CAS and visa requirements

You must make an application for a student visa online.

If you are applying from outside of the UK, as part of the application process you will be asked to prove your identity. You’ll be told how to do this when you apply, as this differs depending on the country that you are applying from.

More information about the visa application process can be found on the .GOV website here or via the UKCISA website.

Credibility interviews are an important part of the Student visa application process. The interviews are for the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to make sure that only genuine students’ study in the UK.

If you have to attend a credibility interview will depend on where you will be making your visa application from.

If you are applying for a Student visa from outside of the UK: An interview will usually take place when you attend your appointment at the Visa Application Centre. This interview is usually recorded and an Entry Clearance Officer will decide if a second, more detailed interview is needed. You could be asked to go back to a Visa Application Centre for the second interview or they may call you.

If you are applying for a Student visa from within the UK: There are fewer students who are asked to complete an interview from within the UK. However, if you are switching visa categories, then you are more likely to be interviewed.

Students may need to provide evidence that they have successfully passed a tuberculosis (TB) test as part of their UK visa application if you are studying a course that is longer than 6 months in duration. Your TB certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. More information about TB tests and whether you will need one for your visa application can be found here.

Please note: From December 2024 Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) will change to online E-visas.

A Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), can be used to confirm your:

• Identity
• Right to study or work in the UK
• Right to receive any public services or benefits that you’re entitled to

Once you have had your visa granted and you have arrived in the UK, you will be asked for evidence of your E-visa.'

Academic progression rules only apply to student applications made in the UK. If you are currently on a student visa and wish to apply for further studies in the UK, you must demonstrate academic progression for your new visa application. To demonstrate academic progression, the new course that you wish to study will usually have to be above the level of the previous course of study. There are occasions where you may be able to study a course at the same level as your previous course. If this applies to you, please contact the Admissions Team.

There are maximum time limits if you are staying in the UK with a student visa to study at or below degree level. There are no time limits for those studying at postgraduate level (MA, MSc, PhD).

The time limits apply to students who are 18 years old and over, so any time spent studying on a course when you were under the age of 18 will not count towards the time limit. The time limit for studying at degree level, undergraduates courses (BSc, BA), is 5 years.

When calculating the time you have spent studying in the UK, you must include the periods of additional permission to stay granted before and after your course and any time spent whilst waiting for the Home Office to curtail a student visa.

Find out more about time limits on study.

CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. UK immigration rules require the University to sponsor your application for a student visa. A CAS number confirms that we have made you an unconditional offer of a place to study with us, and that you have accepted this and met all of your conditions associated with that offer. It is a unique number and is 14 digits long.

You will need a CAS number to allow you to apply for a student visa to study in the UK.

BGU will apply to the UK government's UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) for your CAS number, confirming that we have made you an unconditional offer of a study place, and that you have accepted this. UKVI will then issue a CAS number for you. They will send this to the University, and we will then contact you to tell you what it is.

Under the new Student visa guidance, we can assign your CAS up to 6 months before your course start date, providing that you have received and have accepted your offer and met all of your conditions.

• your CAS number
• our Sponsor License Number
• our Sponsor License Address
• your name as it appears on your passport
• your passport number
• the start and end date of your course
• the level of your course
• the original qualification certificates or transcripts, which you will need to include with your visa application (these must be the original documents, and if not in English, you must provide translations that meet the Home Office criteria).
• confirmation that your course represents academic progress if you have already studied in the UK
• confirmation of your English Language proficiency and how this has been assessed
• the fees for your course
• the fees you have already paid
• the fees for your accommodation
• your scholarship information (if applicable)

A Student visa will cost £490 if applied for outside the UK and students will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of their application, which gives migrants access to the UK’s National Health Service on generally the same basis as a UK permanent resident. Students will receive a 25% discount on the Immigration Health Surcharge. The cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge is due to increase later this year. Find out more on GOV.UK.

If your visa is refused please email international@bishopg.ac.uk and also inform your admissions office (admissions@bishopg.ac.uk). If you want to request a new CAS, you will need to send a scanned copy of your refusal letter as well as scanned copies of the new evidence you will be providing for your second student visa application.

If you have not received your CAS Shield log-on information, please email admissions@bishopg.ac.uk.