Still Waiting for Your CAS? What International Students Can Do Now for September 2026

By August, the CAS can start to feel like the one email holding everything up.

Your course may begin in a few weeks. Accommodation choices are getting smaller, other students are talking about flights and you still cannot submit your Student visa application.

Still Waiting for Your CAS? That waiting period is frustrating, but it does not have to be wasted. There are several things you can prepare now, and doing them properly may save valuable time once your CAS arrives.

This article was checked against official UK guidance on 7 August 2026.

First, Understand What You Are Waiting For

CAS stands for Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.

It is a reference number assigned by your university or education provider after you have received an unconditional offer and completed its requirements. You need this reference before you can apply for a UK Student visa.

An offer and a CAS are not the same thing. Even if your offer is unconditional, the university may still need to complete further checks before assigning your CAS.

Depending on the university and your circumstances, these may include:

• Confirming your final qualifications

• Checking your passport and personal details

• Verifying your English-language evidence

• Receiving a required tuition fee deposit

• Completing financial or document checks

• Holding a pre-CAS interview

• Receiving an ATAS certificate where required

• Checking information from a previous UK immigration application

Universities also receive a high volume of CAS requests before the September intake.

Another student receiving theirs before you does not automatically mean that something is wrong with your application.

Check your applicant portal, inbox and junk folder regularly. Some universities ask students to complete a separate CAS questionnaire or upload fresh documents before the process can begin.

The official GOV.UK Student visa guidance confirms that you must have a CAS before applying for the visa. Once it has been assigned, you must use it for a visa application within six months.

Check Whether the 2026 Visa Brake Affects You

Before paying further fees or relying on a future CAS, there is one current restriction that some applicants must check.

As of 7 August 2026, the UK visa brake affects Student visa applications made outside the UK by main applicants who are nationals of:

• Afghanistan

• Cameroon

• Myanmar

• Sudan

Applications submitted online after 12:01am on 26 March 2026 are refused under this restriction. It applies based on the applicant’s nationality, rather than the country where they live or submit the application. Having a valid CAS does not remove the restriction.

Applicants of other nationalities are not affected by this Student visa brake.

The measure is reviewed regularly, so affected students should read the latest GOV.UK visa brake guidance and contact their university before making further payments or arrangements.

Ask the University Exactly What Is Outstanding

“Your CAS is being processed” does not always tell you what is happening.

Send one clear message to the university team named in your offer or applicant portal. Include your student number, course title and intended start date, then ask:

• Have I met every condition attached to my offer?

• Has my tuition fee deposit been received and recorded?

• Are any documents missing, unclear or expired?

• Do I need to complete a pre-CAS interview or questionnaire?

• Does my course require an ATAS certificate?

• Is any further financial information required?

• When is my CAS likely to be assigned?

• What is the latest date I can arrive and enrol?

If the university asks for another document, check the requested format before sending it. A clear scan, certified translation or recently issued statement may be required.

Keep copies of your messages and the university’s replies. If advice changes later, you will have a record of what was confirmed and when.

Start Preparing Your Financial Evidence

For many students, the financial evidence takes longer to prepare than the visa form itself.

You may need to show enough money for:

1. Your outstanding course fees for one academic year, as shown on your CAS

2. Your living costs for up to nine months

The current living cost requirement is:

• £1,529 per month for study in London

• £1,171 per month for study outside London

For a course lasting nine months or longer, the maximum living cost amount is therefore:

• £13,761 in London

• £10,539 outside London

This is separate from any outstanding tuition fee shown on your CAS.

Take the 28-Day Rule Seriously

Where financial evidence is required, the necessary money must normally be held for at least 28 consecutive days.

The evidence must be dated no more than 31 days before the date of the visa application.

The balance should not fall below the required amount during those 28 days. A bank charge, card payment or transfer can break the period and force you to begin counting again.

If the money is held in another currency, UKVI will convert it into pounds using the OANDA exchange rate on the application date. Keeping a reasonable amount above the minimum can help if the exchange rate moves.

Permitted funds may include:

• Money in your own eligible account

• Money in a parent’s eligible account, with the required consent

• Money in an eligible partner’s account

• An eligible student loan

• Official financial sponsorship

The account must allow immediate access to the money. Cryptocurrency, stocks, shares, pensions and overdrafts cannot be used to meet the requirement.

