refusal.
More information can be found on our CAS FAQ webpage.
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- You are starting a new course at Warwick, after you have accepted an unconditional offer and within 3-4 months of your course start date, including if you are a visiting research student, i.e., you are currently enrolled in your home institution on a research course such as a PhD,
- You are re-starting a course.
- You are an incoming student for a period of
- Study Abroad
- Visiting Student
- Research placement
- Exchange at Warwick for longer than 6 months
- i.e., you are currently enrolled in your home institution on an undergraduate or postgraduate taught course such as a Master's degree.
- You are starting a new course at Warwick and require a 2nd CAS because you received a visa refusal before your 'latest start date'
- You will need to complete a refusal notification form which forms part of the new CAS request.
- You are taking the 10-week or 6-week Pre-sessional English language course.
- You are a enroled Current Student who needs to make a new visa application for
- A period of Academic Extension
- Transferred to a longer course, including if you are adding a Study Abroad or Intercalated (Work Placement) Year
- Downgraded to a lower level course, are resitting or repeating modules, or are switching to Tier 4 from a different visa category
- You started your PhD course at a partner University outside of the UK, for example, Monash University, and now require a Tier 4 visa for your period of study in the UK
- You are joining the Year-round Pre-sessional course, but not the 10-week or 6-week Pre-sessional course.
- You are returning to studies after a break from your course, for example, Temporary Withdrawal (TWD) or Resit Without Residence (RWR).
- You have gone through an 'Internal Upgrade' process from a Master's to a PhD course, i.e., you are not required to apply for your PhD seperately, and will need a CAS for a new visa to complete the PhD course.
- You wish to apply for the Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES).
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The 'Latest Start Date' on a CAS indicates the last day the university will accept your enrolment or re-enrolment onto the course.
This means you must have completed:
- The Online Enrolment
AND
- Attended the In-persion Right to Study Check
This is also the last day you are able to enter the UK if you are travelling from overseas.
You must make every effort to arrive at the University on or before the 'Official Course Start Date' as indicated on your offer letter or your CAS.
If you arrive in the UK or complete enrolment after the 'Latest Start Date', you will not be permitted to join the course.
In very specific circumstances, exceptions to this apply.
You must talk to the team that assigned your CAS if you require further information or require urgent assistance.
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It depends on whether you will make a visa application within the UK or outside of the UK.
If you confirmed on your 'CAS request webform' that you will apply for your Tier 4 visa from outside of the UK, the deadline for the University to assign a CAS is detailed below - dates to be back tracked from the 'latest start date':
- 5 working days + 2 days travelling
- If you confirmed that you will use Super Priority (1 day) visa application service
- 2 weeks + 2 days travelling
- If you confirmed that you will use Priority (5 working days) visa application service
- 4 weeks + 2 days travelling
- If you confirmed that you will use Standard (3 weeks) visa application service
If you confirmed on your 'CAS request webform' that you will apply for your Tier 4 visa from within the UK, the deadline to assign a CAS is detailed below - dates to be back tracked from 'latest start date':
- Course start date will be the latest date for Admissions to assign the CAS
- If you requested a CAS after the course start date but before the 'latest start date', Admissions will contact Student Immigration & Compliance and we will request that you submit a Meet an Adviser Request form and bring documents to demonstrate that you are in a position to make your visa application before your latest start date.
- Once we are satisfied of this, we will inform Admissions to assign your CAS.
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- CAS request following a visa refusal
- For new and continuing students who have just received a Tier 4 visa refusal
- Year-round Pre-sessional course CAS request
- For new students
- CAS request for students overseas
- For currently enrolled students who are:
- Rreturning to their home country to make a visa application following an extension or course transfer
- Students who are returning from a period of Temporary Withdrawal or Re-sit without Residence;
- Students who started a collaborative PhD programme with the University of Monash or other University outside of the UK and are coming to the UK for the first time, AND such students will make their Tier 4 visa application outside of the UK
- For currently enrolled students who are:
- CAS request for students in the UK
- For continuing students who require a Tier 4 visa extension to cover the duration of their course, or apply for the Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES) - CAS should be requested as part of the appointment booking request form.