If you are a current student at the University of Birmingham and you need more time to complete your course, you will need to apply for a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number and use this for a Student Route visa application.
You must apply for your online CAS request up to three months before your visa is due to expire by completing the steps below.
Before a CAS can be assigned, the International Student Team (IST) will need to check that you have all the necessary documents to submit a Student Route visa application.
New Students: You must contact the Admissions Team directly for your CAS. This webpage and CAS Request Form should not be used by new students who are due to commence a course. It is for continuing students only.
An Expired Student Route Visa Vignette: Students outside the UK who have been granted under the Student Route visa but whose 90 day visa vignette (sticker in passport) has now expired, must check if they can make an application to UKVI for a replacement visa vignette only. Further details about replacement visa vignette are explained here on UKCISA.
Step 1 - Preparing your documents
Step 2 - Complete the CAS request form
Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1 - Preparing your supporting documents
You must prepare all your visa documents before completing the online CAS Request Form in step 2.
Please note, if you complete step 2 without uploading all of your required documentation, this may cause delays for your CAS Request assessment.
Visa documents and information
5 August 2022 Update: You no longer need to register with the police. The Police Registration visa requirement ended on 5 August 2022. This change is retrospective for all applicants in the UK such as current Student (formerly Tier 4) visa holders. You are no longer required to submit any police registration documents to the Home Office (UKVI). Full details of this change can be found on UKCISA.
Continuing student with EU nationality - First CAS
Some EU nationals may need to request their first CAS from the IST, where they are a continuing student with no other visa permission to study in the UK. EU nationals who are classed as international students may need to apply for the Student route visa, which will require a CAS.
Please note, if you think you may be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme or have been granted leave under this other visa route, then you should not require a CAS for Student visa purposes. Please read the UKCISA EU Settlement advice webpage for further advice. You will need to check if you need a UK visa if you’re planning to study in the UK from 1 January 2021 as normally you will not be eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme unless you were living in the UK before 31 December 2020.
Step 2 - Submit your online CAS Request Form
Only one CAS Request Form submission is required, please do not submit duplicate requests.
When you complete your online CAS Request Form, you will be prompted to upload your visa documents in parts of the Form. It will help you to have your visa documents ready to upload with your CAS Request Form. Upon assessment, the IST will contact you to request for further documents if you do not upload all the required documentation which will cause further delays to the request processing time.
If you have submitted your CAS Request with all the required visa documents in the correct format, the assessment of your CAS Request may be completed within 10 working days. If the IST requires any further documents or information from you, it will take longer to complete the assessment of your CAS Request. The IST has to prioritise CAS Requests based on urgency (if your visa is due to expire within the UK) as well the submission date.
Start your CAS Request Form here
Visa extension workshop
The International Student Team (IST) delivers online visa workshops for continuing students at the University of Birmingham. For more information, please visit the IST Visa workshop page.
Visa workshops
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When should I request a CAS if my Student visa is due to expire soon?
If your current Student visa is due to expire soon, then you will need to start preparing your visa documents for your CAS Request now. Please follow the steps above to submit your online CAS Request Form to the IST.
Please note that we can start assessing your CAS Request up to three months before your current visa expiry date or prior to your intended return date for study (if outside the UK).
What is the IST process for dealing with CAS Requests?
CAS will be assigned depending on student visa expiry dates and return dates to the UK. There can be times where the IST are working through very busy periods.
What contact will I have with the IST?
Once you have submitted your CAS Request, you should receive an automatic response email from the IST confirming receipt of your CAS Request. The IST will then assess your documents and let you know if we require any further information. Please await our response.
Please do not send multiple chasing emails or CAS requests as this will delay the process.
You do not need to visit the IST Reception to discuss your CAS Request following submission of your CAS Request Form. You will be contacted by the IST in due course.
What happens if my visa documents are not approved?
It is University Policy that you will not be assigned a CAS if your visa documents do not meet the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Student route criteria. If this happens your IST designated adviser will send you an email advising on your next steps.
When should I expect to receive my CAS?
Once all internal administrative checks with both Registry and Finance have been carried out and your visa documents have been approved, you will be assigned a CAS by the IST. Please check all information is correct in the assessment email sent to you by IST and let us know straight away if any of the information is incorrect. This will help prevent errors in your CAS.
When should I apply for my ATAS?
If you require ATAS clearance, you should aim to apply for your ATAS Certificate within four months of your current student visa expiring. It can take at least 30 working days during peak periods (April - September).
If it appears that you will not receive a new ATAS Certificate before your visa expiry date, your adviser will advise you to leave the UK before your visa expiry date to avoid overstaying your visa. This can happen if you delayed in making an ATAS application or there is a query regarding your ATAS application or it is a busy period for processing ATAS applications. In this situation, your CAS Request can continue to be progressed whilst you are outside the UK once you have left the UK and sent IST a copy of the entry stamp to your home country.
Please note that you can submit a CAS Request while you are waiting for your new ATAS Certificate, however, IST cannot approve your CAS Request without seeing your new valid ATAS Certificate.
Please see the guidance on the IST web page: Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).
I am a low risk national, and I have read that I am not required to provide certain documents?
A 'low risk' national is a national of countries listed under the 'differential evidence requirement'. As a ‘low risk’ national you will not be required to submit any financial evidence in support of your Student visa application, however, it is still your responsibility to ensure you hold these documents should a UKVI (Home Office) caseworker wish to request these at a later date when they consider your visa application.
Low Risk nationals would be required to submit the following visa documents, where these apply to your circumstances
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Current Passport
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Current Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
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TB certificate - Only if you are applying from outside the UK and if this applies to you (residence based).
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ATAS certificate - If your current course/research remains ATAS attracting (check ATAS section above with link to our ATAS webpage) then you will need a new ATAS Certificate when making any new Student visa extension application (not related to your academic status/thesis stage).
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Parental consent for applicants under 18 - If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must include a letter of consent from your parent(s) that confirms that they support your visa application. The letter should state their relationship to you, that they consent to your visa application, they consent to your living and care arrangements in the UK and that they are happy for you to travel to the UK independently.