Your CAS: the UK confirmation letter

In the UK, the confirmation letter is called a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). It is an electronic reference number your university or college gives you. You need it before you can apply for your Student visa.

What a CAS is

A CAS is not a paper certificate. It is an online record that your university creates in a Home Office computer system. The university then sends you the CAS number and a copy of the details, usually by email.

Only a university or college with a student sponsor licence can give you a CAS. (A sponsor licence is permission from the Home Office to teach international students on a Student visa.) You can look up any university on the register of licensed student sponsors.

When you get it

• You get a CAS only after you have an unconditional offer (an offer with no conditions left to meet).
• Many universities also ask you to pay a deposit or send more documents first. Each university sets its own steps. We will tell you what your university needs.
• From outside the UK, you can apply for the visa up to 6 months before your course starts.

What it is used for

You type the CAS number into your Student visa application. The Home Office uses the CAS record to see your course, your fees, and how the university checked your English and your past studies.

Keep your CAS number safe after you arrive. If you later apply for the Graduate visa, GOV.UK says you need the CAS number from your Student visa application.

How long a CAS is valid

The Home Office student sponsor guidance says a CAS is valid for six months from the date the university assigns it. If you do not use it in that time, it expires. GOV.UK also says you must apply for your visa within 6 months of getting your CAS.

• If your visa is refused and you want to apply again, the university must give you a new CAS.
• If your application is rejected as invalid, or you withdraw it, the same CAS can be used again.
• If a CAS is withdrawn or cancelled, any visa application that uses it is refused automatically.

A CAS does not guarantee a visa. The Home Office makes the decision.

What is on a CAS: an example

Every university's CAS email looks a little different. This table shows the main parts, with made-up details.

On the CAS	What it means	Check
CAS number	Your own reference number. You type it into the visa form.	Copy it exactly. Keep it private. Someone else could try to use it.
Sponsor name and licence number	The university that sponsors you.	Same university as your offer.
Name, date of birth, nationality, passport number	Your personal details.	Exactly as in your passport, letter by letter.
Course title and level, for example "MSc Data Science, RQF level 7"	RQF is the UK's list of qualification levels. Level 6 is a bachelor's degree, level 7 is a master's, level 8 is a doctorate. Scotland uses a different scale (SCQF).	Same course and level as your offer.
Course start and end dates	The dates of your course. The visa length is based on them.	Same as your offer letter.
Latest date to join the course	The last date the university will let you start.	Plan your visa and travel before this date.
Place of study	The campus address where you will study.	The right campus and city.
Course fees for the first year, and fees paid	Your fees and how much you have paid. GOV.UK says the course fee you must show money for is on your CAS.	Matches your receipts. Send the university any missing receipts.
English language	How the university checked your English, for example a test and your scores.	Correct test name and scores.
Evidence used	The qualifications the university used to make the offer.	Correct names, grades and dates.
ATAS	Whether your course needs an ATAS certificate (see below).	If it says yes, apply for ATAS early.
Agent details	If a university used an agent, like us, to recruit you, it must record this on the CAS.	Nothing for you to do.

Check these details

• Your full name, exactly as in your passport
• Date of birth, nationality and passport number
• Course title, level, and start and end dates
• Place of study
• Course fees and the amount you have paid
• English test name and scores
• Your qualifications and grades
• Whether ATAS is needed
• The date the CAS was assigned, so you know when it expires

If something is wrong

1. Do not apply for your visa yet.
2. Email the university's admissions or international office. List each mistake and attach proof, for example your passport page or a fee receipt.
3. Ask them to send the corrected details in writing. Check everything again.
4. If the university withdraws the CAS and gives you a new one, use only the new number.
5. Tell your counsellor, so we can check the new details with you.

ATAS: a certificate some courses need

ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) is a certificate for some master's and PhD courses in sensitive science and technology subjects. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issues it. If your course needs it, you must have it before you apply for your Student visa.

• It is free. It takes at least 30 working days (6 weeks), and longer from April to August.
• Some nationalities do not need it. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nigeria are not on that list.
• You can use it in a visa application for 6 months from the date it is issued.
• GOV.UK says not to use a Gmail address on the ATAS form, because of a technical problem.

Where this information comes from

We checked these official pages on 24 October 2026:

• GOV.UK: Student visa, your course and your CAS
• GOV.UK: Student visa, money you need
• Home Office: Student sponsor guidance, Document 2: Sponsorship duties (version 10/2026)
• GOV.UK: Register of licensed student sponsors
• GOV.UK: Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
• GOV.UK: Graduate visa, documents you'll need
• GOV.UK: What qualification levels mean

Rules and fees change. Check the official page before you apply. Your counsellor will check your own case.