Requesting CAS

The University expects you to complete your course according to the dates provided in your original CAS. If you require more time to complete your studies and are unable to complete within the validity of your visa, you may be eligible for a new CAS to extend your student visa.

A new course end date set after the expiry of your current student visa may prompt consideration of whether you are eligible to receive a new CAS. However, a new course end does not in itself guarantee that you will be eligible for a CAS or that a new CAS will be assigned.

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements set out below, you will normally be expected to return home to complete from overseas. If you are required to return to the UK for a short period at a later date, you would be expected to return on a standard visit visa.

Re-sitting/resubmitting

You may be required to re-sit an exam or resubmit coursework. In such cases, and if your continued participation is not required, then the University will not continue to sponsor you.

Student Immigration Services may have to inform UKVI that your sponsorship will be withdrawn, and your visa will be curtailed. This means that you will not have valid immigration permission to be in the UK.

CAS Request Process

You will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number before you can apply for a visa extension under the student visa category.

You should request your CAS at least one month and not more than three months before your visa expires. When applying to extend your visa you must show that you have held the required money for a consecutive 28 day period (finishing on the date of the closing balance) ending no more than 31 days before your application. If you have not already done so you should make sure you deposit the required amount of money into your bank account/s.

If you are in the second semester of study or beyond, you should request the CAS from Student Immigration Services.

Please complete the CAS Request Form and return it to the studentimmigration@stir.ac.uk mailbox, along with a copy of the photograph page in your passport. You should also send a copy of your bank statement showing available funds to support your visa application.

You can also upload this form using the Document Uploader on your portal homepage.

In line with UKVI requirements, before we can assign a new CAS your faculty/department must confirm that your continued participation is required (attendance in classes and/or engagement with scheduled academic activity). You faculty must confirm this on the CAS Request Form or by separate email attached with your request.

Once we have received your request:

  • we will gather and check the relevant information, including your course fees, any outstanding debt owed to the University and your eligibility for a new CAS in line with UKVI requirements.
  • a CAS will not be assigned until any outstanding debt has been paid to the University.
  • if a CAS can be assigned, we will forward the details to the Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration);
  • you must ensure that the information sent to the Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration) is correct.

If my student visa is about to expire, can I make a “Fee Waiver” application to extend my stay in the UK until my course completion?

We strongly advise you not to do this if you intend to apply for a CAS and Student permission. You may have been advised to apply for a fee waiver ahead of your application for Student permission to buy more time, however, it is unlikely that either of your applications will be successful. This is because fee waivers are only available for specified human rights-based applications – not for the Student route. A fee waiver application is likely to cause several issues in the future.

UKVI has said that in cases where fee waiver applications are made without merit, e.g. a fee waiver application based on destitution where the applicant knowingly does not fit the UKVI criteria for destitution, these applications could be deemed fraudulent. International students are required to be self-funded and show that they can support themselves whilst studying. This means you will be required to pay the Student Route application fee plus the immigration health surcharge fee and if you submit a fee waiver application claiming financial inability to apply, and subsequently apply for a student visa paying the required fees, the Home Office is likely to refuse your application based on the grounds of deception.

The University will therefore not consider assigning a CAS if your fee waiver application is rejected or you apply for a fee waiver but subsequently change your mind.

View the advice from UKCISA on fee waiver applications. If your Fee Waiver request is rejected by the UKVI, you will be prevented from continuing your studies at the University with immediate effect until you either leave the UK or provide us with evidence of being granted leave to remain in a different immigration category that permits study.

Next steps

If approved, we will send you an email with your unique CAS number. You must ensure that all the information is current and correct. The Home Office will check that the CAS information exactly matches the evidence you provide for the visa application.

As soon as you receive the new visa, you MUST provide us with a scanned, colour copy of the document. The University is required to retain a copy of this document. You must bring the original document/s into the Student Hub.

Please contact studentimmigration@stir.ac.uk if you have any questions about requesting a CAS for an extension to your visa.