Applying for a CAS

When to apply

We can issue a CAS up to six months before your course starts, but only once we're satisfied you meet UKVI requirements. If you're applying within the UK, it can only be issued three months before your course starts.

CAS deadlines

If you're unable to submit your CAS application by the deadline, send us an email as we may be able to consider your case exceptionally.

Common mistakes that delay CAS

• Not uploading your documents in time
• Not uploading official English translations of original documents
• Name on passport doesn't match financial documents
• Submitting an expired passport
• Not holding funds in your account for 28 consecutive days
• Providing a bank statement with missing information

Using your CAS

Your CAS is valid for six months from the issue date and must be used within this timeframe.

Your CAS can only be used for one visa application. If it's used more than once, your application will be refused. If it's refused, you won't be able to reuse the same CAS to apply for a new visa. You'll need to request a new CAS, which will be subject to a review of your visa refusal reason.

Other types of CAS

A CAS can also be issued for:

• Pre-sessional English courses
• Study Abroad courses

How to apply

To progress to the CAS stage, you must first:

• Hold an unconditional offer
• Pay your deposit

Once these steps are completed, you'll receive an email with a link to an external platform, Enroly (CAS Shield). This email will be sent to the address used in your Regent's application. To change this, you can email [email protected].

Enroly (CAS Shield) is a secure platform used by Regent’s to assess your eligibility for a CAS. You'll be asked:

• Your name, DOB, contact details, passport number
• When you’re planning to travel to the UK and where from
• How you intend to fund your studies and living costs
• If you've previously been refused a visa and, if so, why?

Through this platform, you'll be able to upload supporting documents, track your progress and receive updates on your CAS assessment.

You may also be required to attend a credibility interview with our Visa Compliance team. If applicable, you'll be contacted via email with further information and instructions to book your interview slot through Calendly. If the interview suggests you're not a genuine student, or that there's a high risk of visa refusal, the University reserves the right to decline to issue a CAS.

Once you've provided us with evidence of the above, we'll issue you with your CAS. It'll be sent to you via email – please check the information carefully, and let us know if you spot any mistakes.

Supporting documents

It's important to gather all the documents you need before applying online – they might differ slightly depending on your circumstances, but they typically include:

Your passport

Or a valid travel document. If you have dual nationality you'll need to use the document/ passport you used on your CAS request form.

Proof of your finances

Some applicants will need to provide evidence that they have enough money to pay their tuition fees and living expenses. Check here to see if this applies to you. Evidence could be in the form of:

A dated, signed, stamped bank letter including:

• Your full account name and number
• Your account type (current, savings, deposit)
• The branch address and phone number
• What currency your money is in
• Confirmation that it's been held longer than 28 days
• Confirmation that it can be withdrawn any time

And/or a dated, signed, stamped bank statement including:

• Your full account name and number
• Account holder name – either your name or your parent's names
• Your account type (current, savings, deposit)
• The branch address and phone number
• What currency your money is in
• Show all your transactions with the balance after each transaction
• Date of transactions (must be at least 28 days between the ‘from’ and ‘to’ dates)

Please note: both documents should be on headed paper with the company logo, and can't be older than 31 days when applying for your visa. They must show enough money to cover your first-year tuition fees plus £13,761 maintenance cost as per UKVI requirements.

If you're using more than one bank account, please ensure the issue date and the ‘from’ and ‘to’ dates of the bank letters/statements are the same.  

Proof of sponsorship

If your parents are funding you, please provide:

• A sponsorship letter*
• An original copy of your birth certificate, translated into English
• If the names on your birth certificate do not match their names on their financial documents, please provide an affidavit confirming the different spellings of their names

If your partner is funding you, please provide:

• A sponsorship letter*
• Your marriage certificate
• Their passport
• Their share code if they've already been granted a visa or evidence that they’ll be applying for an entry clearance at the same time with you

If you're being sponsored by a company, please provide:

• A sponsorship letter on official, headed, stamped paper*
• The length of sponsorship
• The exact figure of your grant

The company must be internationally trading and have more than one office globally. If your sponsorship only covers part of your fees and living costs, your letter must mention the actual amount of money your sponsor is giving you.

*Your sponsorship letter should state that your sponsor is happy to use their funds towards your tuition fees and living expenses. It should include:

• Your name
• The name of your sponsor – parent, guardian, partner, company
• The date
• Your course and university name

Here's an example.

Proof of your student loan eligibility

If you're eligible for a student loan, you'll need to show a student loan letter which:

• Confirms the amount of the loan and currency
• Confirms the loan is for you only
• Confirms it's provided by the government, a company or an educational loans scheme
• Confirms funds will be available to you, or the sponsor, before you start your course
• Confirms there are no conditions on release of the funds
• Is dated no more than six months before the date of application
• Is on official stationery

You'll need to submit additional documents if the bank account isn't in your name, or if you're receiving official financial sponsorship.

