Student visa(s)

A CAS is a unique 14 digit reference number that is issued by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and sent to you by the University of Roehampton (your sponsor). Students are required to state this CAS number when applying for a Student visa.

UKVI will us this number to confirm that you are a genuine student. They do this by using it to access your CAS record on their secure database. This record contains information supplied by Roehampton to UKVI about your course.

How to obtain your CAS

A CAS is an electronic document which the University sends to successful applicants once they have met all conditions of their offer. You will need also need to firmly accept your offer.

You will receive a Welcome e-mail from ‘CAS Shield’ which will invite you to log-in to request a CAS.  We recommend you start this process as soon as possible to allow yourself time to verify your information and prepare any supporting documents.   If you have any questions, please e-mail immigration@roehampton.ac.uk

The UKVI Compliance Team will check all your documents to ensure they meet the UKVI requirements and will only issue you with a CAS number once your documents have been approved. However, please note that sending incorrect documents, or not all the required documents, might delay your CAS application process. You should read the Home Office's UKVI information for full details on which documents are required for your visa application.

You will then receive your CAS statement from Roehampton by email to the correspondence email address that you have supplied to us; we do not send this to you in the post. The statement will contain your unique CAS number, which you will be asked to provide to UKVI as part of your visa application. All the information contained in this document is extremely important, so you must check that it is all correct and up to date. Incorrect information could lead to your application being refused or delayed so it is essential that you check the CAS statement carefully.

Please note that the Student visa you receive will be valid for the University of Roehampton only and cannot be used for any other institution. If you decide to leave Roehampton and change institutions, you will require a new CAS from your new institution to apply for a new visa.

How and where is an application made?

To apply for your Student visa, you can obtain assistance from one of our approved education representatives/agents (a list of our approved education agents in each country is on the relevant country page on our website at https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/international/). Otherwise, you can apply yourself by carefully following guidance on the UKVI website and the information on this webpage.

Once you obtain your CAS number from the UKVI Compliance Team, you are ready to make your Student Route online application.

You need to make the application from the country that you are ordinarily resident in. Normally this means your country of nationality. However, if you hold a residence permit in a country other than your nationality you may be able to apply from there. You will need to check with the local embassy first though.

After the online application has been submitted, you will have to attend an appointment with the application centre in your country in order to submit all the required documents and enrol your biometrics (fingerprints and photo). You can check the following links if you wish to Find an Application Centre or check the Visa Processing Time in your country.

When to make an application

In common with most other UK Universities Roehampton can only open the CAS request system 3 months before the start of your course. For example, if your course start date is 22 September, you can apply for your visa with your newly issued CAS after the 22 June.

What do you need to make an application?

Make sure you submit all the required documents with your application and that they follow the specified UKVI requirements. If you do not follow the requirements set out, your visa application will be refused, you will not have an opportunity to submit any other documents at a later stage. You should submit good quality scans of all the required documents, except for your passport and previous visa (if applicable) which MUST be originals.

You will need to provide the following documents with your application, although you may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances:

• Qualifications as listed on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• English language documents as listed on your CAS (if applicable)
• Passport/s: You will need to provide your current passport and any previous passports needed as part of the application
• Financial documents to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds –please refer to our “How much money do I need and financial documents” section
• Official translations of all documents that are not in English
• Your tuberculosis test result (if you're from a country where you're required to take a test)
• UKVI Checklist (the online application will give you a personalised UKVI checklist of documents that you must provide)

You will also be required to submit copies of all the required documents (except for the UKVI Checklist) as part of your admissions application process at the University of Roehampton.

Differentiation arrangements for ‘low risk’ nationals

Nationals of some countries do not need to submit evidence of their qualifications or their money when they apply for a Student Route visa. This means that you do not have to submit these documents to the Home Office when applying for your Student visa. The Home Office calls this 'low risk', or 'differentiated'.

How to make your application

Please use this guidance document for information about how to make an entry clearance visa application.

If you have any further questions or require any additional support, please contact the UKVI Compliance Team at immigration@roehampton.ac.uk.

After you have applied 

If your Student visa application is successful, you will receive an entry clearance vignette (sticker) placed in your passport. This is a document to allow you to enter the UK,  you will be refused entry if you try to use this document outside of its validity period (please note that if your course is 6 months or less, the clearance vignette will cover the whole duration of the course).  

Once in the UK you will be issued with a BRP (Biometric Residence Card) which is your visa that covers the whole duration of your course. The BRP card is only issued in the UK and you must collect it from a post office or from the immigration office of the University of Roehampton within 10 days of arriving in the UK, or before the end of the validity period of your entry vignette. 

