These immigration rules are subject to change and it is your responsibility to check the UK Visas and Immigration website.

As a Student visa applicant and visa holder, it is your responsibility to be aware of, and comply with, the requirements of your visa. When you apply for a Student visa you must include a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number.  Applicants who have accepted either an unconditional or conditional offer for admission in September 2024 will be contacted by email in Spring 2024 and invited to use the CAS Shield system to start the process for the preparation of their CAS. We recommend that you start this process as soon as possible, once you receive your welcome email from CAS Shield.  You must provide details of any previous study in the UK, including copies of previous visa stamps. This process must be completed before a CAS can be issued. The University will assign your CAS number through the UKVI system. 

The CAS number will be included in a letter called a ‘CAS statement’ which will be sent to you by the Admissions and Access Service.  This will have important information that you need for your visa application.

Important note:  A CAS statement (including a CAS number) will only be sent to eligible applicants who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer of a place.  It is important therefore that you inform the Admissions and Access Service as soon as possible whether you wish to accept or decline your offer.

The section 'How do I obtain my CAS' below will explain the process.

Check your CAS statement carefully when you receive it. If you notice any errors with any element of your CAS statement, it is your responsibility to notify the Admissions and Access Service as soon as possible. This includes errors with course start and end dates, course titles and level of the course.

For those commencing study in September 2024:

• Master's degree programmes are normally one year in duration and will end on 30 September 2025
• PhD programmes are normally three years in duration and will end on 30 September 2027

Note - the earliest you may apply for a visa is 6 months before your course start date, and you must not travel to Belfast until you have been issued with your Student visa.

The normal duration of the PhD research degree is three years, however this may be extended to allow time for the writing up of thesis, if required.  The CAS will be issued for a maximum period of four years to allow for this scenario.

Please note if you require a UK study visa and there are any changes to your academic status or course plan during your studies, there may be visa implications, and you will be advised to urgently seek immigration advice from Queen’s Immigration Support Service.  This includes any change to a course that has an integral work placement (for example, not securing a placement or securing an overseas placement).

Find more information on Visa and the Points Based System at the Immigration Support Service website.

Information on the PBS is also available at UK Visas and Immigration website.

These immigration rules are subject to change and it is your responsibility to check the UK Visas and Immigration website.

If you are a non-UK/Irish national, the University is required to check your original passport and immigration documents to ensure that you have correct immigration permission to study at Queen's before you can enrol. All non-UK/Irish students must present their passport and visa or other immigration permission to the Immigration Support Office, who will take a photocopy and check your right to study. This process is normally carried out during International Welcome and Orientation. 

If you have completed the course for which your visa was granted and will be moving to a new course at Queen’s, please contact Immigration Support Service before your current course ends so we can provide you with information about applying for a visa for your new course, including the amount of money you will need to show in maintenance, and the timeline for making an application.

Extension of Leave – Students who are currently studying elsewhere in the UK

If you are studying at another educational institution in the UK and you want to extend your visa to study at Queen’s University, you will need a CAS.  A CAS statement will be sent to those applicants who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer of a place.

Please note that the UKVI has very specific guidelines relating to the length of time an applicant may study in the UK, and what types of ‘academic progression’ must be demonstrated when starting a second course in the UK. Please see the most up to date Student Route guidance for details.

Extension of Leave – Migrants already in the UK who wish to study at Queen’s

Depending on the type of visa you currently have, it might be possible for you to study without switching (changing) to a student visa.  If you are not sure about your visa and whether you can study please contact immigration@qub.ac.uk.

This is a requirement for most immigration categories, even those who do not require a Student visa, but who may have been granted another form of time-limited leave to remain eg. as a dependant, family member, spouse or refugee.  The only exception is for applicants holding Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain or other form of unlimited leave with no restrictions on study.

In order to be issued with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), all applicants who are required to obtain ATAS clearance must provide evidence to the Admissions and Access Service that they have already submitted an application for ATAS clearance.  This should be in the form of a screenshot from your application record on the ATAS online application system.

An ATAS clearance certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of issue by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. You can apply for an ATAS certificate up to 6 months in advance of the beginning of your programme. For example, if your programme begins on 16 September 2024, you may apply for your ATAS clearance certificate at any time after 16 March 2024.

If you require ATAS clearance, you should apply in good time, and provide a screenshot from the ATAS online application system to Admissions at the earliest opportunity.  Please do not wait until your offer becomes unconditional, as this will delay the issue of your CAS.

If you require an ATAS clearance certificate, an attachment will be provided with your offer letter. This will include confirmation of your personal and programme details, the CAH code for your area of study (used by the immigration authorities to determine if ATAS clearance is needed or not) and a brief description of your proposed research topic or in the case of taught programmes, a list of the modules you will be studying. It is important that you retain this attachment as it is required when you are completing your application for ATAS clearance and also later when applying for a visa/entry clearance. The University reference number which you will be asked for is your application number provided in the offer letter and on the attachment.

For applicants to areas where ATAS clearance is not required but where we feel there may be some doubt on the part of entry clearance officers, a short attachment will be provided and the CAH code for your programme of study will be included on this. This should help to simplify the entry clearance process for you.

Full details about the scheme, including the ATAS application, can be found at http://www.fco.gov.uk/atas.

• Once you have met all the admission requirements for your chosen course of study, you will receive an unconditional offer letter. You will then be able to accept your place through the Queen's Portal - https://go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply to confirm that you intend to take up your place.
• Self-funding international applicants studying on a postgraduate taught course will be required to pay a deposit of a minimum total deposit of between £2,500 and £6,000 towards their tuition fees before a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) can be issued.  Details of the exact amount required will be communicated to each applicant following the issue of an offer. For those applicants who require a CAS, this deposit must be paid before a CAS can be issued.  Please ensure that you have provided all the necessary documentation.  International applicants for research degree programmes may choose to pay a voluntary deposit - please click for further details.
• The University uses the CAS Shield system to collect information from applicants for CAS preparation. Applicants who have accepted either an unconditional or conditional offer will be contacted by email in early Spring 2024 and invited to use the CAS Shield system to start the process for the preparation of their CAS.  We recommend that you start this process as soon as possible, once you receive your welcome email from CAS Shield. 
• The CAS Shield system will ask you to provide full details of any previous study in the UK, along with scanned copies of any previous UK visa permission stamps/residence permit.  You must disclose full details of your UK immigration history, including any previous visa refusal or curtailment (for the UK or any country).  
• All applicants who are required to obtain ATAS clearance must provide evidence to the Admissions and Access Service that they have already submitted an application for ATAS clearance.  This should be in the form of a screenshot from your application record on the ATAS online application system.
• And finally, please scan and upload a copy of the photographic page of your passport to CAS Shield.  If you have any queries, please email cas.info@qub.ac.uk.

Once in receipt of all the above, we will be able to proceed to issue your CAS.