UK Visa Letters become obsolete

From 22nd February 2010, all potential Tier 4 students applying to UK from inside or outside the UK must use a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) in their application. All applications that do not contain a CAS will fall for refusal.

Institutions will need to provide all potential students with a CAS reference number and your sponsor licence number (SLN). Institutions will also need to give them all the information they will need when making their application. This information is sometimes called a ''CAS statement''; it is up to sponsors to decide its format and how to send it to their potential students. A ''CAS statement'' may contain:

• student name;
• student date of birth;
• course title;
• course start and end date;
• details of any financial sponsorship/deposits taken;
• documents that should be included as part of an application to prove qualifications;
• CAS number; and
• ATAS certificate (if appropriate).

This additional information will assist our caseworkers and entry clearance officers when making decisions on migrant applications under Tier 4.

If a prospective student has a visa letter issued before 22 February 2010, they can no longer use it to apply for a Tier 4 student visa. If institutions have issued a visa letter to a student who is intending to apply to us, they must replace the visa letter with a CAS.