What is a CAS letter for a UK study visa? 2026 guide

A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is not really a letter. It is an electronic record with a unique reference number that a licensed UK university assigns once you hold an unconditional offer. You enter that number on your UK study visa (Student visa) application. As of October 2026, a CAS is valid for 6 months and cannot be reused once an application using it is decided.

What is a CAS for a UK study visa?

The Home Office describes a CAS as a virtual document, similar to a database record. Your university assigns it through the Home Office's Sponsorship Management System, and it is an official offer of a place on a course. Its reference number links to a record that the visa caseworker reads. According to the caseworker guidance, that record holds:

• your personal details;
• your sponsor, which is your university;
• your course of study;
• your finances, including fees and what you have paid;
• the documents or information the university used to assess your academic ability and English.

The sponsor guidance lets universities give you a printed copy of your CAS. That printout, often called a CAS statement or CAS letter, is what most students mean when they say "CAS letter". Check it line by line, because the caseworker reads the record itself.

What information is on your CAS?

The fees section matters for money. Fees you have already paid and that appear on your CAS reduce the amount you must hold for 28 days. Our UK student visa funds calculator works out the total.

When does a university issue your CAS?

GOV.UK says you must have an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, and your university sends the CAS once you have it. Before that point, most universities ask you to clear their own checks. Common ones are:

1. Meeting your offer conditions, such as final transcripts and English results.
2. Paying a tuition deposit. Many universities will not issue a CAS until a deposit is paid.
3. A pre CAS interview, also called a credibility interview, run by the university.
4. A check of your funds and documents, so the university is confident your visa file will hold up.

Deposits for Pakistani applicants can be large. Two examples, checked on 15 October 2026:

• University of Hull: applicants from Pakistan pay a £10,000 tuition deposit before receiving a CAS. The deposit is deducted from the fee and included on the CAS. Its refund page says no refund is given after a visa refusal for credibility or deception reasons, unless an administrative review overturns the decision.
• Ravensbourne University London: postgraduate applicants from Pakistan pay 100% of the tuition fee as a CAS deposit, which is non refundable except in listed cases.

Read the refund policy before you pay, and keep it on file. For the questions asked at the university interview and at a UKVI interview, see our UK credibility interview questions.

How long is a CAS valid?

Six months. The sponsor guidance says a CAS is valid for six months from the date the university assigns it, and expires if not used in that time. GOV.UK tells applicants to apply within 6 months of receiving the CAS, and the caseworker guidance says a CAS issued more than 6 months before the date of application does not meet the validity requirement.

A second timing rule sits alongside it. From outside the UK, you can apply no earlier than 6 months before your course starts.

Say, as a hypothetical example, your master's starts on 20 September 2027 and your CAS is assigned on 15 June 2027. You can apply from that day, and the CAS stays valid until mid December 2027. In practice you will want to apply in June or July, so plan the TB test and your 28 days of funds around that.

Can you use a CAS more than once?

Only until an application using it is decided. The caseworker guidance says the CAS must not have been used in a previous application that was granted or refused. It can be used again if the earlier application was rejected as invalid, withdrawn or declared void.

So after a refusal, the sponsor guidance says your university must assign a new CAS before you reapply.

A CAS can also stop working before you use it:

• the university can withdraw a CAS you have not yet used, and must tell you;
• the Home Office can cancel a CAS that was assigned improperly, for example through misrepresentation or fraud;
• any application supported by a cancelled or withdrawn CAS is automatically refused.

Our guide to UK student visa refusal reasons covers what to fix before a new application.

What happens if the details on your CAS are wrong?

Tell your university the day you notice, and before you pay the visa fee. The caseworker guidance says an application made with an invalid CAS must be refused, and the record must match your application.

The Home Office's guide for universities on creating a CAS (version used from 11 November 2025) sets two routes:

• Minor errors are corrected with a sponsor note on the live CAS. Its example is a mistyped first name.
• Main details wrong means the university must cancel the CAS and assign a new one. Its examples are a wrong visa category, or wrong details in more than one of these: your nationality, date of birth and surname.

A start date in the past is handled through the sponsor note too. If you are starting late, the university enters the CAS creation date and records the real start date in the note. The caseworker must check that note.

Does your CAS name your agent?

Yes, if the university used one to recruit you. Under the Student sponsor guidance updated on 7 April 2026, and repeated in the version used from 8 October 2026:

• the university must record agent details on the CAS wherever it used an agent or third party to recruit you, even for a one off recruitment without a formal contract;
• if a sub agent was involved, the main agent's details are recorded, not the sub agent's;
• details are not needed for an adviser you hired yourself, if the university did not use that adviser in recruiting you;
• the details must reflect the agent the university credits with your recruitment, for example the one receiving any commission.

The Home Office guide for universities lists the fields: the agent company's formal legal name, the primary contact's name, and the address of the branch that recruited you. Universities that use recruitment agents must also commit to the Agent Quality Framework.

What this means for you: ask the person helping you whether they are the university's recruiting agent. If your CAS names an agent you have never dealt with, ask the university to explain before you apply.

What should you check before you apply for the study visa?

Use this list on the day your CAS arrives:

1. Your name, date of birth, nationality and passport number match your passport.
2. The course title, level and dates match your offer.
3. The fee and the amount paid are correct, and your funds cover the balance plus living costs.
4. The English assessment shown matches the test or method you actually used.
5. You hold every document listed as evidence, in original form.
6. Any agent named is the one you dealt with.
7. The CAS is under 6 months old on the day you will apply.

Then apply on GOV.UK. The fee is £558 from outside the UK, plus the healthcare surcharge, and a decision usually takes 3 weeks. For the full document list, see our guide to UK student visa requirements from Pakistan.

Not sure where you stand?

If your CAS has a mistake, your deposit terms worry you, or you are unsure whether your funds match the fees on the CAS, send your CAS statement, offer letter and bank details to a Via Nova counsellor on WhatsApp at +92 316 4448062. You will get an honest view before you pay the visa fee, through our UK study visa service. Our counsellors work from Lake City Meadows (Ex State Life), next to DHA Phase 5, Lahore, and also online. The visa decision always rests with UKVI.