A tuberculosis certificate

This is compulsory for all countries listed here. You must provide a valid certificate by a UKVI-approved medical clinic confirming you're free of TB.

Additional documents

We may also ask you to provide evidence explaining any gaps in your studies. This could include documents such as course completion certificates, proof of employment, or evidence relating to health or personal circumstances. In some cases, you may also be asked to submit a written explanation of your study gap.

If you're under 18

If you're going to be under the age of 18 when you apply for your CAS and Student visa, and if you're on a full-time course, you'll also need to submit:

• An under 18 form hand-signed by both parents*
• Your parent's passports showing both of their signatures
• Proof you have a parent or a guardian in the UK
• Details of your upcoming accommodation and travel

*Both parents/legal guardians are required to sign this form unless there are extenuating circumstances. If only one parent or guardian is available, please provide supporting documentation to confirm this. Visit the 'Under 18s' tab above to learn more.

Under 18s

Applicants who are under 18 at the time they apply for a CAS and visa must meet additional UKVI requirements. These rules ensure appropriate safeguarding, accommodation and parental consent.

Applicants must:

• Complete an under 18 consent form, hand-signed by both parents
• Provide a copy of your official birth certificate
• Provide a copy of both parents' passports (must show their signatures)
• If your parents are overseas, share a nominated UK guardian
• If you only have one parent, provide proof
• Declare your accommodation and travel details

*Both parents/legal guardians are required to sign this form unless there are extenuating circumstances. If only one parent/guardian signs it, we may contact you to request further information. Where both parents/guardians are available to provide consent but only one has signed, you'll be required to submit another form with both signatures. If only one parent or guardian is available, please provide supporting documentation to confirm this.

UK guardianship 

If you don't have a parent in the UK, you must appoint a guardian who: 

• Lives in the Greater London area
• Is over 18 years old
• Is easily contactable in case of emergencies
• Speaks English
• Has a UK address and phone number
• Isn't affiliated to Regent's 

If you don't know anyone who can act as a UK guardian, you can appoint one through a guardianship agency to fulfil the role until your 18th birthday. The Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS) has a list of approved guardianship organisations to choose from. 

Please note: your parent (not your UK guardian) will remain as your legal guardian until you are 18. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch. 

Five year cap

There's a maximum time limit (cap) of five years for international students to study at degree level on a Student visa. Before an offer is made or a CAS is issued, we'll assess whether your proposed studies will take you over this cap, as we know the Home Office will assess this when assessing your application.

The time limit includes any time spent in the UK on a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) visa, including periods of leave granted before and after your course. If you're switching from an RQF Level 6 course (such as a Bachelor’s degree) to another RQF Level 6 course, we'll assess whether this would cause you to exceed the five year study cap. If it does, we may not be able to offer you a place or issue a CAS. This is because we know you'll receive a visa refusal by the Home Office.

If you have any questions about meeting the five year study cap, email [email protected] or [email protected]. 

How is the time limit calculated?

Individual days and weeks are rounded up or down to the nearest month. For example, 2 months and 8 days is rounded down to 2 months, while 2 months and 3 weeks is rounded up to 3 months. We calculate the total time you've spent studying in the UK and add the duration of leave that would be granted if your current application is successful.

This period is calculated from:

• The date your new permission would start (for entry clearance applications), or
• The start date of your current permission (for in-country applications) 

The end of the period is the date your new permission would expire, if granted. 

If your Student visa was granted before your 18th birthday, then the five year cap starts from your 18th birthday, rather than the start date of your visa.

To transfer to a Regent's course from a previous Bachelor’s course (same level) elsewhere, you'll need to have withdrawn from your previous institution and provide evidence of this in the form of a withdrawal letter or email from your previous institution. You will also need to complete our visa history form to declare your previous UK study visas.

First, calculate how much time you've already used:

• Open this website
• Add your visa start and end dates (found on your UKVI email or letter)
• Tick ‘include end date’ to add one day 

Then calculate how much time you need to study with us:

• Open the same website in another tab
• Add start date: 1 month before start date of your course
• Add end date: 4 months after your course ends (2 if your course is less than 12 months)
• Tick ‘include end date’ to add one day

Finally, add up the total time you've already used and the time needed to study a Bachelor’s degree with us. The total time needs to be five years or less.

What doesn't count towards the five year study cap?

Time spent in the UK on a Student visa for courses below degree level doesn't count towards the five-year study cap. If your Student visa was granted before your 18th birthday, then the five year cap starts from your 18th birthday, rather than the start date of your visa. For study at postgraduate level and above, there are no longer any time limits.