Some nationalities do not usually need to submit financial evidence with the initial application. However, they must still meet the financial requirement, and UKVI can ask for evidence while considering the application.

Do not wait for the CAS before thinking about funds. You can begin organising the money now, using your offer and payment records as a guide. Once the CAS arrives, calculate the final amount again using the tuition fee and payment information recorded on it.

Read the complete GOV.UK financial evidence guidance before preparing your bank documents.

Deal With Documents That Can Take Time

The exact document list depends on the student, course and financial arrangements. A checklist copied from a friend may not be suitable for your application.

Every Student visa applicant needs a current passport and a CAS. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need financial evidence, a tuberculosis test certificate, an ATAS certificate, parental consent, sponsor consent or other supporting information.

Use the waiting period to check which documents apply to you.

Passport

Make sure your passport is valid and that your name appears consistently across your offer, university account, qualifications and financial documents.

If your passport has recently changed, tell the university before the CAS is assigned. Otherwise, the CAS may be created using old passport information.

Qualifications and English-Language Evidence

Keep the qualifications, transcripts and English-language evidence requested by your university accessible.

The documents used by the university may be listed in your CAS record. If the university asks for clearer scans or final certificates, provide them in the requested format.

Documents that are not in English or Welsh may require a suitable translation. Check the current document requirements before arranging one.

Tuberculosis Test

You will normally need a tuberculosis test if:

• You are coming to the UK for six months or more

• You have lived in a country on the official list for six months or more

• You were living in that country, or another listed country, within the last six months

The test must be completed at a clinic approved by the Home Office. If the result is clear, the certificate is normally valid for six months from the date of the chest X-ray.

Check the official TB test requirements and approved clinics. Do not book a test with an unapproved clinic for visa purposes.

ATAS Certificate

Some students studying or researching sensitive subjects need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.

This most often affects certain postgraduate and research courses, although some undergraduate courses with an integrated master’s year can also require it. Your university should tell you if ATAS applies and provide the relevant CAH3 subject code.

ATAS applications currently take at least 30 working days, which is around six weeks. Some take longer, and applications are particularly busy between April and August. There is no fast-track service. If your university confirms that you need ATAS, do not wait for your CAS before starting. You can use the subject code provided in your official offer or request it directly from the university.

The current official guidance also says not to use a Gmail address in an ATAS application because of an ongoing technical issue.

Read the latest ATAS guidance and application instructions before submitting your information.

Put Aside the Visa Application Costs

The current Student visa application fee is £558.

Most students must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually called the IHS. The current student rate is £776 per year. The final IHS amount depends on the length of immigration permission granted, which may be longer than the course itself. The figure shown during the application may therefore be higher than a simple calculation based on the academic years of study.

You may also need to budget for:

• Currency conversion or bank charges

• Travel to a visa application centre

• Optional services at the application centre

• A priority service, if available and suitable

• Separate costs for eligible dependants

Keep these costs separate from the money being used for financial evidence. Paying an application charge from the same account should not cause the balance to fall below the required amount during the relevant evidence period.

Current charges are shown on the GOV.UK Student visa page, with the IHS calculation explained in the official healthcare surcharge guidance.

Research Accommodation Without Rushing Into a Contract

Waiting for a CAS does not mean you should ignore accommodation. By August, some buildings and room types may already have limited availability.

You can research suitable options, compare areas and ask providers about their terms before committing.

Check:

• The full address and journey to your campus

• The room type and facilities

• The complete rent for the contract

• The deposit and payment schedule

• Whether a UK guarantor is required

• The contract start and end dates

• The earliest move-in date

• What bills are included

• The cancellation terms

• What happens if the visa is delayed or refused

• Whether late arrival is permitted

Ask for important terms in writing. A general promise that a booking is “visa protected” is not enough. Find out what evidence is required, which deadlines apply and whether any charges are kept.

Be particularly careful with non-refundable deposits and contracts that begin before you are likely to arrive.

Avangard Group’s guide to finding student accommodation in the UK explains the main room, contract, payment and guarantor questions. You can also view our student accommodation support service.

Do Not Book a Non-Refundable Flight Yet

A normal Student visa decision outside the UK currently takes around three weeks, but this is not a guaranteed deadline.