In order to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from University of Roehampton, you will need to enter an Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code as part of your visa application. The ACL code for Roehampton University is 2HE792. You should enter this code into the Alternative Location field in the BRP Collection Page on the online application form.

All Student visa applications made for a programme of study of more than 6 months in duration will be required to pay a fee for access to NHS health care in the UK. You must pay this fee in advance, it is a mandatory requirement for a visa application even if you hold alternative health insurance. If you do not pay it, your visa application will be refused. You can find out more information about the health surcharge here.

Students applying for a Student visa may be asked to undertake a credibility interview over the phone) by the UK Visas and Immigration before granting them immigration permission to come the UK. When called, the UK Visas and Immigration officer may ask you a number of questions about your immigration and education history and about the reasons for studying in the UK- including questions about your course, university and intentions of study, your background and immigration history, about your previous education, and/or about your financial circumstances. The 5 – 10 minute interview will be conducted in English and provide assurance that the English language requirements of the Student visa rules are met.  

A report of the interview will be used as an additional piece of information that will be considered by the entry clearance officer, alongside your visa application and supporting documents. If the visa officer needs to examine wider genuine student rule points, then they may call you for a more in-depth interview. 

Where an application has been refused following an interview, the applicant can request that an Entry Clearance Manager (ECM) reviews the decision. The applicant has 28 days from the date of the refusal notice to submit a request for an Administrative Review.  

Please note that if you are asked to undertake an interview but do not attend (and there is no reasonable explanation), your application will be refused.  

You are strongly advised to prepare in advance for a possible credibility interview. Please find further guidance about credibility interviews here.

We hope that these guidelines will assist in obtaining a visa. If your application gets refused, please contact us immediately by email (immigration@roehampton.ac.uk) so that we can investigate why this has happened.

Note* The Roehampton Immigration Office have a qualified team of immigration advisers who can examine what has happened, and advise you on the best next steps will be to address the problem, you SHOULD NOT rely on making and Administrative Review on your own, or through any other agent, local University representative or other organisation.

We would need a copy (scanned) of the refusal notice letter from the Entry Clearance Officer, all the relevant documents that you submitted and an outline of what you think the issue is from your perspective. We will then be able to advise you on the best approach. You can also refer to the UK Council for International Student Affairs for more information about visa refusals.

Note* The Administrative Review process is only applicable to mistakes on UKVI’s part, it is not a system you can use to reverse a valid refusal (such as where you may have submitted an invalid document). In addition, it is not a system that will allow you to submit new, or altered documents. With this in mind it is important the refusals are handled correctly and with the right approach to maximise the chances of success and avoid wasting time.

All Student visa applicants must show that they have enough money to pay their course fees and maintenance (living expenses) costs in the UK. The amount of money that you will need to have for your course fees and your maintenance will depend on:

• The course duration, and
• Where you will be studying in the UK

Evidence of your course tuition fees and maintenance costs must meet specific UKVI requirements. If it does not, your visa application may be refused. By far the most common cause of visa refusals comes from presenting financial documents in the incorrect format so please read the following information very carefully.

How much money will I need to show?

Course Fees:

You must have enough money to pay the course fees for the first year of your course, or the entire course if it is less than one year in duration. Your CAS will state the fees that you will be required to pay. Any scholarship that has been awarded to you from the University of Roehampton will be deducted from the course fees amount on your CAS. UKVI will use the details on your CAS to determine how much money you need to show for your course fees.

If you do not need to pay any course fees to your Student visa sponsor, your CAS will state that there are no fees due. For example, if you are applying to come to the UK as part of a 'study abroad' programme, and you have paid all of your course fees to your home institution, this will be confirmed in your CAS.

If you are a fully funded student, for example sponsored by your national government, your CAS will state your full course fees and you will use your government sponsorship letter as proof of having the required funds.

Maintenance:

Your accommodation and living costs are called 'maintenance'. In addition to your course fees, you must have a fixed amount of money to cover your maintenance.

The University of Roehampton falls within the inner London area. Therefore, you will need to hold £1,334 for each month if you course lasts less than nine months or £12,006 if your course lasts 9 months or more. 

Calculating how much money you need to show (example only)

If your course fees are, for instance, £14,670 and you have paid £2,500 deposit (deposit requirement vary by country/region) to obtain your CAS, then your bank statement must show that you have a total of £24,176. This includes £12,006 (maintenance costs requirement for a course lasting nine months or longer) and £12,170 (remaining tuition fees).

