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1. Complete the CAS Shield application
All offer holders will receive an invitation to CAS Shield, an online self-service system that enables you to provide all the necessary information to receive your CAS. Your personal details on CAS Shield will be pre-populated with the information you have provided on your application. Please make sure to check the accuracy of this information.
You will be asked to upload documents as part of the CAS Shield process. The information required will depend on your personal circumstances. Do not email documents to us as this will cause delays. All information regarding your CAS should be uploaded to the CAS Shield system.
If you have queries about your CAS, please use the messaging functionality on CAS Shield as this will allow us to deal with your queries more quickly.
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2. Accept an unconditional offer of study
If you have been given a conditional offer, you will need to meet the terms of your offer before a CAS can be issued.
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3. Provided a recent reference or complete a short interview
At least one reference is required from all international students that apply for a CAS statement. This is a letter from your personal tutor or a previous teacher which explains your skills and experience in relation to the course you are applying for. If you have submitted a suitable reference during your initial application then we can use this for your CAS statement. Please see the information below regarding acceptable reference letters.
If you are not able to provide a recent reference letter, we are happy to complete a short interview with you over Zoom. Please email cas.admissions@swansea.ac.uk for further guidance.
Acceptable reference letters
A reference letter must be written in English and provided on official letter headed paper. References also need to be signed by the referee, either by hand or electronically. We cannot accept references on a plain Word document.
Alternatively, you can ask your referee to complete a Postgraduate Reference Form. We can also accept references in the form of an email. However, this must come from the referee’s official academic or professional email address (e.g. jane@swansea.ac.uk). We cannot accept references from personal email accounts, such as a Hotmail or Gmail account.
References should be academic in nature and cover your most recent period of study. If your application was accepted on the basis of your work experience, then we will accept a reference from your employer in lieu of this.
The reference must have been written recently. Where you have deferred your application or have not been in education or employment for a significant period then we may accept an older reference. Please email cas.admissions@swansea.ac.uk for further guidance.
References must be unique and the body of the reference cannot refer to an institution other than Swansea University.
Please note – We are unable to contact referees on behalf of students, therefore it is your responsibility to obtain a reference and send it directly to us as part of your application for a CAS statement.
A reference is required even if this was not part of your original offer conditions.
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4. Paid a deposit or sent a sponsor letter
You must pay a minimum deposit of £4000 or provide us with a copy of a letter from your official financial sponsor responsible for paying your fees and/or your maintenance.
Details on how to pay can be found below.
Financial Sponsorship letter: your financial sponsorship letter must name Swansea University as your chosen institution and must be from an ‘official financial sponsor’, i.e. Her Majesty’s Government, your home government, the British Council or an internationally recognised company, organisation, University or Independent School. Other types of sponsor, such as family members, will not be accepted by UK Visas and Immigration as evidence of sponsorship.
OR you have provided us with confirmation that you have obtained a US Federal Loan.
(You would not normally have to pay a deposit if you are receiving financial support from an official sponsor or from a US Federal Loan.)
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Once the above steps have been completed the Admissions Office will prepare your CAS statement. A CAS statement can take up to 10 working days on completion of the above steps. However, if all of the requirements are met by you quickly, and we are not required to chase you for additional information, you can expect this time to be significantly reduced.
Remember that you do not have to wait for your CAS before you start your visa application preparation and process. As well as having a CAS number, you will need to prepare additional Student Route visa documents and complete an online Student Route form before you can book an appointment at your local visa centre. For some students this can take several weeks so make sure you are starting all your preparations as early as possible. Please see our complete guide to Making a Student Route Visa Application Overseas to help you. If you are already in the UK, you should read the guide to Extending your Student Route Visa in the UK.
We will e-mail you or your designated agent a copy of your statement containing your CAS number. You will not need an original copy of the letter for your visa application.
Please note: your CAS is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and you can apply for your visa as soon as you receive it
