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A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number is a unique 14 digit reference given to you by UCL (your sponsor).
You will receive a CAS statement from UCL which contains your CAS number and additional information you will need from UCL to make a Student visa application. A CAS number is valid for use for 6 months from the date it was issued. It can be used only once for a single application. You can only obtain a CAS once you have an unconditional offer.
How to obtain a CAS
New students
You do not need to request a CAS. If you have firmly accepted a conditional or unconditional offer UCL will contact you by e-mail approximately four months before the start date of your programme to seek the relevant information. UCL will usually begin assigning CAS numbers no earlier than three months prior to your proposed start date.
You will be asked to confirm that the details we hold about you on record are correct. If anything is incorrect or missing you will be asked to supply this information. Upon receipt of your responses and once your offer is unconditional firm, UCL will aim to issue your CAS within 5 to 10 working days. Once assigned, you will able to access your CAS statement via your Portico account.
CAS numbers are generated by the following offices:
- Undergraduate Students - the Admissions Office, or Faculty of Laws, or Built Environment
- Graduate Students - Admissions Office
- Affiliate Students - Admissions Office
Please note that the Admissions Office are extremely busy over the summer months and will process CASs as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience during this time.
Continuing or extending students
In order to be issued with a CAS, you will need to complete the CAS request form and send it to the Student Immigration Compliance Team on AskUCL. Please ensure the form has been approved by your Supervisor/Programme tutor/Personal tutor before sending it. Once it has been processed, your CAS will be emailed to your UCL email account. Please allow ten working days to receive your CAS.
CLIE student CASs
The UCL Centre for Languages and International Education (CLIE) produces CASs for pre-sessional students as well as undergraduate and postgraduate foundation courses.
Academic Progression
If you have previously been granted a Tier 4/Student Visa to study in the UK, then UCL can only assign you a CAS for a new programme, if the programme represents academic progress from your previous studies.
In exceptional circumstances, we may consider assigning a CAS to allow a student to study at the same academic level as long as you are able to demonstrate that:
the new programme is related to the previous programme for which you were last given Tier 4/Student leave (meaning that it is either connected to the previous programme , part of the same subject group or involves deeper specialisation); or
your previous and new programme combined, support your career aspirations
This means that if you want to study a course at UCL which is at the same academic level as the last course for which you were granted a Tier 4/Student Visa, you will be asked to provide an Academic Progression statement as part of your application .
Time limits on study
There is a limit on the time a student may spend studying at degree level in the UK.
You are allowed to spend a maximum of 5 years studying in the UK using a Student visa, this includes time spent on a Tier 4 Student Visa and old style student visas prior to Tier 4.
You should ensure that your intended programme of study and any previous programmes of study you have taken in the UK do not take you beyond the five year limit. If they do, we will not issue you a CAS and you will not be able to obtain a Student visa.
There are exceptions to the 5 year limit. These are as follows:
- If you have successfully completed a degree that is 4 years in duration, the limit is 6 years. Please note this does not include additional years taken due to retaking years or re-submissions
- If you are intending to study a postgraduate quaification (including PhD or postgraduate research) approved by the UKVI there is not a limit on the time you can spend studying
- If you have previously completed a PhD and are applying for a further course of study your limit is 8 years
- Some programmes are exempt including, including Architecture and Medicine
- The Doctorate Extension Scheme is also exempt
Full information is available on the UK Visas and Immigration Rules in Appendix ST 19.1. and the Tier 4 Policy Guidance.