A CAS is an electronic document that generates the unique reference number you need to apply for a Student visa. It confirms to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that we wish to sponsor your study in the UK. Explore all you need to know including what you need to prepare and how to apply.
Before we can issue a CAS, you'll need to complete some checks to make sure you have the best chance of being granted a Student visa. These checks include:
Once you’ve met all the conditions and passed any required immigration checks, we’ll issue your CAS. If you’ve applied and paid your deposit within the deadlines in your offer letter, we can only issue your CAS if there are still places available on your chosen course. After that, you’ll be ready to apply for your Student visa.
Travel history, passport, and personal information
First, we’ll ask about your travel history, any previous UK study, and whether you’ve had any visa refusals (for the UK or other countries).
Please note, international students can no longer bring dependants on a Student visa, unless you're studying a PhD or other doctorate (RQF Level 8) or a research-based higher degree.
When uploading your passport to CAS Shield, make sure it's the one you’ll use for your visa application – it'll be linked to your CAS. We’ll use it to check that your personal details are correct. If your name has changed, you’ll need to upload evidence (like a marriage certificate).
English language evidence
If your first language isn’t English, you’ll need to show that you meet the English requirements for your course. We accept a wide range of qualifications – check our English language requirements page for full details.
The pre-CAS questionnaire is your chance to tell us why you’ve chosen to study at the University of Sunderland and in the UK.
The questionnaire has four parts and covers:
Why you chose your course and the University
Your research into studying in the UK
Your post-study work plans
Where you plan to live while studying.
You'll need to upload:
Your CV/resumé
An employment reference
An employment contract (for any jobs you've had)
A recent payslip.
We may ask for extra details if:
You have a gap in your education
You've been to the UK before
We need more information about your work plans after graduation.
Credibility interview
The Home Office conducts credibility interviews (where applicable) to ensure only genuine students are granted visas to study in the UK. Not all applicants are interviewed – some are selected randomly or based on their immigration or education history.
To help you prepare, we may invite you to complete an interview through CAS Shield before we issue your CAS. This will only happen after:
Your deposit has been paid and received
You’ve uploaded your passport and English language evidence
You’ve completed your pre-CAS questionnaire.
You’ll only get one chance to complete the interview (unless there are technical issues), so it’s important to prepare in advance.
The interview will cover topics such as:
Why you want to study in the UK
Why you chose the University of Sunderland
Your academic background and course choice
How you plan to fund your studies
Your accommodation plans
Your career goals and post-study plans
Your immigration history.
Make sure you’ve researched your chosen course and its modules, and that you’re familiar with the University’s facilities and support services.
Financial evidence
If you're not a UK national, you'll need to show that you meet the Student visa financial requirements. This means providing evidence that you have enough money to support yourself during your studies.
Find out what types of evidence the UK Home Office usually accepts below, and for more information, visit the Government website.
Your bank statement must show:
Your name
Account number
Date of statement
Name and logo of bank/building society
That the required funds have been held consistently in your account for 28 days and haven't fallen below the minimum amount needed
That the funds in this account must be present until the closing balance of the statement or the production date of the statement.
The statement must be no older than 31 days. There must also be enough time left on this limit to allow you to make your visa application.
In line with UK Home Office requirements, your bank statement must be stamped and signed on each page by your bank.
Microfinance, shares, bonds, overdrafts, credit cards, pension funds, and similar savings accounts aren't accepted.
Joint bank statements must show all the same information listed in 'Money in your own bank account' (see above). These statements must also show names of both account holders. If this is your parents, your name won't need to be shown – see the section on 'Parent's bank statement' for more information.
If this is a joint account with your spouse, both names must appear on the statement.
If you don’t have a bank statement, you can provide a letter from your bank which has been stamped and signed by a staff member in your local branch. This can also be printed on letterhead paper from the bank. This letter must include the following information:
Your name
Your account number
The date the letter was written
Name and logo of bank/building society
Confirmation of amount held in the account
That the funds in this account haven't fallen below the minimum amount required for the full 28 consecutive day period
That funds are freely and immediately available to you at any given time.
You can use money in a bank account held by one or both of your parents instead of your own personal account. If using a parent's bank statement as proof of funds, you must also provide the below as additional evidence:
An original copy of your birth certificate as proof of relationship. If needed, this must also be translated into English by an official translator (Affidavits can't be used as they're not accepted by the UK Home Office or the University of Sunderland).
A signed letter from your parents confirming they're happy for you to have access to funds in their account.
If you're using your spouse’s bank statement to demonstrate proof of funds, this must meet all the criteria listed under 'Money in your own bank account' (see above).
The bank statement must be accompanied by proof of relationship (e.g. marriage certificate) and a letter of consent stating your spouse has granted you permission to use their funds to support your studies. We can only accept a spouse’s bank statement as your financial evidence if the spouse is travelling with you to the UK as a dependant.
If you wish to use an educational loan for your financial evidence, this must be:
In your own name
From a bank that's regulated by an official regulatory body for providing educational loans in your country
Dated no more than six months before the date of your Student visa application.
As additional evidence, you must provide a supporting letter from the bank confirming the loan has been approved. The letter must be an original and must show:
Your name
The date the letter was produced
The financial institution's name and logo
That the money available as an educational loan is provided by your national, state government, a government-sponsored student loan company, or is part of an academic or educational loan scheme
The start date of the loan.
The funds for the loan must be available to you before you travel to the UK, unless the loan is an educational or student loan from your country’s national government and will be given to you, or the University directly, when you arrive in the UK.
There must be no conditions placed on the release of the loan funds to you, other than your Student visa application being successful.
The UKVI defines an official sponsor as one of the below:
The UK Government or the government in your home country
The British Council
An international organisation
An international company.
If your official financial sponsor is paying your tuition fees and living expenses, you don't have to provide separate evidence of your savings. However, you must provide a letter from your official financial sponsor confirming that they'll cover these costs.
This letter must be on official letterhead paper showing the below information:
Your name
The names of your dependants (if applicable)
The name and contact details of the official sponsor
The date of the letter (this shouldn't be more than six months old)
The length of the sponsorship – start and end date
The amount of money the sponsor is giving you, or confirmation that they'll pay your tuition fees and living expenses
The official stamp of the organisation.
If your sponsor only pays some of the costs, you'll need a letter from them, and proof that you have enough money yourself to meet the rest of the requirements (such as personal bank statements).
Please note, we may ask you to supply us with additional financial evidence at any point to carry out further verification checks on your financial evidence.
Additional information
The Home Office expects you to progress to the next academic level and will only grant a visa for same level study by exception. If you wish to study for another UK degree which is the same level as your first degree (whether undergraduate or postgraduate), we'll ask you to write a personal statement explaining why you need this qualification to progress in your career. We'll then assess whether we can progress your application to the next stage in the CAS process or not.
If you've failed to complete a degree at the same level in the UK previously, we'll only progress your application by exception. We'll ask to see documentation to demonstrate good cause for failing to complete your course, for example, medical reports, before deciding whether we can progress your application.
You can request a review if your application is rejected based on the answers you've provided in your pre-CAS questionnaire. Please email immigrationcompliance@sunderland.ac.uk quoting your student number and request a review. A member of the team will reassess your original submission and decide whether to overturn the decision or not.
Contact us
For support with the CAS process, please get in touch.
If you're a current student, please get in touch with our International Student Support team, either by visiting us on campus or logging into Compass(opens in new tab).