Financial documents required (self-funding students)

As evidence of your money, you must provide personal one of the following:

Personal bank statements

These must not be business accounts and only in your, or your parents names.

They need to cover a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than 31 days before the date of your online visa application. Your personal bank statements must show:

1. the account number
2. the date of each statement
3. the financial institution’s name
4. the financial institution’s logo
5. any transactions during the specified period
6. that the funds in the account have been at the required level throughout the specified period

The statements must be either:

• printed on the bank’s letterhead, or
• if using electronic bank statements, they need to bear the official stamp of the institution

If your bank statements are in a foreign currency, it is a good idea to show more money than you need because exchange rates may change slightly during the 28 day period. Please also note that the balance in your account must not drop below the required amount, even by £1, for a single day. Use the official exchange rate website Oanda to convert your currency to pounds sterling.

Certificate of deposit

This is a certificate issued by a bank to confirm that you have deposited/invested a specific amount of money. The certificate of deposit must show:

• your name and account number
• it’s printed on headed paper and show the logo of the bank
• at least 28 days must have elapsed between the date of the deposit and the date of issue of the certificate
• the issue date must not be older than 31 days on the day you make your online visa application

The certificate must not contain wording indicating it is locked or inaccessible funds.

Letter from your bank confirming your funds

You may ask your bank to print a letter confirming your funds have been held for a consecutive 28 day period. The issue date of the letter must not be older than 31 days on the day you make your online visa application. The letter must show:

• your name
• the account number
• the date of the letter
• the financial institution’s name and logo
• the money in your account
• that there is enough money in the account (to cover your course fees and living costs) for 28 consecutive days

Using your parent/s or legal guardian/s funds

If you are using one of the above self-funding evidence, it can either be in your name or your parent/s or legal guardian/s name.

If you would like to use your parent/s or guardian/s funds then you will also need to provide:

• your Birth Certificate, or a copy, showing the names of your parents or court document naming your legal guardian
• a letter from your parent/s (or legal guardian/s) which confirms the relationship between you and your parent/s (or legal guardian) and which also gives consent to you using their funds for your education in the UK (you might use this sample letter).

Please note: You cannot use any evidence of money held in any other person’s name, even if they are a close relative. If any other person, other than your parent/s or legal guardian/s, is giving you money for your maintenance costs, they will have to put the money into your account (or your parent/s or legal guardian/s) allowing enough time for you to hold the funds for 28 consecutive days before you make your visa application.

Please also note that maintenance must be in the form of cash funds (i.e current/saving accounts). You cannot use any other types of finances, such as shares, bonds, pension funds, credit cards, investment accounts. Business accounts cannot be accepted either (even if you own the business).

Financial documents required (students in receipt of scholarship/loan)

If you are in receipt of sponsorship by your national government or an international business or organisation, you need to provide a letter from your financial sponsor in which they confirm that they will pay for your tuition fees and living costs.

The required ‘international’ status of a business or organisation must be easily and clearly verifiable by an internet search. UKVI will check to see if a company or organisation has an official address in more than one country, if this is not present on the organisations website the application will be refused.

The letter needs to show:

• it’s been printed on official letter-headed paper of the official financial sponsor which must have the official stamp of that organisation on it
• your name
• the name and contact details of your official financial sponsor
• the date of the letter
• the length of your sponsorship (start and end dates)
• the amount of money the sponsor is giving to you or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs

If you are in receipt of a loan from a regulated financial institution, the letter needs to:

• be dated no more than 6 months before the date of your application
• show your name
• the date of the letter
• the financial institution’s name and logo
• the money available as a loan
• show the loan is provided by your national government, their state or regional government, a government sponsored student loan company or is part of an academic or educational loans scheme

N.B If you are partly funded (whether it is a scholarship or a loan), you need a letter from your sponsor which states details of the costs they are paying for, but you also need to show, through bank statements, loans, letter from your bank or a regulated financial institution, that you can meet the remainder of the amount set out in the policy guidance.

Translations

If any of the required documents are not in English, you will also need to provide an official translation. The official translation must show:

• details of the translator/translation company’s
• confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• the translator/translation company’s contact details
• the date of the translation and include the original signature of the translator/authorised official of the translation company

Differentiation arrangements for ‘low risk’ nationals

Nationals of some countries do not need to submit proof of financial evidence with their Student visa application. The Home Office calls this 'low risk' or ‘differentiated’ applicants. However, we would advise that you still ensure you have enough money for your maintenance as the Home Office might request it as part of their decision process.