Everything you need to know about CAS and CAS Shield

What is CAS?

Any international student who intends to study in the UK requires a UK student visa. CAS (confirmation of acceptance for studies) is a document that is required by international students to apply for a student visa in the UK. The document is issued by the university and includes information such as the student’s detail, selected program, duration of the program and a unique CAS number. Once the student has accepted the offer to study at a particular university and paid the applicable deposit, the university will email the student a link to the CAS Shield application using which the student has to provide his details online. Once the student submits all his details on the CAS Shield website those details are reviewd by the university and it will offer the CAS document to the student once all the requirements are met.

What all is included in the CAS?

• Candidate’s full name
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Passport number
• Course and level of study
• Course start and end dates
• University’s sponsor license number
• University address
• Campus address
• ATAS required
• Details of previous UK study(if applicable)
• Tuition fees for the first academic year
• Tuition fees paid to date
• Qualification required as part of your offer

How CAS & CAS shield fit into the visa process

The image below describes the whole application process of UK study visa right from applying to colleges or universities to landing in UK and how CAS and CAS shield form an important part of it.

What is CAS Shield?

CAS Shield is an online platform used by students to request CAS from their university. CAS Shield helps international students obtain their confirmation of acceptance for studies(CAS) quickly and easily. It is a service offered by Enroly, a UK-based company that provides a range of services to colleges and universities. Enroly is a registered sponsor authorized by the UK government to sponsor international students. CAS Shield has been praised by students and universities for its convenience and security. It is used by over 100 universities and colleges. This online self-service system enables students to upload their essential information and documents. The information provided by the student must be correct otherwise, the visa may be refused.

Benefits of CAS Shield

• It is a quick and easy way to obtain a CAS.
• It is a secure platform that protects students’ personal information.
• It is user-friendly.
• It guides students through the process of obtaining their CAS.
• A student can track the status/progress of his CAS using this platform. The progress is shown in the form of percentages.

How to use CAS Shield?

• Universities will send the link of CAS Shield to all the eligible students via email. The students can then use that link to begin the process of obtaining their CAS.
• The first step includes providing basic information about themselves such as their name, date of birth, and nationality.
• Next, students have to upload a copy of their passport and offer letter from the university they have been accepted to.
• Some universities may also include an interview and pre-CAS questionnaire that needs to be completed by students as a part of the CAS request.

Login page

On clicking on the link shared by the university for requesting CAS a login page will be displayed as follows

The email and password will be provided to you by the university, if not you can try to use the email with which you applied to the university and create a new password by clicking on forgot password.

CAS checklist

Once logged in a list of tasks will be displayed to the student. In this, all personal details, travel history, passport details, responsibilities, source of funds, and refusal (if any) of the student are to be mentioned. Some of these details will be already prefilled and you just have to check it for accuracy.

Edit/Approve information

This page will help you to add or edit information corresponding to each field of the CAS checklist. Consider, there is some mistake in the detials already submitted by you to the university, this is your chance to edit it and make sure all the details are accurate as per your official documents.

General document tab

Here you need to upload your passport, your education certificates or transcripts, your TB test report, etc.

Financial documents tab

This includes the deposits that have been made to the university and the pending amount. The student has to upload the proof of the deposits already made to the university as well as the proof of funds to support my fees and cost of living.

Pre-CAS questionnaire tab

This is important because all the steps apart from this can be filled in by an agent but this is to be filled by the students themselves irrespective of the fact whether they are filing their application on their own or through an immigration agent like movetoabroad. Furthermore, once filled it cannot be edited. It includes some questions based on which students’ creditability will be judged. Some of the common questions are why have you chosen this course or university, what are your career plans, etc.

Interview uploading

Some universities take the interview before the payment and some take it after it. Once the interview has started you need to submit it in the given duration. It varies from 24 hours to 48 hours and is decided by the university. Our team at movetoabroad helps prepare all its students for these interviews by sharing common questions and taking mock interviews. The interview generally requires the students to record themselves answering some questions.

Completed CAS Shield

A completed CAS Shield application form looks like following screenshot. Once submitted the details cannot be edited. Therefore make sure to verify all details before submitting.

Note –The documents that have been uploaded in financial or personal documents cannot be deleted. New documents can be added to it but the old one cannot be removed. So any document that is not required should not be upload. All details are needed to be added correctly.

