UK University CAS Deadlines Guide for Indian Students

Quick Facts on UK CAS Deadlines

The numbers below cover the standard postgraduate CAS and Student visa route from India. Use them as a planning frame, not final figures.

Source: UK Home Office and UKVI Student route guidance. Fees revised periodically by the Home Office.

UK CAS Timeline for September 2026

For a September 2026 start, most UK universities issue the CAS between mid-June and early August 2026. Deposit deadlines usually fall from late April to mid-July. Visa filing happens through July and August.

The window is short and the university does the checking. They want a paid deposit, an unconditional offer and clean financial documents before a CAS is released. Applying for CAS in the first week of July is safe for most autumn starts. Waiting until mid-August leaves little room if the visa needs a re-submission.

A sample timeline for a September 15 course start looks like this:

• April to May: receive unconditional offer and firm acceptance.
• May to June: pay tuition deposit of GBP 2,000 to 4,000 (INR 2.2 to 4.4 lakh).
• June to early July: submit CAS request form on the university portal.
• Early July to first week of August: receive CAS by email.
• Mid-July to end-August: file the Student visa and pay IHS.
• Late August to early September: passport returned with visa vignette.
• Mid-September: course start and BRP or eVisa activation in the UK.

Three things push this timeline back. ATAS clearance for STEM courses can add four to six weeks. A missing academic transcript keeps you conditional. A wrong SWIFT code on the deposit payment delays the receipt by days.

Read More: UK September Intake Guide for Indian Students

CAS Deadlines at Top UK Universities

Most Russell Group universities set an internal CAS request deadline between four and six weeks before the course start. Some ask for the deposit even earlier, especially for popular master’s courses.

Deadlines shift each cycle, so treat the numbers below as directional planning windows. Confirm the exact cutoff on your offer letter or the applicant portal.

Read the offer email in full. The deposit deadline is usually flagged in bold, but the CAS deadline sits deeper in the pre-CAS checklist. Both dates matter.

Key Insight: Treat the deposit deadline as the real cutoff. A late deposit blocks the CAS, and the CAS blocks the visa.

Check UK Universities and Course Intakes for Indian Students

Documents You Need Before UK CAS

A UK university will not issue a CAS until every offer condition is cleared and the deposit is on record. This is where most delays happen, so the checklist is the first thing to fix.

The core CAS-release checklist looks like this:

• Unconditional offer letter from the university.
• Tuition deposit paid and receipt confirmed by finance team.
• Passport copy valid for the full course length.
• English language proof such as IELTS, PTE or an internal test result.
• Academic transcripts and final degree certificate, attested if the offer asked for it.
• ATAS certificate for STEM master’s and research programmes that need it.
• Financial evidence if the university runs a pre-CAS finance check, held in your account for 28 days before the visa filing.

The 28-day rule for money

UKVI wants proof that you can pay for one year of tuition plus GBP 1,334 per month outside London (or GBP 1,483 in London) for up to nine months. That money must sit in a personal or parent account for 28 straight days before the visa application. Some universities also check this before releasing the CAS.

Source: UK Home Office Student route financial evidence guidance.

How to Request Your CAS Letter

Most UK universities open a CAS request form on the applicant portal after the deposit clears. The form asks for passport details, funding source and course intent. It is a formal step, not an automatic one.

A typical CAS request flow works like this:

• Log into the applicant portal after the deposit shows as received.
• Fill in the CAS request or pre-CAS declaration form.
• Upload passport bio-page, offer number and any ATAS certificate.
• Declare your funding source and confirm previous UK visa history.
• Wait 5 to 15 working days for CAS review and issue.

The CAS lands as an email with a unique CAS number, sponsor licence details and the exact tuition figure paid. Check every character. A wrong passport number or a mistyped course start date can force a re-issue and add another week.

What the CAS gives you and what it does not

The CAS gives you:

• A unique reference number needed on the online visa form.
• Confirmation the university has accepted you as a sponsored student.
• The tuition credit already paid, which reduces the money you must show for fees.

