The UK Student visa is a paperwork exercise with a few hard rules. Students who are refused almost always fall foul of a date or a figure, not of a judgement about them. Get the dates and figures right and the process is calm. Everything below is as of November 2026 and links to the GOV.UK page it comes from.
The timeline at a glance
| Step | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unconditional offer and deposit paid | 4 to 6 months before the course | The university issues the CAS only after conditions are met |
| CAS issued | Up to 6 months before the course starts | A CAS is valid for one application and must be used within 6 months of issue |
| Money held in the account | 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of your application date | Start the clock early; this rule causes the most refusals |
| TB test | Before you apply; the certificate is valid for 6 months | India is on the list of countries where a test is required |
| Online application, fee and health surcharge paid | Earliest 6 months before the course | Fee £558; health surcharge £776 a year at the student rate |
| Biometrics at a visa application centre | Soon after applying | Fingerprints and photograph at a centre in India |
| Decision | Usually within 3 weeks | Priority services exist where offered |
| Travel | Up to 1 month before the course starts (courses over 6 months) | Book flights after the decision |
The CAS
The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is not a letter but a reference number that your university creates in the Home Office’s system. It records your name, passport, course, dates, fees and how much you have already paid. Check every field against your passport and offer the day you receive it. A wrong date of birth or a missing deposit entry is fixed in a minute before you apply and takes weeks to fix afterwards.
Under Appendix Student, the CAS must have been issued no more than six months before the date you apply, and it cannot have been used in an earlier application. If you defer, the university withdraws the old CAS and issues a new one.
Financial evidence and the 28-day rule
You must show money for the unpaid part of your first-year tuition plus living costs: £1,529 a month for London courses and £1,171 a month outside London, for up to nine months. The Home Office’s statement of changes HC 584 raises these to £1,570 and £1,203 a month for applications made on or after 30 November 2026.
The rules on the money itself:
- It must have been in the account for 28 consecutive days, and the balance must never dip below the required total during that window.
- The 28-day period must end within 31 days of the date you submit the application.
- Accounts in your name or a parent’s name are acceptable; with a parent’s account you add your birth certificate and a signed letter of consent.
- A sanctioned education loan letter from a regulated lender, or an official scholarship or sponsorship letter, can replace cash for the amount it covers.
- Fixed deposits count only if the bank confirms the funds can be withdrawn. Shares, property and gold do not count.
Money that arrived yesterday is the single most common reason for refusal. Transfer it early, leave it alone, and take statements covering the whole 28 days plus the date of application.
The TB test
Anyone coming to the UK from India for more than six months needs a tuberculosis test at a Home Office approved clinic. Approved clinics are in cities including Kolkata, New Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune; from Bihar, Kolkata and Lucknow are usually the nearest. The certificate is valid for six months, so time it to cover your application date. Book directly with the clinic; take your passport and a passport photo.
The health surcharge and the fee
The immigration health surcharge is £776 a year for students. For a visa of more than a year but up to 18 months, the standard pattern for a one-year master’s, you pay a year and a half: £1,164. It is paid during the online application, along with the £558 visa fee. Neither is refunded if you later withdraw.
Documents to upload
GOV.UK lists what you must provide: a current passport, your CAS, proof of money, and, where they apply, a valid ATAS certificate for certain science and engineering courses, your TB test certificate, parental consent and proof of relationship if you are under 18, and written consent from any sponsor who paid your fees in the last 12 months. Documents not in English need a certified translation. Upload clear scans and keep the originals for the border.
Biometrics in India
After you submit and pay online, you book an appointment at a visa application centre run by the Home Office’s commercial partner in India. You give fingerprints and a photograph and may hand in your passport. Use the GOV.UK centre finder for current locations and appointment availability; centres in Kolkata and New Delhi are the usual choices from Bihar. Book the appointment as soon as the system allows, because slots near September are scarce.
Processing times and faster options
The standard waiting time for a Student visa decided outside the UK is three weeks. A priority service, where available, costs £500 extra for a decision within five working days; a super priority service costs £1,000 for a decision by the end of the next working day. Check the application form for what is offered in India on the day. Paying for speed does not cure a 28-day-rule problem.
When to apply
Apply as soon as you have the CAS, the 28 days of money and the TB certificate, and no earlier than six months before the course starts. For a September start, the ideal window is June to early July. July and August are the busiest months, and a refusal in August leaves no room to reapply.
Credibility interviews
The Home Office may ask you to attend a short interview, usually by video at the application centre, to check that you are a genuine student. The caseworker guidance says officers weigh your answers alongside the rest of the application. Typical questions: why this course, why this university, why the UK rather than India, what the course costs and who is paying, what you studied before, and what you plan to do afterwards. Answer in your own words, know your fee figures to the pound, and never let anyone coach you into an answer that is not true. The interview is not a trap. It is a conversation your statement of purpose should already have prepared you for.
After the decision
Most students now receive a digital eVisa linked to their passport rather than a sticker. Create your UKVI account as instructed in the decision email and check that the details are right before you travel. Carry printed copies of your CAS, offer letter, financial evidence and TB certificate on the flight.
Why visas are refused
- Money not held for 28 full days, or the window ending more than 31 days before the application.
- Mismatch between the CAS and the passport or the bank statements.
- A missing TB certificate or ATAS certificate.
- Weak or inconsistent answers at the credibility interview.
- Documents a caseworker suspects are not genuine.
Every one of these is avoidable with a calendar and a checklist.
What to do next
If you want someone to check your CAS, your bank statements and your dates before you press submit, Start your application. Bihar Scholars’ guidance is free for students.