What is a CAS?
CAS stands for 'Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies'. The CAS is an electronic record that the University produces for the Home Office and it is required for your Student Visa application. The University will produce a CAS for you and email you your CAS number and CAS statement, listing the information that has been sent to the UK Visas and Immigration Department. You will need this information to make your Student Visa application.
Your CAS statement lists:
- your CAS number
- the start and end date of your course
- our Sponsor Licence Number
- our Sponsor Licence Address (our registered address)
- the address of your primary site of study
- The qualifications we have used to assess your eligibility for a place on your course
- confirmation that your course represents academic progress if you have already studied in the UK
- confirmation of your English language ability
- the fees for your course
- the fees you have already paid
- your name as it appears on your passport
- your passport number
- your scholarship information (if applicable)
How do I get a CAS?
New students
New students will need to pay a deposit before we can issue a CAS, unless you fall into one of the categories below, in which case you will not need to pay a deposit and will receive a CAS once all relevant information has been provided:
- you are a US/Canadian Loan recipient
- you have had your University of Westminster fees waived
- you have a University of Westminster scholarship to cover your full fees
- you are being fully sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Government and have provided a sponsorship letter
For more information about international student deposits, visit our International student deposits page.
When the University receives your deposit, we will send you an email asking you to complete an online portal with certain information (eg your name as it appears on your passport and details of any previous study in the UK). You will be asked how you meet the Student Visa financial requirements, and you may also be asked to upload financial evidence. See Financial Requirements and the 28-day rule.
When we have received this information, and within 10 days, we will produce your CAS and send you a record of the information we have given to the Home Office. This is called a CAS statement and you will be able to use the information to make a visa application.
Note: Please do not attempt to apply for your visa with your offer letter as you will be refused a Student Visa. In addition, if you apply for a Student Visa without a CAS your application will be rejected as invalid.
Contact your Admissions Office for further information about applying for a CAS before your course starts and if you need visa advice, contact Student Advice.
Current students already studying at the University
To request your CAS, you will need to download and complete the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies form below and email this to the University Compliance team at [email protected]. CAS requests are usually processed in one week.
Note that a CAS cannot be produced if you owe fees or have not met your instalment payment dates.
If you have any queries about a CAS request form that you have submitted, email us at [email protected].
Pre-sessional students
If you are accepting a place on the pre-sessional course that leads to a degree course, you will need to pay your deposit of £4,000 at the same time as paying the pre-sessional course fee.
When your payment is processed, you will be sent an email asking for information that we need in order to produce your CAS number.
Please check your CAS statement carefully to make sure your personal information is correct. Note that your name should be shown exactly as it appears on your passport.
When you apply to extend your Student Visa for your degree course, you will need a second CAS, which will also confirm the deposit you have paid.
In addition to the information above, your CAS statement will include:
- financial information relating to the pre-sessional course
- the title of your course and the type of qualification you will be studying towards
- the fees for the pre-sessional course
- a list of the academic qualifications that the University has used to offer you a place on the pre-sessional course, including your Secure English Language Test (eg IELTS+)
- a statement showing that the course represents an academic progression from any previous course you have studied in the UK
Things to be aware of
If any of the information in your CAS statement is incorrect, please email the details to your admissions office and send a copy to [email protected].
A CAS will expire after six months if it is not used and so you will need to ask for a new CAS. The Home Office has confirmed that you can make your visa application with an expired CAS if your CAS was issued to you between 24 January 2020 and 31 December 2020.
Once you have made your visa application, you must email [email protected] with your visa application reference number who will then contact the Home Office with details of your course.
If your visa is refused please email [email protected] and also inform your admissions officer.
If you want a new CAS you will need to send a scanned copy of your refusal as well as scanned copies of the new evidence you will be providing for your second Student Visa application.
If we have issued you with a CAS, you will need to enrol within ten days of your course start date. If you know you are going to be late to enrol, it's crucial that you contact your admissions officer as soon as you can to discuss your options.
For full details about enrolment, including the enrolment deadline, please see our Enrolment for new students page.
If you decide not to come or you wish to defer until next year please tell the admissions office immediately so we can pass this information on to the Home Office.