The CAS does not cover:

• Your visa fee, IHS or biometric appointment cost.
• Any post-issue changes to course, campus or start date without a re-issue.
• Automatic entry into the UK, since the visa itself is still a separate decision.

Check UK Scholarships That Can Fund Your Deposit and Tuition

Linking Your CAS to the Student Visa

The CAS is the anchor of the Student visa application. Without a valid CAS number, the online form on gov.uk will not go past the sponsor section.

The visa timeline sits inside these rules:

• You can file the visa up to six months before the course start date.
• The CAS itself must be less than six months old on the day you apply.
• You must file after ATAS clearance if the CAS lists it as needed.
• The standard decision time from India is 3 weeks, priority is 5 working days and super priority is next working day.

Costs add up fast. The visa fee is GBP 524 (around INR 57,000). The IHS is GBP 776 per year (around INR 85,000 per year), charged in one go for the whole course length plus four months. Priority is another GBP 500 and super priority is GBP 1,000.

Conversions based on a GBP-INR rate of INR 110 as of August 24, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

Key Insight: If your CAS lands late, priority visa is often the cheaper fix compared to deferring a year and paying next year’s higher tuition and IHS.

Common CAS Mistakes to Avoid

Most CAS problems come from small paperwork errors, not major eligibility issues. Every mistake below can be fixed if you spot it early enough.

Paperwork mistakes

• Passport due to expire before course length. Renew before applying, since a CAS on an old passport creates an eVisa mismatch.
• Name mismatch between passport, offer and IELTS. Fix it with the university before the CAS is drafted.
• Wrong course title on CAS. If you switched course or specialisation, ask for a re-issue immediately.

Money mistakes

• Moving the maintenance funds during the 28-day window.
• Using a fixed deposit account that a UK caseworker cannot easily verify.
• Deposit sent through the wrong route, so the university cannot match it to your student ID.

Timing mistakes

• Requesting CAS too early, so it may expire before the course start.
• Requesting CAS too late, so there is no room for a re-issue or a priority visa slot.
• Ignoring ATAS lead time. Most STEM master’s need four to six weeks.

Read More: IELTS Requirements for UK Universities and Visa

Missed Your UK CAS Deadline?

If you miss a university CAS deadline, act within 48 hours. Most UK universities allow a short extension if you email admissions before the intake formally closes.

The steps are simple but time-sensitive:

• Email your admissions officer with the offer number and reason for the delay.
• Confirm you can still pay the deposit and file for the visa in time.
• Ask about a late CAS window, usually one to two weeks past the printed deadline.
• If a late CAS is not possible, ask about deferring to January or the next September.

Deferral usually keeps your offer alive for one intake without a fresh application. In most cases you keep the deposit as credit. A second deferral is rare and often needs a new offer.

Planning CAS for 2027 UK Intakes

For a January 2027 start, expect CAS between late October and early December 2026. For a September 2027 start, most CAS letters land from mid-June to early August 2027.

Build your calendar backwards from the intake:

• Six months out: accept the offer and start on maintenance funds.
• Four months out: hold the 28-day maintenance balance in the account.
• Ten to twelve weeks out: pay the deposit and submit the CAS request.
• Six to eight weeks out: receive CAS and file the Student visa.
• Two to four weeks out: passport back, flights booked and accommodation confirmed.

Key Insight: The January intake has a tighter CAS window because it overlaps Diwali and the year-end holidays in UK admissions offices. Add a two-week buffer.

Conversions based on a GBP-INR rate of INR 110 as of August 24, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

Also Check:

UK university CAS deadlines are the single point where paperwork turns into a real seat at your chosen course. Every step in the offer, deposit and visa chain links back to a clean, on-time CAS. Read your offer letter, pay the deposit early and keep the 28-day money rule in mind. A calm CAS run makes the whole visa process feel routine. A late one turns a September plan into a January scramble.