The processing period usually begins after you have completed the required identity step. This may involve using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or attending a visa application centre to provide fingerprints and a photograph.

An application may take longer if:

• UKVI needs to verify documents

• Further financial evidence is requested

• The applicant is asked to attend an interview

• Information needs further consideration

• Visa demand is high

• A technical problem affects processing

Official guidance confirms that you do not need to book travel before applying or before a decision is made.

You can compare routes and prices while waiting, but avoid committing to a non-refundable flight based only on an estimated CAS date or normal visa processing time.

Check the latest UKVI processing times before making plans.

When the CAS Arrives, Check It Before Applying

Receiving the CAS can feel like the moment to submit the visa application immediately. Take a little time to check the information first.

Review:

• Your full name

• Your passport number

• Your course title and level

• The university and study location

• The course start and end dates

• The tuition fee

• Any tuition fees already paid

• The qualifications used for admission

• The university’s English-language assessment

• Any ATAS requirement

If information is missing or incorrect, contact the university before applying. Do not edit or guess the information yourself.

Use the CAS figures to make a final calculation of the financial requirement. Check that your documents, application answers and university records are consistent.

A CAS allows you to apply for the Student visa. It does not guarantee approval.

Confirm the Latest Permitted Arrival Date

The course start date is not always the same as the final date on which a university will allow a student to arrive.

Ask the university to confirm:

• When enrolment opens

• Whether any enrolment steps must be completed online

• The latest permitted arrival date

• Who to contact if the visa is delayed

• Whether late arrival affects accommodation or induction

• Whether deferral would be considered if arrival becomes impossible

Do not assume that arriving a week or two late will be accepted. Each university and course may have its own academic and sponsorship limits.

If the CAS or visa is delayed, keep the university informed before the deadline passes.

After the Visa Is Approved, Check Your eVisa

Successful Student visa applicants now receive an eVisa, which is a digital record of their UK immigration status.

Before travelling, check that:

• You can access your UKVI account

• Your personal details are correct

• The correct immigration status is displayed

• Your current passport is linked to the account

• The passport details match the information given to the airline

• You still have access to the email address and telephone number connected to the account

You must travel with a valid passport or travel document that has been added to your UKVI account. Incorrect information may cause problems at check-in or delays at the border.

Read the current guidance on travelling with an eVisa before your journey.

Your CAS Waiting Checklist

While waiting for your CAS:

• Check your university portal, inbox and junk folder

• Confirm that every offer condition has been met

• Ask whether any payment, document or interview is outstanding

• Check whether the 2026 visa brake affects you

• Begin preparing the required funds

• Protect the 28-day balance

• Check whether you need a TB test

• Check whether your course requires ATAS

• Prepare your passport and supporting documents

• Put aside the visa fee and expected IHS cost

• Research accommodation and cancellation terms

• Confirm the latest permitted arrival date

• Avoid booking non-refundable travel

Once the CAS arrives:

• Check every detail before applying

• Recalculate the financial requirement

• Make sure your evidence is still within the required dates

• Complete the application carefully

• Finish the required identity or biometric step

• Monitor your email for requests from UKVI

• Tell the university if the decision is delayed

• Check your eVisa and linked passport after approval

How Avangard Group Can Help

Waiting for a CAS can be stressful because several parts of the process depend on different organisations. The university controls the offer and CAS. UK Visas and Immigration makes the visa decision. Accommodation and travel arrangements have their own deadlines and conditions. Keeping those parts connected makes the process easier to manage.

Avangard Group supports international students with:

• University and course applications

• Offer conditions and CAS preparation

• Organisation of Student visa supporting documents

• Student accommodation

• Airport transfers

• Practical arrival preparation

For university applications, CAS preparation and Student visa document support, contact education@avangardgroup.co.uk.

For accommodation enquiries, contact accommodation@avangardgroup.co.uk.

You can also contact Avangard Group online.

Universities remain responsible for admissions and CAS decisions. UK Visas and Immigration makes all visa decisions, and approval cannot be guaranteed.

This article provides general information and is not legal or regulated immigration advice. Immigration rules, fees and processing times can change. Always check the latest GOV.UK guidance and follow the instructions provided by your university.