There are certain RQF Level 6 (Bachelor’s) courses that are exempt from the study cap due to the length of time these courses take to complete. These include:

• Architecture
• Medicine
• Veterinary medicine and science
• Dentistry
• Music at a college that's a member of Conservatoires UK
• Law, where the applicant has completed a course at degree level or above and is applying for a course of study which is:
  • A law conversion course validated by the SRA and the BSB in England and Wales
  • A Master’s in law (MLaw) in Northern Ireland
  • An accelerated graduate LLB in Scotland

If you're taking a role as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer, this won't have a time limit. This is because the CAS is not issued for a degree, but for a salaried role.
 

Going above the five year study cap?

If your course takes longer than expected to complete, meaning you'd exceed the five-year study cap, you can only extend your immigration permission if you have very compelling circumstances like serious injury or disability. 

FAQs

How long is my CAS valid?

Your CAS is valid for six months. If it hasn't been used within six months of being issued, it will expire and can no longer be used. It can only be used for the intake that it was issued for. For example, you can't use a CAS issued for a September intake in the following January intake. 

How much do I need to show in my bank account?

If you've paid your tuition fees upfront, you'll need to show the monthly UKVI living cost for nine months. If you've only paid your deposit, you'll need to show your tuition fees (minus your deposit) monthly UKVI living cost for nine months. This needs to have been held in your account for at least 28 consecutive days. Even if you've paid for your accommodation costs, you'll still need to show the UKVI living cost. Find more information here.

We always recommend showing a little more than the exact amount you need to account for exchange rate fluctuations.

My funds have just been transferred, can my CAS be issued now?

Your funds need to have been held for 28 consecutive days as per UKVI requirements. We're unable to issue a CAS until the funds are mature.

Can I use funds from relatives or family friends?

Yes, if a relative or family friend is paying your tuition fee directly. However, if you're using bank statements to meet the UKVI financial requirements, the funds must be held in your name or in your parent(s) names.

Can I travel to the UK while waiting on my application?

It's not recommended to travel to the UK while your CAS or visa application is still being processed. If you choose to travel on a Visitor visa, you must leave and re-enter using your Student visa once it's been granted. You should also ensure you travel within the validity period of your Student visa, as stated in your visa decision email. Typically, your Student visa will allow entry to the UK up to one month before your course start date. 

Reminder: you can't switch from a Visitor visa to a Student visa from within the UK.

I'm applying for a Pre-Sessional English course – do I get one CAS or two?

If you're applying for a Pre-Sessional English course that's 12 weeks or longer, you'll receive a CAS for your English course and another for your degree course. If your Pre-Sessional English course is shorter than 12 weeks, and the gap between the end of your English course and the start of your degree course is 28 days or less, you'll receive one joint CAS for both.

Can I apply from within the UK if I've already completed Year 1 and will be entering Year 2 at Regent’s?

Unfortunately not – this is considered continuing the same course rather than progressing to a new one. Academic progression requires you to have successfully completed your previous course and progress to a higher level of study. The exception is if you've already completed a Master’s degree and you're going onto study another Master’s degree.

As a result, you'll be required to leave the UK and submit your Student visa application from overseas. You must also provide evidence that you have left the UK.

My CAS statement is wrong on it – can it be updated?

Yes, please inform us as soon as possible to inform us what needs correcting.

What if I need to defer or withdraw after CAS is issued?

If you need to defer or withdraw after your CAS has been issued, please notify us as soon as possible. If you've not yet applied for your visa, we'll withdraw your CAS and then action your deferral or withdrawal from Regent's. However, you won't be able to reuse this CAS after it's been withdrawn. 

If you have applied for your Student visa, you'll need to withdraw your application and send us evidence of this for us to action your CAS deferral or withdrawal.

Can I transfer to another course after CAS is issued?

This will need to be assessed by our Admissions, CAS and Visa teams. Please email us if this is something you're thinking about.

What if UKVI asks for more documents?

Please inform us as soon as possible and we'll guide you on what to provide and ensure your documents meet the requirements. UKVI usually give you a deadline to submit the new documents, so it's important you notify us promptly to avoid any delays or issues with your application.

My visa was refused – what do I do?

Please inform us as soon as you've received this decision. We'll check your visa refusal letter and inform you if we can re-sponsor you or not.

When to contact us

Feel free to get in touch with us if you have:

• Any questions regarding your CAS application
• Reached CAS application stage but would like to defer or withdraw
• Received a Student visa application refusal
• Been asked by UKVI for more documents after submitting a visa application
• Concerns about arriving on time for your course

We aim to respond to your emails within 2-3 working days. Please ensure you include your full name and your student number so we can help you as quickly as possible.