Visa Guide: What You Need to Know
Complete UK Student visa guide. CAS letter process, 2,500 deposit, 28-day bank statement rule, NHS surcharge, rising refusal rates.
Key Information
Complete UK Student visa guide. CAS letter process, 2,500 deposit, 28-day bank statement rule, NHS surcharge, rising refusal rates.
CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a digital reference number your university sends to UKVI. You need it to apply for your Student visa. Most universities require a £2,000-2,500 deposit before issuing a CAS. The CAS is valid for 6 months. You can only apply for your visa up to 6 months before your course starts.
You must show the required funds have been in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days before you apply for your visa. If the balance dips below the required amount even once during those 28 days, your visa can be refused. This catches out thousands of applicants every year. Plan ahead and don't touch that money.
£776/year for students. Must be paid in full before your visa application is processed. For a 1-year course, that's £776. For a 2-year course, £1,552. This is on top of all other costs. Full NHS surcharge guide.
Standard processing: 3 weeks. But during peak season (June-August), it can take 6-8 weeks. Priority service (£500 extra) gets you a decision in 5 working days. Super priority (£1,000 extra) gets next-day decisions. Refusal rates have been increasing, particularly for applications from certain countries. Common reasons: insufficient funds, missing documents, inconsistencies in application. More UK visa info.