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Your CAS number

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Before your visa application can be processed, you need to have been issued with a CAS, which is a unique 14 digit long reference number. Before your CAS number can be issued, there are a number of things you need to do.

You need to:

  • accept your offer to study at Liverpool Hope
  • meet any outstanding academic conditions (including English language ability, some applicants will be asked to complete a Credibility Interview)
  • register with CAS Shield (you will be sent an invitation to do this)
  • pay a 50% tuition fee deposit

Once you have met your academic conditions, and passed your Credibility Interview where applicable, we will invite you to pay your tuition fee deposit. Once we advise you to pay your tuition fee deposit, please do so as soon as possible to avoid delays with the CAS & visa process to ensure that you arrive in the UK prior to your course start date.

Please note the following deposit payment deadlines for courses starting in September 2024:

Undergraduate Courses: 21st August 2024

Postgraduate Courses (excluding MA Social Work & PGCE): 9th August 2024

MA Social Work: 2nd August 2024

PGCE: 2nd August 2024

Final CAS issue date for courses starting in September 2024:

Undergraduate Courses: 23rd August 2024

Postgraduate Courses (excluding MA Social Work & PGCE): 14th August 2024

MA Social Work: 14th August 2024

PGCE: 9th August 2024

Acceptance onto a programme of study at the University does not guarantee that your CAS request will be accepted. All CAS requests are considered by a Compliance Review Panel after you have completed the above steps and have submitted a CAS Request form (this will be emailed to you when you have accepted your offer and met all academic conditions).

If your CAS request is accepted you will need to pay a £25 CAS processing fee. This is payable through our Online Store and you will be sent a link to enable you to make this payment prior to us issuing a CAS.

Student route visa applications can be made up to 6 months before the course start date and we would normally want to receive your completed CAS request form as soon as possible. When you have supplied us with copies of the exact documents that you will be using with your visa application and have paid the £25 CAS processing fee through our Online Store, we aim to issue your CAS within a 1-2 week period.

If your CAS is issued less than 3 weeks before the start date of your course we strongly recommend that you use the priority application service, to ensure that you have your visa in time to arrive before the start of your course.

How do I pay my deposit?

Unless you are receiving full financial sponsorship or a federal loan, and we have received evidence of this, you are required to pay  50% of your first year tuition fee as a deposit.

Deposits must have been received by the following deadlines stated above.

For further information on how to pay your deposit, please visit our website. If you have any questions about fees and or payments, you can contact the Student Finance Office by emailing financequeries@hope.ac.uk

What is Academic Progression?

If you have previously studied in the UK, your CAS must confirm that your new course represents academic progression. For example progressing from an undergraduate degree to a postgraduate degree.

Is there a limit to the amount of time I can study in the UK for?

You can study at degree level (RQF level 6) on a Student route visa for up to 5 years. If you have previously studied at this level in the UK, we will calculate the duration of leave that you have previously been granted, including the extra periods before and after your course dates. There are some limited exceptions to the 5 year limit and you can find more information on the UKCISA website or in the Immigration Rules: Appendix Student. From 5th October 2020, there are no longer any time limits on study at postgraduate level and above.

Do I need a TB Certificate?

If you are applying for your Student route visa outside the UK, you may need to undergo TB screening, and provide the original TB Certificate with your visa application. The full list of countries where you need a TB test to enter the UK can be found on the Government website.

How much money (maintenance) do I need?

If you are applying for your visa from overseas, or if you are applying in the UK but have not been living here with immigration permission for 12 months or more, you must be able to prove that you have sufficient money to cover your tuition fees and living costs.

Submitting financial documents that do not meet UKVI requirements is the main reason for a visa refusal. We aim to prevent this by checking all financial documents that will be submitted with a Student route visa application before we issue a CAS. You can find full guidance in the UKVI's Financial evidence for Students.

Some students do not need to submit financial documents with their applications under the 'differential evidence requirement' and you can find a full list of nationals that this applies to in the Immigration Rules: Appendix Student (ST 22.1). However, you may be asked by the UKVI to provide financial evidence later in the application process and so you should ensure that you meet the financial requirements before submitting your application.

