UK student visa: Confusion with CAS letter’s validity. Overseas students face problem
Some colleges charge higher for revised or new CAS letter.
Mr. Zahirul Alam. Editor & CEO of Studentvisa4u.com. 18.07.2010
A good number of overseas students face problems with CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) validity. The CAS replaced the Visa Letter for overseas Tier 4 applications on February 22, 2010. The Visa Letter is no longer accepted in support of a visa application.
The CAS is a virtual document, not an actual certificate, and it is a unique 14 digit electronic reference number. Tier 4 registered sponsors provide their visa applicants with the CAS reference number and applicants must write it on their visa applications.
Now overseas student face problem about CAS validity. in the maximum cases, applicants have no faults. Local British High Commossion can not provide their Visa Decesions in the due time. Students have Visa approval after the course starting dates. Then their sponsiring colleges & the local British High Commission suggest them for New CAS letter.
Now, some colleges take this opportunitity to earn extra money. A few colleges charge upto GBP 1000 for revised or a new CAS letter. Recently Studentvisa4u.com found two such cases in a blog site. These two cases the real scenerio for the CAS letter problem.
The cases are:
Case 01:
Mr. Maricor Landero, an international student from the Philippines. He got his CAS for May 2010 intake in APRIL 20, 2010 and lodged his application on APRIL 29, 2010. British High Commission in Manila approved his visa on JUNE 24, 2010 and will expire on Dec. 19, 2011. Then he contacted his sponsor “St. Patrick’s College London” and they told him that he should reapply for a new CAS and VISA.
Then he called the local British High Commission and they told him that he was good for travel however he just need an updated CAS (meaning I’ll be deferred to September). Even a staff from the school told him, before he got his visa approved, that his CAS is valid for six months and there should be no problem. Even the UKBA’s website it is stated that CAS is valid for six months.
Now St. Patrick’s College is not doing anything.
Case 02:
Bellina- she is also from the Philippines. Her college “Stratford College of Management” is now charging over money for a new CAS.
Bellina stated her problem, “I received my tier 4 visa so late that I was not able to attend the June intake. Now I requested my college for a new CAS to have my visa postdated.”
She also stated, “I recently called the British Embassy Manila they informed me that a NEW CAS LETTER is required and not a REVISED CAS LETTER. My visa was released 2 weeks after the start of my class. Therefore, I was already late 4 date intake.
The only thing they could do is to put me on the Sept intake. In short, this very thing is NOT MY FAULT AT ALL. It was the Embassy’s. So when I ask my college, the administrator told me that it would cost £1000 for me to have the new CAS letter.”
Bellina expressed her sorrows,” I am deeply sad about this. Thinking that i have paid my tuition fee in FULL! I really wanted to withdraw but I know I will lose much money.”
These above two cases prove that overseas student face trouble with CAS letter’s validity. Due to huge bogus applicants, British high commissions in the Asian countries can not release the Visa decisions in due time. Therefore, a large number of students can not join their intake timely. Then they face problem to fly for the UK.
Some colleges do not try to feel the mental & financial of their applicants. They charge more to provide New or revised CAS.
Studentvisa4u.com suggests overseas students to be alert about CAS validity. They should submit their applications to the respective British High Commissions minimum 2/3 months ago from the course starting date.
Students are requested to write us their problem about CAS letters. We shall publish their problem.
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Case Study source: Adviceforyou.org.uk blog.
