Most of our international applicants require a Student visa to come and study with us in Lancaster.
If you already have a Student visa from previous study in the UK, you will need a new visa specific to your course at Lancaster University.
You can find out if you need a Student visa and how to apply, by visiting the UK government website on Student visas.
To apply for your Student visa you will need a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies).
A CAS is a virtual document that includes details of your studies. We will send this directly to UK Visas and Immigration. When we issue the CAS, we will send you a reference number by email and it is this number that you need for your Student visa application.
The earliest a CAS can be issued is six months before the start of your course. We will only issue a CAS when you have met all the conditions of your offer, and you have accepted your place. If you are an undergraduate applicant applying through UCAS, you must have placed Lancaster as your firm choice.
In order to issue your CAS, there are a number of checks that we must complete. We will have some of the information we need already, but there may be other information that we will ask you to supply.
The following is a list of the information and evidence that we will need to complete our checks:
Once we are happy that we have completed all the necessary checks, we will issue your CAS. We will send you the details, along with your reference number, by email.
When you apply for your Student visa, you may need to prove that you have enough money to fund your course and support yourself. This is the financial part of the visa application and contributes 10 points of the required 70 points.
We may ask applicants to supply this evidence before we will issue a CAS.
You will need to show you have enough money to pay the course fees for your current academic year and your maintenance requirements. Please note that you must have had enough money in your account for 28 days in a row. The 28 days is calculated by counting back from the date of the closing balance on the most recent evidence you provide.
More information about the money you need when applying for a Student visa can be found on the UK government’s website.
How much money do you need?
You need to prove you have enough money to pay the course fees for your current academic year and your maintenance requirements (10539 GBP).
Evidence of your finances:
You need to evidence:
Documents you can use as evidence:
Financial institutions which are accepted:
Your financial institution must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or, in the case of overseas account, the home regulator (official regulatory body for the country in which the institution operates and the funds are located). Caseworkers can check the Regulatory authorities and supervisory agencies list to see the financial regulators for each country.
What to do if your financial institution is not accepted:
Using a bank statement as evidence:
The date of your bank statement must be no earlier than 31 days before your visa application date. It must show you have had the required funds every day for a 28-day period.
If you are using more than one account, the statements must cover the same 28-day period.
The bank statement must show:
Accepted bank statements:
Using your parent(s)/guardian's bank statement:
Using bank letters as evidence:
The date of your bank letter must be no earlier than 31 days before your visa application date. It must show you have had the required funds every day for a 28-day period.
The bank letter must show:
Translations:
A professional translator must translate any documents not written in English. Each translation must include:
When is financial evidence not required as part of your visa application?
Some Student visa applicants do not need to provide evidence of their finances when they are applying for entry clearance in their country of nationality or ordinary residence, or for leave to remain in the UK. The Home Office calls this the 'differential evidence requirement'. You can check if you do not need to prove you have the money to support yourself on the UK Government’s website.
If you qualify to apply under the differential evidence arrangement, you are not required to include the evidence finances and qualifications with your application.
However, you might be asked to provide this evidence before you get a decision on your application.
If you do need to provide it, you’ll be contacted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) after you’ve submitted your visa application.
How can I prepare?
We recommend you prepare evidence of your finances, unless you have been living in the UK with permission (of any visa type) for 12 months or more on the date you apply for the visa and are making your visa application in the UK.
Your visa application will be refused if you do not provide the necessary documents, in the time stated, if requested by UKVI.
If you do submit documents when they are not required, they will be assessed anyway. If they do not meet UKVI requirements, your visa application will be refused.
If you make a new visa application in the UK and you have been living in the UK with immigration permission (of any type) for 12 months or more on the date you apply, you will not need to meet the financial requirement. If you have not been living in the UK for 12 months or more, or are applying overseas, please read the following information carefully.
Further details about the money you need for your Student visa can be found on UK government’s webpage. Please read this information carefully to ensure you are fully aware of the requirements.
