International Students

Any student who will need a student visa to study with us at one of our UK campuses will need a CAS for their visa application.

You can request a CAS by completing a CAS Evidence Request Form which we will email you the link to when your degree offer becomes ‘Unconditional Firm’. We may ask you to participate in an interview with us before we issue the CAS request email.

We aim to issue your CAS letter within 5-10 working days of receipt of your CAS evidence request form however it may take longer at busy periods (such as August) or if you do not provide all required documentation at first submission.

This depends on the nationality of the student. Some students don’t need to provide any supporting documents, but most will need to provide some documents. The CAS evidence request email and form will tell you what is needed. 

ATAS is the ‘Academic Technology Approval Scheme’. It is a UK Government scheme for international students who plan to study certain subjects in the UK. If you require an ATAS Certificate, this will be shown on your offer letter and there will be a code on the offer letter which you need to use during your application. Apply for the Academic Technology Approval Scheme.

Some nationalities are exempt from needing clearance, the website will tell you if it is required or not. The certificates are issued within 4-6 weeks so it is recommended that you apply for clearance as early as possible. Certificates are valid for six months and must still be valid at the point when a decision is made on your visa application.

People entering the UK from some countries need to show a TB certificate confirming they are clear of TB when they apply for their visa. The list of countries which require TB certification can be found on the gov.uk website. Certificates must be issued by approved Home Office test centres, are valid for six months and must still be valid at the point when a decision is made on your visa application.

Students applying for a student visa are required to show that they have sufficient funds to support themselves in the UK. Some countries are exempt from this, If you need to demonstrate funds to the UKVI, the amount needed includes your full tuition fee as stated on your offer and CAS letters (minus any amount already paid), plus maintenance (living costs) of up to £10,224.

You can show this by providing a bank statement or bank letter, showing the total maintenance and outstanding fees amount which must be held as a minimum balance in the account for at least 28 days without dipping below the required amount. Required funds must remain in your bank account until the date of visa application and the bank statement/letter can be no more than 31 days old at date of visa application. Fixed deposits can also be acceptable, if the funds have been held for at least 28 days. Funds must be held personal accounts in cash and be withdrawn at any time. The accounts can be in the applicant’s own name or a joint account where the applicant is one of the holders, or in the applicant’s parents/legal guardian name(s). Education loans may be accepted as well and loan letters must show it is an education loan which has been granted in the name of the applicant.

If you have a scholarship, we will need to see a copy of the scholarship award letter which must confirm you have been awarded a scholarship for studies at Heriot-Watt University and confirm how much the scholarship covers. Sponsorship may be acceptable if coming from a national government (local government is not acceptable), a university or an international company. Please see full details of financial evidence required/accepted.

When you receive your CAS letter from us, it is your responsibility to check the details are correct and to contact us to let us know of any required amendments before you apply for your visa. Once you have applied for your visa we cannot make any changes to the CAS information. Your CAS letter will normally show the start date a week before your classes will start, this is to make sure you can arrive in time for Welcome Week.

Please see the UKVI website or visit the Student visa Applying from outside the UK page for more information.