Your guide to the CAS process

We will consider your CAS request if:

We will be unable to issue you with a CAS if:

you meet the Home Office and University requirements for English Language Levels. We will require either a Secure English Language Test (SELT) or will assess you by using other acceptable methods. you have paid the required deposit of your first year’s fees, or full tuition fees if studying for less than one year. you have signed the Immigration History Declaration Form that allows the University to make enquiries to the Home Office about your immigration history. you have signed the Student Route (formerly Tier 4) agreement confirming you will follow the Immigration Rules under Student Route of the Points Based System. you have provided a personal statement and an academic reference (some courses require two academic references). you have provided the University with evidence that you have the required funds to make a successful visa application. If you have studied in the UK before, you must provide the University with evidence of your immigration history including all visas that you have held and evidence of your studies in the UK.

you have previously been refused a visa on the grounds of credibility (we will ask to see the Reasons for Refusal letter). you have overstayed your visa at any time in the UK. you have, or will, exceed the maximum time allowed for degree level study or above. you have previously studied at the same, or higher, academic level in the UK under the Student route or the old Tier 4. This is because we will be unable to demonstrate to the Home Office that you are making academic progress. you are a new applicant that has held Tier 4 leave but has failed to successfully complete your course. you will be unable to reach the UK by the last acceptable date of arrival. You must inform us if you are likely to be late for the start date of the course. You should consult https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times to see if you have enough time to arrive before the last acceptable date of arrival that is stated on your CAS. Continuing students will not be issued a further CAS to complete their studies if there is evidence that your attendance is unsatisfactory or that you are unable to complete the work that is required to obtain a pass at the end of the current academic year. If your visa is refused the University will make a decision as to whether to issue you with a further CAS depending on the reasons for refusal. Students should be aware that no new CAS will be issued if refused for credibility.

View the full CAS policy for international students.

In accordance with UK Home Office guidance, we like to speak to prospective Student Route students to better understand why you want to study at Canterbury Christ Church University. An invite to interview does not imply that there is anything wrong with your application.

We will contact you with a time for your interview and instructions for joining the interview. The time stated will be UK time. The interview will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

We understand that an invite to interview may feel daunting, but this is a conversation about you, your choices, and your hard work up to this point. It’s also a chance for you to learn more about the university and get to know our staff. If you need the interviewer to slow down or repeat themselves when talking, please ask and they will be more than happy to accommodate you.

To prepare, you should research the university, its area, and your preferred course. You should also take time to understand the visa application process, and the Home Office’s expectations for Student Route Visa students in the UK.

Below are some examples of the sorts of question you might be asked. No-one apart from your interviewer knows which questions you will be asked, and we won’t tell you in advance because we want to know what you genuinely think - not what you believe the interviewer wants to hear. 

• Tell us about your visa history
• Have you travelled abroad before?
• Has your travel informed your decision to study in the UK?
• How do you feel about travelling abroad without companions?
• What do you know about your course and why have you chosen it?
• Why have you chosen our university?
• Why is this the right step for you?
• What advice or tools have you used to help you make your decision?
• If you want to mention awards that the university holds, why are they important and what do you know about them?
• What do you know about Canterbury/Medway as a place to live?
• How will this course help you achieve your aims in the future? What are your future aims?
• Why do you want to study in the UK?
• Tell us about your finances.
• Have you considered the cost of studying in the UK?
• Will you need to work while you are here?
• Do you have bank statements ready to evidence your ability to pay?
• Where will you stay whilst studying? 

Once the interview is over, you will receive an email with the outcome. Generally this will be within 2 working days, but may take longer at peak times. 

• If you cannot attend your interview, you need to contact us as soon as possible so it can be rearranged. For Undergraduate courses, email ugadmissions@canterbury.ac.uk or for Postgraduate courses email pgadmissions@canterbury.ac.uk. Students are usually invited to book their interview slots themselves, so you can choose a slot that is convenient for you.
• If you fail to attend your interview, it is at our discretion whether to allow you to reschedule.  This will depend on the circumstances.  
• If there are technical issues, you may be sent a calendar invite from an Admissions Officer to attend your interview. 

Before you can request your CAS, you need to provide us with the necessary documents. 

When logging in to MyRecord to submit your documents, use the ‘Applicant Login’ option.

• Your username is your Student ID (you will find at the top of the email inviting you to register) or the email address you used for your application.
• Your password is the password you chose yourself if you’ve used MyRecord already. If this is the first time you have used MyRecord, or you can't remember your password, just click on the 'Forgotten your password?' button to get it re-set.

1. Select the ‘Application(s)’ tab.

2. If any of the tiles are coloured red, it means there is an action for you to take. To submit your documents, select the 'Documents' tile.

3. Upload your completed Immigration History Form and a clear colour photo or scan of your passport which serves as your 'ID Check for Registration'. 

All text on your passport must be legible.

Unfortunately we cannot accept passports with less than six months remaining before their expiry dates.

5. If you need to submit financial documentation, there will be an action for you to do so. You should ensure that all financial documents:

• are stamped and signed by your bank
• include the date of the statement and the currency
• are on official letterhead

6. When finished, click the ‘Back’ button.

Please note: The Education Bursary cannot be used to pay the deposit required for your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You will need to cover this cost separately.

1. Check your email:

• Wait for an email from the University with details about your deposit amount.

2. Log in to MyRecord:

• To log in to MyRecord to pay your deposit, use the ‘Applicant Login’ option.
• Look for a tile called ‘Student Route Visa deposit.’ This tile will appear once you are authorised to pay your deposit.

• Your username is your Student ID (you will find at the top of the email inviting you to register) or the email address you used for your application.
• Your password is the password you chose yourself if you’ve used MyRecord already. If this is the first time you have used MyRecord, or you can't remember your password, just click on the 'Forgotten your password?' button to get it re-set.
• Make sure the 'Application(s)' tab is selected.

• If we are ready for you to pay your study deposit, you will see a tile titled 'Student Route Visa deposit', coloured red. Click on the tile.

3. Access the payment system:

• Once you have engaged with the deposit tile process, you will receive an email with the Convera link to make your payment
• Choose to pay via Bank Transfer or Card.
• Provide Your Details: Include your personal details and your CCCU Student ID number (please check that you do not reference your Agent ID - it must be your CCCU student ID)
• For your own protection, we recommend you make your fee payments yourself and do not entrust payment to anyone else.

4. Track your payment:

• Convera will send you an email to confirm you have requested payment.
• You can log in to Convera to track the progress of your payment.

5. Confirmation:

• All study deposits need to be checked by our Accounts Receivable team.
• If you make payment via Convera and engage with the deposit tile on MyRecord, the University will confirms receipt of your payment via email. This process can take several days.
• Once your study deposit has been approved, the Admissions Team will be notified and the  'Deposit' tile will disappear from MyRecord.

Please note - If you make payment in any other way you will not receive confirmation and it can take some time to match your payment to your record, causing a delay in your application.