Visas and Immigration for study in the UK

Getting your CAS

To apply for your Student Visa, you need a CAS to support your application

The information on this page is for applicants seeking a visa to start a new programme of study.

If you are an existing student, extending your Student Visa to continue on the same programme, see our information about CAS for extending your visa.

A CAS is an electronic statement which includes information about you and your programme, and contains your unique 'CAS number'. The university will send your CAS statement to you by email, once you have met the requirements for it to be issued.

Your CAS contains information about your studies. You will need this information to complete your visa application form. You cannot make a Student Visa application without a CAS. 

By issuing you with a CAS, the university is agreeing to act as your Student Visa Sponsor.

What's in your CAS?

A CAS statement contains the following information:

  • University of Greenwich sponsor license number
  • University address
  • Campus address
  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Nationality
  • Passport number
  • Course and level of study
  • Course start and end dates
  • ATAS requirements
  • Details of previous UK study
  • Tuition fees for the first academic year
  • Tuition fees paid to date
  • Qualifications required as part of your offer

When your CAS will be issued

Once you have accepted your offer to study at the University of Greenwich and paid any applicable deposit, the university will send you a CAS Shield invitation by email. CAS Shield is the online self-service system that enables you to upload all the vital information and documents. CAS Shield will be auto-populated with information about you and your programme and you will be asked to check this for accuracy. It is very important that all of the information is accurate, otherwise there is a risk that your visa may be refused.

Once you have confirmed your information is accurate and your supporting documents have been approved, the university will issue your CAS. This can be done up to six months before your programme starts.

Deadline for issuing your CAS

In order to make sure you can process your visa in time, we have deadlines for issuing CAS.

January 2025 intake

CAS Issue Deadline 111/12/2024Applies to students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Uganda
CAS Issue Deadline 218/12/2024All other nationals not listed above.
Start Date06/01/2025 
Latest arrival date31/01/2025 

Please note these dates are subject to change and this would be communicated to students.

September 2025 deadlines TBC after 1st March 2025.

Once you have your CAS, you should apply for your visa as soon as possible. After visa is issued, you can arrive in the UK up to one month before your programme starts. We encourage all students to arrive in the UK as soon as possible, so that you can enjoy our welcome activities and you don't miss any classes.

Questions about your CAS?

If you have made an application to study at the university but have not yet received an unconditional offer, please contact the International Office: international@gre.ac.uk.

If you have an unconditional offer to study at the university but have not yet received your CAS Shield invitation email, or you have questions about your CAS, please email the CAS Team for further support: casrequests@gre.ac.uk