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All study destinations·United Kingdom, Student visa
Study visa check

Check your UK Student visa application before you apply

The Entry Clearance Officer decides a Student application against Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules, and decides whether you are a genuine student using the Home Office’s own caseworker guidance. This page shows both, in their words.

Entry Clearance OfficerUK Visas and ImmigrationStudent visa

What the officer is deciding

Two kinds of question. Some are arithmetic: is the CAS valid, have you held the fees and the monthly amount for 28 days, does your English meet the level. One is judgement: are you a genuine student, which the caseworker usually decides at an interview.

Why applications fail

A balance that dipped below the figure for one day, a CAS reused from a refused application, or an applicant who cannot explain why this course, why this provider and why now.

01
Appendix Student, ST 5.1

Genuine student

The applicant must be a genuine student.

What the officer assesses: Whether, on the balance of probability, you are coming mainly to study this course: your education history and any gaps, why this course and this provider, how you will pay for it, your plans after it, and your immigration history.

This is the credibility test, and it is usually decided at an interview. The caseworker looks at whether the course follows from what you studied or did before, whether you have researched it and the provider, whether the money has a credible source, and whether you intend to keep the terms of your visa. A gap in your studies is not a refusal reason, but it needs a sound reason you can give.

Where this comes from 4 official sources
  • ST 5.1. The applicant must be a genuine student.

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 5.1

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • For an applicant to qualify as a Student, or as a Child Student who is 16 or 17 years old, the caseworker must be satisfied on the balance of probability that the applicant is a genuine student.

    Student and Child Student, for Home Office staff, Genuine student rule

    Version 15.0 · dated 9 October 2026 · checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • the amount of time that has elapsed since the applicant last studied, and whether the applicant has sound reasons for returning to, or commencing, formal study of this subject, particularly after any significant gap

    Student and Child Student, for Home Office staff, Credibility: factors to be considered

    Version 15.0 · dated 9 October 2026 · checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • The caseworker must not refuse an applicant on genuineness grounds without interviewing them, unless:

    Student and Child Student, for Home Office staff, Genuine student rule

    Version 15.0 · dated 9 October 2026 · checked against the page on 19 October 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • Transcripts and certificates from your previous study
  • A short statement of why this course and provider, and how it fits your plans
  • An account of any gap since your last study, and what you did in it, with evidence
  • Evidence of where the money for fees and living costs came from
  • Previous passports showing visas you held and kept to
02
Appendix Student, ST 1.2(d) and ST 7.1 to ST 7.6

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies must have been issued by a student sponsor whose licence is still valid on the date on which the application is decided.

What the officer assesses: Whether your CAS is from a licensed sponsor, was issued within the last 6 months, has not been used in an earlier granted or refused application, and states the course, the fees paid and how your English was assessed.

The CAS is the sponsor's confirmation that it has offered you a place. Its details feed every other requirement: the course, the fees still to pay, and the English assessment. A CAS that was used in a refused application cannot be used again, so a reapplication needs a new one.

Where this comes from 3 official sources
  • (d) the applicant must provide a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies reference number that was issued to them no more than 6 months before the date of application.

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 1.2(d)

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • ST 7.2. The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies must not have been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused (but could have been relied on in a previous application which was rejected as invalid, made void or withdrawn).

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 7.2

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • any accommodation provided by the sponsor and fees (and any payment already made) so that the financial requirement can be assessed.

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 7.5

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • The CAS reference number and the CAS statement from your sponsor
  • The documents the CAS lists as used to obtain the offer
  • Receipts for any fees already paid, if the CAS does not show them
03
Appendix Student, ST 12.3 to ST 12.7, and Appendix Finance

Financial requirement

Sufficient funds to pay any outstanding course fees as stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and £1529 for each month of the course (up to a maximum of 9 months)

What the officer assesses: Whether you have held the outstanding fees on your CAS plus the monthly living amount (£1529 in London, £1171 elsewhere, for up to 9 months) for 28 consecutive days, in a form Appendix Finance accepts.

This is arithmetic, and it is strict. Take the fees still owed on the CAS, add the monthly amount for up to nine months, take off any accommodation deposit paid to the sponsor, and that is the figure. The balance must not drop below it for 28 days in a row, as Appendix Finance specifies.

