Credibility Interviews

University of Kent student at laptop.

Credibility Interviews

What is a credibility interview?

As part of your Student visa application, you might be invited to take part in a short credibility interview with the Home Office. This interview is intended to confirm that you are a genuine applicant and to check that your English language skills meet the necessary requirements. 

Choosing to study in the UK, and at the University of Kent, is an exciting and important decision – one that requires careful consideration and planning. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)  expects applicants to have carefully researched their chosen course and university, and to be well-prepared to talk about their study plans and future aspirations in depth. 
 
You may be asked to attend an interview in person, by phone, or via online video-conferencing.

It is important to ensure you attend this appointment, making note of any time-difference between the UK and the country you will interview from. If you need to reschedule, you must communicate this clearly and attend on time, as failure to attend could result in UKVI refusing your visa application.  

UKVI will consider both the information provided in your visa application and the responses you give during your credibility interview when making a decision. 

Preparation is key, as your visa application can be refused if UKVI is not convinced that you are a genuine applicant.  

How can I prepare for the interview?  

To start, we’d recommend reviewing information about your course on the University website. When reading, you’ll want to keep questions such as, “Why Kent?”, “Why the UK?” and “Why this specific course?” at the front of your mind.  

In the interview, you’ll need to be able to explain how your course fits with your career aspirations, and why you’ve chosen to study in the UK at the University of Kent, instead of an alternative university or country.  It’s important to know about your course in detail – you should be familiar with how you’ll be assessed, the modules you’ll be studying, and be able to confidently talk about why they interest you.  

You may also be asked questions around your personal and financial circumstances, any previous education, and your immigration history.  

Read through our example questions below to help you prepare. It’s important to know that these examples only serve as a guide – this is not an extensive list of interview questions from UKVI. 

Our top tip

Be specific: Try to avoid giving generic responses or repeating facts that could apply to any university or course in the UK. Not being specific enough with your answers can result in a refusal. Prepare well, elaborate each answer and remember, “Why Kent?”, “Why this specific course?”, “Why the UK”?   

Take a look at our examples below to help you prepare for your interview. 

University of Kent student smiling.

Some examples and key points to consider

  • You should be able to clearly explain the benefits of studying in the UK, rather than in your home country, or elsewhere. 
  • What about the UK, specifically, interests you?  

  • Remember to be specific – you could explain what you like about the location, the facilities on offer, the modules in the course that Kent offers vs the same course at another university, or anything else that makes the University stand out to you.  
  • You could also talk about any other universities that interested you and why you ultimately decided that University of Kent was the best fit.

Prepare to explain your career aspirations. What interests and excites you about the course? What are your plans after you finish your studies? How will studying your chosen course help you achieve your future goals?  

  • This is where the course webpages come in handy – be sure to review them prior to your interview. You should be able to find all the relevant information for your course of study - if not, just ask us!  
  • Also take note of things such as the duration of the course, the RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) level, and the qualification you’ll expect to receive on completion of studies (i.e. Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD).

You may not have confirmed plans yet, but you should be able to tell UKVI your intentions. Do you plan to stay in on-campus accommodation? Or have you looked at private accommodation options in the surrounding area? Have you factored in any commuting times or costs if you plan to live off-campus?

  • Whether you will be financed by your parents, student loans, scholarships or other means, you’ll need to be able to explain this in detail to the interviewer. Be sure you’re aware of the costs of tuition, as well as accommodation and your expected living costs in the UK.  
  • If you plan to work alongside your studies, it’s important to know about the employment and working hours restrictions in the UK for Student visa holders, and how this will factor into your finance planning.  

No. Not all applicants are interviewed. However, UKVI have the right to request an interview from anyone, and usually, only Differential Evidence List nationals may be exempted from this request by UKVI. Therefore, you should regularly check your email inbox (including your junk/spam folder) for any invitations from UKVI.  

Please contact our CAS Support Team via your account in Enroly CAS Shield as soon as possible, for advice on next steps. Please remember to provide details of your refusal and a copy of your official refusal notice document from UKVI.    

No. Whilst the Pre-CAS Interview is also conducted to verify that you are a genuine applicant, it is separate to the UKVI credibility interview. The Pre-CAS Interview takes place before a CAS is issued and is conducted on CAS Shield as part of your CAS Assessment, whereas the credibility interview takes place during the visa application process and is conducted by UKVI. 

However, the Pre-CAS Interview is almost like a ‘mock’ credibility interview. You will likely be asked similar questions to the ones you can expect from UKVI and provided with feedback on your performance, so attending this can help with your preparation.