Student document list

• Proof of finances – The student needs to prove that they have a specific amount of money for tuition fees and living costs in the UK. Types of documents that can be provided to prove finances are
  1. Personal bank statements
  2. Bank letters
  3. Official loan letters
  4. Official financial sponsorship letters
• Letter of consent from government sponsor – If a student has received any official financial sponsorship from the government in the past year. In that case, the student must provide a letter from the sponsor confirming their consent to make the student visa application.
• Proof of relationship with parent or guardian – If funds shown are held under the parent’s name, the student must prove his relationship to his parent(s). Birth certificates or adoption certificates both will be accepted.
• Letter from parent/guardian – If the funds are held under the parent’s name the student will need a letter of consent from his parents or guardian to use their money. The letter does not require a particular format but should be signed and dated.
• Proof of parental or legal guardian consent if you are under 18 – If the student is under 18 years of age when he starts his studies, then also he will require a letter of consent from his parents or legal guardian.
• Tuberculosis test result – If you are living in a country where it is mandatory to take a TB test, in that case, you will have to provide the test results for it. If a student is living in a country for the past six months where a TB test is not required, then one need not take the test. If you have been living in the UK for six months or more, in that case also test is not required. – https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa
• ATAS Certificate – ATAS (Academic technology approval scheme certificate) certificate is required by some postgraduate students. The certificate takes approximately one month to be issued. CAS will confirm if an ATAS certificate is required or not. This certificate is not applicable in the case of undergraduate programmes. You can also check if you require a ATAS ceritificate from the official government website.

Document list

• A current passport or any other valid travel documentation.
• Qualification stated on your CAS. It is to be noted that if no qualifications are listed in your CAS, you are not required to provide any.
• English language evidence – UKVI asks for proof of your knowledge of the English language. Your CAS will determine how the university has considered your English language ability. If it has been evaluated by you providing a certificate or qualification, then this will be listed in your CAS, and you must provide the certificate listed.
• Translation – If any document is not in English, the original must be accompanied by a complete translation. The translation must contain the following
  1. Validation from the translator that it is an exact translation of the original document
  2. Trnsalator’s contact details
  3. Date of translation

List of Universities where CAS is requested using CAS Shield

• Bangor University
• (NAVITAS) Birmingham City University- International College
• Queen’s University, Belfast
• (OXFORD INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GROUP) Bangor University International College
• Ravensbourne University London
• Swansea University
• (OXFORD INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GROUP) De Montfort University International College
• University for the Creative Arts
• University Of Bradford
• (OXFORD INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GROUP) International College Dundee
• University of Chester
• (OXFORD INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GROUP) University of
• University Of Dundee
• Greenwich International College 7 Aberystwyth University
• University of East London
• Anglia Ruskin University
• University of Gloucestershire
• Aston University
• University of Greenwich
• University of Leicester
• Birmingham City University
• University of Roehampton
• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• University of South Wales
• Coventry University
• Cranfield University
• University Of Sunderland
• University Of West Of England, Bristol
• De Montfort University
• Oxford Brookes University
• UWE Bristol
• QAHE-Ulster University

Frequently asked questions

• What if the student has shown funds from account of parents and grandparents?
  Funds can only be shown through student’s own account or account of his parents. No funds from the account of grandparents, uncle or aunt will be accepted. Funds from grandparents account will be valid only if they have taken custody of the student. In this case you can attach certificate of the same.
• Can the student expect a live interview even after recording interview?
  No, all the universities will take the interview once and majorly the recorded one.
• I am living in India since the past 6 months do I need to provide a TB test report for UK visa?
  Yes, you will have to provide a latest TB test report. Read more here – https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa
• Where can the TB test be taken?
  The UK website lists all authorized centers for the TB test based upon your country and you can check this link to find the one near you. Here is the list for approved clinics, hospitals of Inida – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-test-for-a-uk-visa-clinics-in-india/tuberculosis-testing-in-india.
• Where is the provided link to apply for CAS?
  For requesting CAS through CAS Shield, once the student makes the payment, the university will provide the link via email to the student.
• If you upload an incorrect document what can be done to correct it?
  The documents cannot be deleted, but a new one can be added. Therefore, the student should be careful while adding information.
• What is the amount that is required to be deposited before receiving CAS?
  The deposit amount is university specific and it varies on the basis of course and institute.
• Can a student show funds from both mother and father account or should it be from one of them?
  You can show funds of both mother and father.
• If a student pays the entire fees then only living expenses needs to be shown?
  Yes, the student will have to upload the fees payment receipt along with the living expenses proof of funds.
• After maintaining funds how much days will it take to receive CAS?
  It may take a few weeks.
• Can we show fixed deposits as funds?
  Yes, funds can be shown both as fixed deposits and bank statements. But both should be at least 28 days old if the source of funds is not an education loan.
• What is the validity of the TB test?
  The TB test report is valid for 6 months
• How many funds are required to be shown as a part of the living expenses while applying for the UK study visa?
  How much money you need depends on where you will be studying. You’ll need either: £1,334 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London or £1,023 per month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London. If you’re boarding at a residential independent school, you’ll need to pay boarding fees instead. The amount you need to pay will be on your CAS.