Obtaining your CAS (Certificate of Acceptance for Studies)
To get your CAS you must take the following steps:
- Meet the conditions of your offer
- Pay your deposit: normally 50% of your first-year tuition fees.
- Log on to your online CAS Shield/Enroly dashboard after being invited to do so and upload the requested documents.
- Complete your CAS Shield/Enroly asychronous online CAS eligibility interview, if you are asked to do so. This interview is graded by an AI system but will always be reviewed by a member of our staff. This allows you to take your interview at any time which suits you best, outside of UK core working hours.
This website explains everything you need to know about the online CAS Request form and the CAS Eligibility Interview bookings process.
Please read the information on this website carefully and refer to our other sections (Applying for Your Visa) for further information.
When do you request your CAS?
The earliest you can receive your CAS from our admissions team is usually three months before the start of the course. The latest you can receive your CAS is normally about one month before the start date of your course, unless you are in the UK and meet the criteria for switching from your current visa to a Student Visa with us. You will receive an invitation to sign up to CAS Shield/Enroly once you have an unconditional offer and you have paid your first deposit.
Visit our main website to view our course start dates.
If you haven’t received the email and you meet the above two conditions, please contact us.
What documents you need to upload to your CAS Shield/Enroly dashboard
You will need the following documents for completing the online CAS Request form:
- Passport. If your passport is due to be renewed before you apply for your visa, please wait to get your new passport before completing the CAS request form.
- University of Chichester offer email.
- Deposit payment details and scholarship details (if applicable).
- Previous UK Immigration history details/documents, including any UK visa refusals (if applicable).
- If you need a CAS Eligibility Interview, you will also need to have your financial evidence ready for uploading. Please see below for information on who needs an interview and how much money you need to have and how to demonstrate this.
Who does not need a CAS eligibility interview?
If your country nationality is listed on the UKVI Differential Evidence Requirement* list (appendix ST 22.1 of the immigration rules), you do not need to book an interview, unless you have had a previous visa refusal.
You will receive your CAS after uploading all the relevant documents.
*List of countries benefitting from the differential evidence requirement “differential evidence requirement” (appendix ST 22.1 of the immigration rules)
Australia | Cambodia | Estonia | Ireland | Macao | Peru | South Korea |
Austria | Canada | Finland | Italy | Malaysia | Poland | Spain |
Bahrain | Chile | France | Japan | Malta | Portugal | Sweden |
Barbados | China | Germany | Kazakhstan | Mauritius | Qatar | Switzerland |
Belgium | Croatia | Greece | Kuwait | Mexico | Romania | Taiwan |
Botswana | Republic of Cyprus | Hong Kong | Latvia | Netherlands | Serbia | Thailand |
Brazil | Czech Republic | Hungary | Liechtenstein | New Zealand | Singapore | Tunisia |
Brunei | Denmark | Iceland | Lithuania | Norway | Slovakia | United Arab Emirates |
Bulgaria | The Dominican Republic | Indonesia | Luxembourg | Oman | Slovenia | United States of America |
Who needs a CAS eligibility interview?
If your country is not listed on the UKVI “differential evidence requirement” list above (appendix ST 22.1 of the immigration rules) you will need to book an interview.
You will get your CAS if you are successful in your interview(s), pass the financial checks and upload all the relevant documents.
Our admissions team may ask you to take part in an interview for other reasons. E.g. this could be due to previous visa refusals, having unexplained gaps in your study/work history or if you have any criminal convictions.
Why are you interviewed?
When you apply for a Student Route visa, a UKVI caseworker may invite you to an interview to assess whether you are genuinely coming to the UK to study. This interview will consider various factors and the caseworker must be satisfied that on the balance of probabilities you intend to study and comply with all relevant requirements.
In order to comply with the University’s UKVI compliance responsibilities we must conduct a similar genuine student rule based interview before a CAS can be issued to the nationals not listed in Appendix ST22.1 of the Immigration Rules. You may also be invited to attend a CAS Eligibility interview for other reasons, as explained above.
You may be invited to attend a UKVI credibility interview even if you have not been interviewed by us. UKVI Credibility Interviews are explained on pages 14-20 of the Caseworker Guidance – Student and Child Student.
When to take the interview?
You will need to take these steps before you can take your interview:
- Have an unconditional offer.
- Pay your tuition fee deposit (50%).
- Upload your relevant documents (see above)
- You must have had your interview and completed the financial checks before our CAS issuing deadline of mid-August.
How to prepare for the interview?
The purpose of the interview is to talk about your plans to study at the University of Chichester. Try to relax and answer the questions in full and as naturally as you can. You should answer honestly and authentically and be prepared to expand on your answers – say as much as you can about the reasons for planning to study on your chosen course at the University of Chichester and in the UK.
•It will take about 20 minutes.
•At the start of the interview we expect you to confirm your full name and show us your passport to prove your identity.
•Make sure you have a reliable internet connection for the duration of the interview.
•You will need to be in a quiet location and be alone where you will not be disturbed during the interview.
How to demonstrate that you meet the UKVI financial requirements for a Student Visa (Financial Evidence)
We will check your financial evidence as part of the CAS Eligibility Interview process. You must have the evidence and share it with us before the interview takes place. You will be able to share your financial evidence with us when you book your CAS Eligibility Interview.
You must show that you have the funds to pay your tuition fees and living costs and you must demonstrate this is in a way that meets the UK Visas and Immigration rules.
Read this: CAS Eligibility Interview & Finance Checks document to understand how much money you need to have and what type of evidence you can use.
What to do after getting your CAS
Once you have passed the interview and financial checks, our admissions team will email your CAS to you. You must check that the CAS has your details recorded correctly. Please inform the admissions team if you see any mistakes.The CAS email includes a document which includes important information to help you with your visa application. You must read the document carefully, as it will help you complete your online visa application form and it helps you understand what to do if you encounter any difficulties and who to contact if you need assistance. You should apply for your visa as soon as possible after getting your CAS. It can take up to three weeks to get your visa decision. During peak times it can take longer. See more information on how to submit your visa application by visiting the “Applying for Your Visa” section of this website.
Wait for your visa to be granted before travel
You will need to wait for your visa to be granted before travelling to the UK. Student visa holders get an eVisa, which is a digital way of proving your status. There will be no physical document.
Access your eVisa and check your visa conditions
All student visa applicants must do the following when eVisa is granted:
- Follow all the instructions in your visa decision letter to create a UKVI account.
- Access your eVisa and check the details are correct
- Link your travel document (e.g. passport) to your eVisa before travelling. Visit gov.uk for more information.
- Get a share code (with your date of birth) to give us when you register onto your course at Chichester. Visit gov.uk for more information.
What happens if you don’t pass the interview and/or financial evidence checks?
In some situations we may reject an applicant based on their interview answers and/or in cases where fraudulent financial evidence has been provided. In addition, inability to provide evidence of meeting the financial requirements before the CAS issuing deadline can lead to a decision to not to issue a CAS. The decision to reject an applicant is final and cannot be appealed.
Who to contact if you have any questions?
Please email international@chi.ac.uk if you have any questions about the CAS request and CAS eligibility interview process or if you require visa advice. We are here to help and support you with your pre-arrival journey!