The UK Student visa, filed properly.

CAS, financial evidence, the immigration health surcharge and a possible credibility interview — what the Home Office actually checks, and the order to do it in.

3 weeks
typical decision time: 28 days
funds held consecutively: 6 months
earliest filing before start: CAS
required before you apply: Interview
may be required

WHAT THE HOME OFFICE CHECKS

Refusals are usually about evidence, not about you.

Caseworkers are assessing three things: that a recognised institution has offered you a place, that you can pay for the course and support yourself without working, and that you are a genuine student. Almost every refusal we see traces back to the second one — funds held for the wrong number of days, an account the Home Office does not accept, or a bank letter missing a required detail.

01The CAS drives everythingNothing can be filed until the university issues it, and it expires.
0228 consecutive daysThe balance must not dip below the required figure at any point.
03Answers must match the fileA credibility interview tests consistency, not eloquence.

Collegiate gothic building on a university campus

Presenter in front of a room of people with laptops

BEFORE YOU FLY

From CAS to departure.

Document reviewEvery page checked against the CAS

Funds planningDeposited and seasoned in time

Interview practiceMock credibility sessions

Pre-departure briefingArrival, banking and registration

Before you can apply

Two things must exist first: an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, and a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies issued against it. The CAS is a reference number carrying your course details, fees and any deposit already paid, and the visa application must match it exactly.

The CAS is valid for a limited period and can only be used once. Requesting it before your funds have completed their holding period is a common sequencing error — it starts a clock you are not ready for.

Documents

The core set is short. Additional documents depend on your nationality, your course and your academic history.

Document	Detail
Passport	Valid, with at least one blank page
CAS reference	Issued by your university against an unconditional offer
Financial evidence	Bank statements or an official loan or sponsor letter
English evidence	A SELT where required, or the university's own assessment
Academic documents	Those listed on the CAS as the basis of the offer
ATAS certificate	Only for certain sensitive research and science subjects

The financial requirement

This is where most refusals originate, so it is worth understanding precisely rather than approximately.

Item	Requirement
Tuition	The first year's fees, less any deposit already paid and shown on the CAS
Maintenance	A set monthly amount for up to nine months, higher for London courses
Holding period	28 consecutive days, with the closing balance dated close to your application
Acceptable accounts	In your name or a parent's, with a letter of consent where it is a parent's
Evidence format	Statements or a bank letter showing name, account number, date and balance

Maintenance amounts and the London threshold are set by the Home Office and revised periodically. Confirm the current figures on GOV.UK before moving any money.

After the decision

Decisions on applications made outside the UK typically come within about three weeks, though this stretches in the peak months before a September intake. A priority service is available at some visa application centres for an additional fee.

Once approved you receive digital immigration status rather than a card. Check the course dates, conditions and work rights on it immediately — errors are fixable, but far more easily before you travel than after.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

How long does a UK Student visa decision take?

Around three weeks for applications made outside the UK in normal months, and longer between June and August when everyone with a September start files at once. A priority service is offered at some visa application centres for an extra fee, which shortens it considerably. We plan your filing date backwards from your course start rather than from the published average, and we tell you early if the timeline is going to be tight.

How much money do I need to show?