Where this comes from 3 official sources
  • Sufficient funds to pay any outstanding course fees as stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and £1529 for each month of the course (up to a maximum of 9 months)

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 12.3(a), studying in London

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • Sufficient funds to pay any outstanding course fees as stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and £1171 for each month of the course (up to a maximum of 9 months)

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 12.3(b), studying outside London

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • ST 12.6. The applicant must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period and as specified in Appendix Finance

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 12.6

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • Bank statements or a bank letter covering 28 consecutive days, in the form and timing Appendix Finance sets out
  • Where the money is in a parent's or legal guardian's account: the evidence of the relationship and of their consent that Appendix Finance asks for
  • An official financial sponsorship or student loan letter, if you rely on one
  • Receipts for fees and accommodation deposits already paid to the sponsor
04
Appendix Student, ST 13.1 to ST 13.4

English language requirement

show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening)

What the officer assesses: Whether you meet level B2 for a degree-level course or B1 below it, in all four skills, by a method Appendix English Language accepts, and whether the CAS shows how.

The level depends on the course: B2 for a bachelor's degree or above, B1 for a course below degree level or a pre-sessional course. A university may assess your English itself, but the CAS must then say so and how. Your English can also come into the genuine student interview.

Where this comes from 2 official sources
  • (a) show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) of at least:

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 13.1(a)

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • ST 7.6. The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies must show how the English language requirement has been met

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 7.6

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • A Secure English Language Test certificate, where one is required, with the reference number on the CAS
  • Or the degree certificate or nationality evidence that exempts you
  • The CAS statement showing how the sponsor assessed your English
05
Appendix Student, ST 3.2 and ST 8.4

Tuberculosis certificate and ATAS certificate

A person applying for entry clearance as a Student must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

What the officer assesses: Whether a tuberculosis test certificate is needed for the country you apply from, and an ATAS certificate for your subject (ST 8.4), and whether each one is valid and in the application.

Two certificates that depend on where you apply from and what you study. A missing one is a straightforward refusal, and both take time to obtain, so they need arranging before you apply.

Where this comes from 1 official source
  • ST 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a Student must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 3.2

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

Evidence that addresses it

  • A tuberculosis test certificate from a clinic the Home Office accepts, where Appendix Tuberculosis applies
  • An ATAS certificate for the course, where the subject needs one
06
Appendix Student, ST 2.1, and Part Suitability, SUI 9.1 and SUI 10.1

False representations, false documents or non-disclosure

The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.

What the officer assesses: Whether anything submitted was untrue or not genuine, such as a bank letter or an English test, or a material fact was left out, and whether that was deception.

Students are held to the same Part Suitability rules as visitors. Deception is a mandatory refusal (SUI 9.1) and, for an entry clearance application, a ten-year bar on further entry clearance. False information you did not know about may still be refused (SUI 10.1). A bank letter or test certificate that the issuer does not confirm is the usual route to this ground.

Where this comes from 3 official sources
  • ST 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.

    Immigration Rules, Appendix Student, ST 2.1

    checked against the page on 19 October 2026

  • SUI 9.1. An application for entry clearance or permission must be refused where the decision maker is satisfied that the applicant used deception by:

    Immigration Rules, Part Suitability, SUI 9.1

    checked against the page on 18 October 2026

  • (a) made false representations or provided false documents or false information in relation to the application (whether or not relevant to the application, and whether or not to the applicant’s knowledge); or

    Immigration Rules, Part Suitability, SUI 10.1

    checked against the page on 18 October 2026

The requirements are in Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules, and caseworkers decide them using the Student and Child Student guidance. Part Suitability applies to students too. The paragraph numbers printed on your refusal notice govern.

Free check

Where does your study application stand?

Six questions, read against the requirements above. Nothing you choose leaves this page.

  1. 1 Where are you with your place on the course?

    The school’s confirmation (a CAS, a letter of acceptance or an I-20) comes before the visa, and the visa is checked against it.

  2. 2 Have you paid the course fees?

    Fees paid reduce the money you have to show, and in Ireland and most Canadian cases they must be paid before you apply.

  3. 3 How will you pay for your living costs?

    Every destination checks that the money is there and that its source makes sense.

  4. 4 How will you show your English?

    The UK and Ireland set a level for the visa itself; Canada and the US rely on the school’s own entry requirement.

  5. 5 How does this course follow your last study?

    Officers ask why this course, now, and a gap or a change of subject has to be explained.

  6. 6 What is your visa history?

    A previous refusal for any country has to be declared and answered.

Answer all 6 questions to see the result. Nothing you choose leaves this page.

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