UK Student Visa Checklist: The CAS, the 28-Day Rule and the Documents That Get Refused

The UK Student Route is a points-based application with a short list of documents, which makes it feel simple. It is not. The refusal rate from South Asia is driven almost entirely by financial evidence — specifically, money that was not held long enough — and by CAS details that don't match the application. Both are preventable with a calendar.

The financial rule, explained with dates

The applicant must show funds for first-year tuition (minus anything already paid) plus living costs — the living-cost figure differs for London and outside London and is updated periodically.

The rule that catches people: those funds must have been held for 28 consecutive days, and the 28-day period must end no more than 31 days before the application date.

Worked example:

• Application date: 15 October
• The 28-day window must end on or after 14 September (31 days before)
• So funds must be at or above the required amount every day from at least 18 August to 14 September, with no dip below

If the balance drops below the required figure for a single day in that window — even by a small transfer out — the evidence fails. A top-up on 1 September restarts the clock.

Consultancies lose UK files by checking the balance rather than the history. Ask for the full statement covering the period, and check every day.

The checklist

Sponsorship

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) | Issued by the licensed sponsor institution. Contains a reference number, course details, fees, and what the sponsor has verified. Everything in the application must match the CAS exactly — course title, start date, fees paid. |

Identity and academics

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | Passport | Current. | | Academic qualifications listed on the CAS | If the CAS says the sponsor assessed the transcript, bring the transcript. | | English evidence | Usually a Secure English Language Test (SELT) or the sponsor's own assessment noted on the CAS. |

Financial

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | Bank statements or bank letter | Covering the full 28-day period, in the applicant's or parent's name. Parent's funds need a birth certificate and a consent letter. | | Official financial sponsorship letter | If a government or organisation sponsors. | | Tuition fee receipt | Reduces the tuition portion of the requirement; the CAS should reflect the payment. |

Health

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | Tuberculosis test certificate | From a UKVI-approved clinic in Nepal. Required for stays over six months. Valid for six months from the test date. |

Course-specific

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | ATAS certificate | Only for certain postgraduate science, engineering and technology programmes. The CAS will state whether it is required. Apply early — it can take weeks. |

Common refusal reasons, and the fix

| Refusal reason | The fix | |---|---| | Funds not held 28 days | Build the calendar backwards from the intended application date. | | Balance dipped in the window | Freeze the account. No transfers out. | | CAS details don't match | Copy course title, fees and dates from the CAS verbatim. | | TB certificate expired | Test within six months of application, not at counselling. | | Missing ATAS | Check the CAS for the ATAS flag the day it arrives. |

Tracking it

A UK file needs one field a spreadsheet rarely has: funds-held-since date. Record the first day the required balance was in place, and the earliest safe application date is 28 days later. A consultancy CRM should surface that date per student.

Qylantis CRM's UK checklist carries the CAS, the 28-day financial item, the TB test and ATAS as distinct requirements, with expiry tracking on the TB certificate. Start free, or read the Australia checklist.