Frequently asked questions

A CAS is an electronic virtual document which is provided to you by the University in order for you to make a Student route visa application. The CAS contains both a CAS number and statement and is generated by the Home Office's Sponsor Management System.

The CAS number is a combination of letters and numbers, for example E08X43SL987T37P2. Each CAS number is unique. A CAS statement consists of all the information required by the Home Office for generating your CAS number. Collectively this is the called the CAS.

A CAS is not a paper document and the University will deliver your CAS by email only. Please note it is your responsibility to check your CAS statement to ensure all the information it contains is accurate. You must keep the CAS safe and secure as it contains your personal data.

As a Tier Sponsor we are only able to issue you a CAS if you and your course meet all the Home Office requirements and we are satisfied you will successfully obtain a visa.

A CAS is valid for 6 months and can only be used once in a visa application.

If you are a prospective student in need of a CAS, please see our CAS pages or contact admissionscas@kent.ac.uk .

If you are a current student in need of a CAS to complete your current course, please see our CAS pages or contact visacompliance@kent.ac.uk

If you have any questions about your new CAS or you have a CAS that needs amending, contact our Admissions team by e-mailing admissionscas@kent.ac.uk and include your application number.

If you are studying with us for more than six months you may be eligible for a Student route visa and your CAS would be issued by our Admissions team.

If you will spend up to six months studying with us you may be eligible to apply for entry to the UK as a short-term student.

Once we have issued your CAS you will receive a statement through your Kent portal that sets out all the information we have provided to the Home Office.

We will issue your CAS no more than 3 months prior to your course start date.

You must have accepted our offer officially and meet all outstanding conditions of your offer. In addition you must provide us with any additional documents we may request including a copy of your passport and previous UK visas. If you are studying a course that requires an ATAS clearance certificate we will also require this prior to issuing a CAS. We may also conduct additional checks, such as an immigration history check, to satisfy ourselves that you meet the requirements for a Student route visa.

You can submit your application 3 months before your course start date but no sooner. For example: If your course starts on 1 October the earliest date you can submit your application is 1 July.

You are advised to apply as early as possible within this time frame. Allow enough time for your application to be processed during peak times.