CAS Letter for UK Student Visa: What It Is and How to Get One

TL;DR

A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a 14-digit reference number a UK university issues after you accept an unconditional offer and meet any admission conditions. It's the single most important Student visa document — UKVI looks it up directly with your sponsor, so accuracy matters. Valid for 6 months and single-use.

What is a CAS?

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is the digital record your UK higher-education sponsor creates and assigns to you, identified by a 14-digit reference number. The CAS contains:

• Personal details — full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number (must match your passport exactly)
• Course details — title, level, duration, start and end dates
• Sponsor information — university name, sponsor licence number, address
• Fees — total course fees and amount paid so far
• Admission qualifications — the academic qualifications the university used to admit you
• Conditions — anything outstanding (English test results, ATAS clearance, course deposit)
• Maintenance — whether the sponsor certifies your maintenance funds (rare; usually you must show your own)

You don't submit the CAS document itself — UKVI looks it up using the reference number. But you should download a copy from your university's portal for your records.

How do you get one?

1. Apply to a UK university for a course
2. Accept an unconditional offer (or have all conditions of a conditional offer met)
3. Pay any required deposit (varies by university; £1,000-£10,000 typical)
4. Pass any pre-CAS interview the university requires — most universities now interview international students to assess credibility
5. Wait — the university issues the CAS, usually 1-4 weeks after step 4

Some universities wait until 3 months before the course start date to issue CAS, so don't expect it immediately after accepting your offer.

How to apply for the visa with it

In the Student visa application:

• Enter the 14-digit CAS reference number in the relevant field
• The application form pulls in the CAS record automatically
• All your personal and course details should match — check carefully before submitting

You don't upload the CAS itself. UKVI sees the live CAS record from your sponsor.

Common issues

• Name mismatch between CAS and passport — get the university to amend before you apply (don't apply with mismatch hoping it will be ignored)
• Course start date passed — the CAS is invalid; need a new one
• Conditions not met before applying — application will be refused; satisfy the conditions, get a fresh CAS, re-apply
• Sponsor's licence under review — if the university's sponsor licence is suspended or revoked, your CAS becomes invalid and the visa will be refused
• Multiple CAS — you can only use one at a time; ask the previous sponsor to "withdraw" any unused CAS to avoid conflicts

What if my application is refused?

If your Student visa is refused after using a CAS:

• The CAS is "used" — you can't reuse it
• Your sponsor will need to issue a new CAS to support a re-application
• The university may charge a re-issue fee
• Some universities refuse to re-issue if the refusal raises credibility concerns about you as a student

For refusals based on caseworker error (not credibility issues), administrative review is sometimes faster than re-application.

ATAS-related CAS notes

If your course is in a sensitive subject (engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science with a security focus), the CAS will state that ATAS clearance is required. Apply for ATAS through the FCDO before submitting your visa — the visa will be refused without it.

Bundling

The CAS reference number itself is text — you don't bundle a document. But you should bundle:

• Your passport
• Your degree certificates and transcripts that the CAS lists
• English language certificate (if not exempt)
• Maintenance funds bank statements
• TB test certificate if applying from a listed country
• ATAS certificate if your CAS specifies it

Use our Bundler to merge these in the canonical UKVI order. Run the Checklist generator for a personalised list based on your specific Student visa scenario.