Tuition fees

You need to show that you have sufficient funds to cover your first year’s tuition fees. Any payments that have already been made to the University towards your tuition fees can be deducted from your total maintenance, and your CAS will confirm details of payment received.

Living costs

You are required by the UKVI to evidence living costs of £1,023 per month, up to a maximum of 9 months. This means that most students need to have living costs of at least £9,207. If you are a continuing student, applying for an extension to your Student route visa, you may need to show less than 9 months living costs, if the remaining period of study as indicated on the CAS is less than 9 months.

If you have made any payments to the University towards accommodation, this can be deducted from the total living costs required, and your CAS will confirm details of payments received for accommodation.

Please note that the maximum amount that you can deduct from your living costs for accommodation payments made to the University, is £1,334.

Dependants

If you are eligible to apply for a dependant visa for your family members, each dependant will need to show £680 per month for up to 9 months. This means that most dependants will need to have funds of at least £6,120. 

Please note that dependants need to show living costs for the duration of leave that the visa will be granted for, and not the length of the main applicant’s course. The main applicant will have a wrap up period at the end of the course that they do not need to show maintenance for, but the dependant need to show living costs for the full length of leave. This means that if the main applicants is applying for a visa to continue on a course that only has a few months in duration, the dependant will need to show maintenance for more months than the main applicant.

What money can be used?

All evidence submitted must be original. You must not submit photocopies or scans, and any documents that are not in English must be accompanied by an English translation.

Self-funded students

You can use money held in a bank account in your name, in joint names (you and another person), or in the name of your parent(s)/legal guardian(s).

If you are using funds held by your parent(s)/legal guardian(s), you will need to provide:

  • evidence confirming your relationship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of adoption, or court documents stating the name of your legal guardian(s)
  • a letter confirming that you have their permission to use the money held by your parent(s)/guardian(s) for educational purposes. Please see sample parent/legal guardian letter.

You cannot use financial documents from friends or other relatives.

Money held in business accounts cannot be accepted, even if you or your parents are the sole owners of the business. Money held in shares, bonds, overdrafts, and pension funds are not acceptable, regardless of notice period.

You can use more than one bank account, provided the combined balance has not fallen below the required amount for at least 28 days prior to the application.

The following documents can be used to show money available to you:

Bank statements

To meet UKVI requirements, bank statements must show that the required amount of funds have been for a consecutive 28 day period, and the statement must be less than 31 days old when you submit your online application.

Both original and ad hoc electronic statements can be accepted, but electronic statements must bear the bank’s official stamp on every page.

The statement must show all of the following information:

  • your name or your parent’s/legal guardian’s name
  • the account number
  • the bank’s name and logo
  • the date
  • the amount of money available

Building Society Pass Book

A building society pass book covering a consecutive 28-day period, ending no more than 31 days before the date of your application and no later than the date of application.

The building society pass book must show:

  • your name or the name of your parent(s)/legal guardian(s)
  • the account number
  • the financial institution’s name and logo
  • the amount of money available

Bank letter

The letter from your bank must confirm that the funds have been held for a consecutive 28 day period ending no more than 31 days before the date of your application, and no later than the date of application.

The letter must show:

  • your name, or the name of your parent(s)/legal guardian(s)
  • the account number
  • the date of the letter
  • the financial institution’s name and logo
  • the amount of money available in your account

Loan Letter

If you are using an educational loan to fund your studies, you will need to provide a loan letter as evidence of your funds. The loan must be provided by a national, state or regional government, or a government sponsored loan company, or be part of an educational loan scheme (this can be a government or private loan company).

The financial institution must be regulated by either the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulatory Authority or, in the case of overseas accounts, by the home regulator (the official regulatory body for the country the financial institution is in and where the money is held) for the purpose of student loans.

