The CAS & visa journey, at a glance
Accept & pay deposit
Accept the offer and pay the deposit — this triggers the invitation to CAS Shield, OGS UK’s secure document portal.
Submit on CAS Shield
Complete the Info Check and upload documents (aim for April–June). Passport must stay valid to at least October 2026. Ask OGS via the CAS Shield messaging function.
OGS checks & issues CAS
OGS UK reviews within 3–5 working days. If documents meet UKVI rules, the CAS statement is emailed — check every detail and flag typos before applying.
Apply for the visa
Apply to UKVI with the CAS number, complete biometrics, then send OGS the eVisa share code and flight details pre-travel. Decisions take 3–4 weeks.
Apply on gov.uk →OGS UK is your CAS & visa desk
The Office of Global Services handles every CAS and visa query — via the CAS Shield messaging function, or directly by email and phone. Quote the student’s PAR and intake.
Documents required for all students
- Valid passport — valid to at least end of September 2026; both passports if dual nationality
- Final official qualification(s) — completed and official; no predicted grades, unofficial transcripts or provisional certificates
- Financial evidence — see the funds calculation opposite
May be required, by circumstance
- English language qualification (non-majority-English nationals)
- TB test certificate from a UKVI-approved clinic
- Official English translations of any non-English documents
- Previous UK visas / refusals; residence permit if applying outside your nationality
- Under-18 parental consent; scholarship letter; ATAS (PhD only); evidence for education gaps
How much money to show
Living costs for London: £1,529/month × 9 = £13,761 maximum, plus first-year tuition. Held 28 consecutive days, in the student’s or a parent’s name; the document is valid 31 days from issue. Non-GBP funds must be converted with oanda.com (UKVI-approved).
Formula: 1st-year tuition − deposit paid − scholarship + £13,761 living = total to show.
£558
Visa application fee (mandatory)
£776/yr
Immigration Health Surcharge, per visa year, paid upfront
£500+
Optional priority / super-priority processing
18mo
Graduate Route (applies on/after 1 Jan 2027; PhD 3 yrs) — never quote 2 years
The full CAS prep guide
OGS UK’s complete walkthrough — timeline, document detail, financial rules and next steps. Share with every visa-required offer-holder.
Download PDF →Watch the webinar
“CAS and visa season, step by step” — the OGS team on documents, timelines and common refusal reasons.
Recordings in Useful links →Work & dependants
Term-time work up to 20 hrs/week. Dependants are not permitted for most taught MSc/MA students under current rules.