Applying for a UK Student Visa - The Points Based System

Students and the Points Based Visa System

If you wish to apply for a student visa to come to the UK to study at WEST, you will find it helpful to refer to the website of the UK Border Agency (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/) and the section about ‘Studying in the UK’.  The guidance available there will help you find out how to meet the necessary requirements to obtain a visa to study in the UK.  The system used for evaluating visa applications in the UK is called the ‘Points Based System’.  This is because visa applicants must score a certain number of points on the basis of defined criteria to qualify for the visa for which they have applied.  The Points Based System has a number of ‘Tiers’ and the one which is relevant to those seeking a student visa is Tier 4.  This new system requires applicants for a ‘Tier 4’ student visa to be awarded 40 points to satisfy the immigration rules and be granted a student visa, as per below:

- 30 points will be given for having a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) from a Tier 4 sponsor (ie an approved educational institution), showing that the student has been made an unconditional offer of a place to study full-time (see below for further information regarding CAS).
- 10 points will be given for providing evidence of having enough money to cover tuition fees as well as monthly living costs (also known as maintenance or funds).

Applying for a UK Student Visa - Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS)

Since February 2010, anyone applying for a Tier 4 Student Visa has been required to have a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) from the educational institution at which they plan to study (the Tier 4 Sponsor). The CAS has replaced the previous Visa Letter.  A CAS is not a paper document but a unique reference number which WEST obtains at the appropriate stage on your behalf from the UK Border Agency.  In order to be able to apply for a Tier 4 student visa to study at WEST, it is necessary for you to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) from WEST.  A CAS is issued by WEST at your request after the following have occurred:

- you have been made an unconditional offer of a place to study full-time at WEST
- you have formally confirmed in writing that you wish to accept the offer made to you
- WEST has received payment from you for the CAS (see below for further information)
- WEST has made a CAS application to the UK Border Agency and the CAS has been provided to WEST via the UK Border Agency’s electronic system

How to Request a CAS

Contact the Academic Registrar for your programme. If you will be studying on an undergraduate programme contact Louise-Joy Souillot, Academic Registrar (Undergraduate Students). If you will be studying on a postgraduate programme contact Anwen Davies, Academic Registrar (Postgraduate Students).

At this stage you must pay the fee for the CAS. (See below for information on paying for a CAS.)

Your Academic Registrar may ask you for some necessary information to include in the CAS application.

Please note that you must give a minimum notice period of 10 working days to the Academic Registrar for obtaining a CAS. If you leave it late to request a CAS, WEST cannot be held responsible if your visa application is late.

Payment for a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies)

A new CAS is required each time a student applies for a Tier 4 Student Visa - whether they are applying for the first time for a visa to undertake a particular programme or whether they are applying to extend an existing visa. The UK Border Agency charges the sponsoring institution £10 for each CAS. There will be a charge of £10 to the student from WEST to supply a CAS each time a CAS is required.

When will I need a CAS?
Here are some examples of when a CAS will be needed:

  * when you apply for a Tier 4 student visa for a particular programme for the first time
  * if you need to extend your leave to remain to complete your programme (e.g. if your programme end date is extended)
  * if you fail part of your programme and have to undertake resits and you need to apply to extend your visa to stay in the UK to do your resits
  * if your visa application is refused because you did not complete the application correctly/completely and you intend to reapply

How can I pay for a CAS?
Payment for a CAS must be made at the point when you request a CAS from the Academic Registrar. A CAS request will not be accepted or begin to be processed until payment has been made. Payment may be made by the following methods:

  * on the online payment section of WEST’s website
  * by cash or cheque to the Bursar in person
  * by cheque to the Bursar by post

In each case you should obtain a receipt from the Bursar and show this to the Academic Registrar when you request a CAS.

If you have any queries about this process, contact the Academic Registrar for your programme, or, for payment matters, the Bursar (Kevin Green).