You cannot use a loan in your parent’s name. If your parent/legal guardians are co-borrowers you will need to provide evidence that you are related to parents/legal guardians, and that you have their permission to use this money for educational purposes. Please see sample co-borrower consent letter.

The loan letter must show:

  • your name
  • the date (it must be less than 6 months old)
  • the financial institution’s name and logo
  • the amount of money available as a loan
  • that the loan funds are available to you before you travel to the UK, unless the loan is from your country’s national government and it will be released to you on or before arrival in the UK
  • that there are no conditions placed on the release of the funds other than the success of your Student route visa application

Sponsored Students

You can receive official financial sponsorship from:

  • the British government or your home government
  • the British Council or any international
  • any university
  • an international company which has offices in more than one country and has a website with contact details for overseas offices

Your official financial sponsor must have the funds to support you financially whilst you are studying in the UK and have the capacity to move, or experience of moving, funds across international borders.

Sponsorship Letter

You must provide a letter on official letter headed paper that includes:

  • your name
  • the official stamp of the financial sponsor
  • the name and contact details of your financial sponsor
  • the date that the letter is issued
  • the duration of the sponsorship
  • the amount of money you will receive per month, or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs

If the sponsorship covers your family members the sponsor should include their names as well as yours.

Please note, if your financial sponsor is only covering part of your course fees or living costs, you must show that you have the rest of the money needed (outstanding first year tuition fees and £1023 per month for up to 9 months) in the format outlined for self-funded students.

Previous financial sponsorship

If you received official financial sponsorship that ended less than 12 months ago, and are applying for a new Student route visa that you intend to fund yourself, you must provide a letter from your previous financial sponsor that specifically states that they have no objection to you staying in, or re-entering the UK, in order to continue your studies.

What money cannot be accepted by the UKVI?

Money held in business accounts cannot be accepted, even if you or your parents are the sole owners of the business. Money held in shares, bonds, overdrafts, and pension funds are not acceptable, regardless of notice period.

What if the money is held in an overseas currency?

The UKVI use the official exchange rate on the OANDA website and this should be used to convert overseas currencies to pounds sterling. Please be aware that, as currencies can fluctuate, you should allow a small amount of extra funds to accommodate this; the UKVI base their decision on the exchange rate for the relevant currency on the date of the application.

Do I need to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge?

If you are applying for a student visa from overseas, to study on a course longer than 6 months in duration, you are required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This is a financial contribution to the National Health Service. The charge is currently £776 per person, per year of the visa. You will pay half of the yearly amount if your application includes part of a year that is less than 6 months. The payment is made by credit/debit card as part of your online visa application.

If you apply for your visa in the UK you need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for any length of stay.

Can I bring dependants?

You can apply to bring dependants to the UK with you, if are studying a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8), or a research-based higher degree. Dependants include your spouse, civil partner, same-sex partners and dependant children.

You can find out whether your dependants will be eligible to come with you while you are studying in the UK on the UKVI website. If eligible, they will each need to apply online for a Dependant visa. The amount of money that you need to evidence as part of your visa application will be much higher as they will need £680 per month each, for each month of their permission (up to 9 months), and each of your dependants would also be required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

What is a credibility interview?

The UKVI interview most Student route visa applicants, as part of the application process. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain that you are genuine student and assess you English language ability.  The interview will include questions about your choice of course, why you want to study at Liverpool Hope University, your future plans, and why you want to study in the UK, as opposed to your home country. When considering your CAS request, we may also wish to interview you and if so, we will invite you to complete this on CAS Shield. 

How do I book University accommodation?

If you wish to live in University accommodation, you will need to sign an accommodation contract and comply with the University’s financial regulations. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Do I need an ATAS Certificate?

An ATAS certificate is security clearance issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to students who intend to study certain science and technology courses. These courses are mainly PhDs and you can find more information on whether you need ATAS clearance and how to apply on the Government website. Your offer letter will also confirm if you require ATAS clearance. ATAS applications take around 4 weeks and a certificate can be used for visa applications for up to six months from the date of issue.