Evidence of money & Academic progression

[timurdautov]

Hi everyone. I have two issues which I wanted to clarify here as the official Home Office documentation and/or relevant university support teams were unclear on or taking too long respond, as time is running short at this stage.

I am a national of Kazakhstan (so, non-Commonwealth), holding an unconditional offer for a Masters degree in a London university from which I have just graduated with a Bachelor degree. Additionally, I have spent the two years prior to university in an International school in the UK as well. The two questions I have concern the documentary evidence of funds and documents in support of the CAS.

1) The wording of official documentation and guidance on the Home Office website left me somewhat unclear as to whether the main requirement for bank statements supporting the visa application is simply that they cover a 28-day period of activity in the given bank account, or that they demonstrate that the required amount (tuition + maintenance) had been present in the given bank account for a period of 28 days or more? I fearfully suspect that the latter is the case but hope that it isn't, as this would probably mean that I would not get my visa in time for the start of the academic year (25 September).

However, if the latter is the case, one risky option I am considering is to simply forget about the 28-day rule, and submit the visa application anyway, hoping that my previous history of study in the UK according to all procedure would make the immigration authorities somewhat more forgiving? Is it ever the case that previous visa and study records improve one's chances in this regard? In my current passport I hold three previous UK visas: two as Tier 4 (Child) and one Tier 4 (General), encompassing a 6-year period in total. Is it worth the risk? Are there any cases with circumstances similar to mine?

2) "Documents used to obtain the CAS". This is unclear to me, as the official guidance seems to be offering conflicting advice. On the one hand:

Send us the documents you used to obtain the CAS. You will need to know
what evidence your Tier 4 sponsor has included on your CAS, so that
you can include it with your application. You must get this information
directly from your Tier 4 sponsor before you apply. Each certificate of
qualification or transcript must be the original (not a copy).


But on the other, they later specify:

If your course is at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 3 or above and you have been assessed by other means (such as references, a portfolio of artwork, interview, or the Tier 4 sponsor's own test or entrance exam), you do not need to include these documents with your application. However, your Tier 4 sponsor must include details of how they assessed you on the CAS.

If you have been offered a place because of progress you have made on an existing course, your Tier 4 sponsor must include this information on the CAS. You will not need to send any documents if this is how you have been assessed.

It is not at all clear to me from this whether I am required to provide an original copy of my official diploma (which I do not currently posses, as it may have been sent to my UK address - trying to clarify this at the moment), or a Statement of Award, or is my university's CAS reference sufficient evidence, especially given that this uni is the same body that awarded this qualification (i.e my BA) and is also the one assessing my eligibility for continuing studies there.

Any help on both of these matters would be much appreciated.

[sah10406]

..that they demonstrate that the required amount (tuition + maintenance) had been present in the given bank account for a period of 28 days or more?

This one.

Is it ever the case that previous visa and study records improve one's chances in this regard?

No.

Send us the documents you used to obtain the CAS. You will need to know what evidence your Tier 4 sponsor has included on your CAS, so that you can include it with your application. You must get this information directly from your Tier 4 sponsor before you apply. Each certificate of
qualification or transcript must be the original (not a copy).

But on the other, they later specify:

If your course is at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 3 or above and you have been assessed by other means (such as references, a portfolio of artwork, interview, or the Tier 4 sponsor's own test or entrance exam), you do not need to include these documents with your application. However, your Tier 4 sponsor must include details of how they assessed you on the CAS.

If you have been offered a place because of progress you have made on an existing course, your Tier 4 sponsor must include this information on the CAS. You will not need to send any documents if this is how you have been assessed.

You are making this very complicated. These three paragraphs explain three different situations, only one of which would ever apply to a specific applicant. To check which one applies to you, simply check the relevant field on your CAS statement. The first para is for those whose offer is based on a qualification, the second para for those whose offer is based on something other than a qualification, and the third one is for those whose offer is based on previous progress on the same course.

[timurdautov]

Thanks for your response sah10406. It leads me on to another question: at this stage, is it possible for me to pay my tuition fees for the whole year, making the amount I would have to demonstrate on my financial evidence only the sum required for maintenance (provided I show the evidence that my tuition fees have been paid with my visa application)? The reason I am asking is that it's possible that I'd be able to show that I've had the funds to cover maintenance for over 28 days on a bank account now, at this stage already, whereas the full amount of maintenance + tuition would basically require me to wait for over a month and only apply then, which would make me late for the beginning of the academic year - not a great start (purely my fault, I know).

[sah10406]

at this stage, is it possible for me to pay my tuition fees for the whole year, making the amount I would have to demonstrate on my financial evidence only the sum required for maintenance (provided I show the evidence that my tuition fees have been paid with my visa application)?

Yes.