All you need to know about your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) letter

The information in this article was correct at the time it was published. If you are reading this at a later date please be sure to check the information on the Gov.uk links or contact studentimmigration@cranfield.ac.uk if you are unsure.

If you are coming to the UK to study and you need a student visa then getting your CAS is a crucial step. But what is a CAS and why do you need one?

If you are joining Cranfield University you will receive your CAS letter from the Admissions team once they have reviewed your application for admission and supporting evidence. The University will only issue you a CAS letter if:

• you will be studying on a full-time programme, which is more than six months long
• your offer is unconditional and you have accepted your offer online via your EVE account

You should try and obtain your unconditional offer and get your CAS letter as early as possible to leave yourself enough time to submit your visa application.

Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter is a virtual document that contains your course information and CAS number (which is a unique 14-digit reference given to you by Cranfield University – your sponsor).

You can start preparing your Student visa application online but you cannot submit your visa application until you have received a CAS letter from Cranfield University. The CAS number is generated when we provide the Home Office with information about you and your programme of study.

A CAS is only valid for six months from the date it was issued and it can only be used once. The CAS links you to the University and means you can only use it to study at Cranfield University. If you apply for a Student visa using a CAS number from another university, you will not be able to use this visa to study on a programme at Cranfield University.

Once you have your CAS letter, don’t forget to check that all the details on the letter are correct, for example – your name, fees paid, course name, start and end dates need to be right for your visa application to go smoothly. If you think anything needs changing, you should contact your Admissions team as soon as possible.

You will have a latest arrival date mentioned on your CAS letter, this date indicates the last date you can physically arrive in the UK on your student visa. You must make every effort to arrive in the UK before this date however, we do understand that there can be unforeseen circumstances. If you are unable to arrive by the latest arrival date mentioned on your CAS letter, you should contact your Admissions team and the Student Immigration and Funding team as soon as possible for further advice before you travel.

Good luck with your application! Don’t forget you can contact us if you have any questions about your CAS letter.