Combined CAS for postgraduate applicants

A Combined CAS is a CAS covering study on more than one course at the University of Sheffield. With a Combined CAS you can apply for one Student visa that will allow you to remain in the UK for the duration of both the pre-sessional course and the degree course.

A Combined CAS can be issued if:

1. You hold an offer for a postgraduate degree course at the University of Sheffield
2. The start date of your degree course is less than one month after the end date of your ELTC course
3. You request a Combined CAS from the ELTC (on the acceptance form for your pre-sessional course) by the following deadlines:
   • 10-week pre-sessional course: 12 May 2023
   • 6-week pre-sessional course: 16 June 2023
   • 4-week pre-sessional course: 30 June 2023 
4. You meet one of the below:
   • You hold a conditional offer with academic conditions and English language conditions and hold a Secure English Language Test (SELT) AND
     • 6 week course: The SELT you hold must be only IELTS 0.5 below the English language condition issued to you
     • 10 week course: The SELT you hold must be minimum B1 Level (with 2 components at 5.5 or above and with no component less than 5.0) 
   • You hold an Unconditional offer
   • You hold a Conditional offer with only Academic conditions and no English language conditions.
5. You have met the academic conditions for your degree course, or will meet them by the following deadlines. To meet the academic conditions, you should upload your final transcript, degree certificate (confirming that you have been awarded the degree) and translations to your online application for your degree course.
   • 10-week pre-sessional course: 19 May 2023
   • 6-week pre-sessional course: 16 June 2023
   • 4-week pre-sessional course: 30 June 2023
6. You pay any tuition fee deposit we have requested. Payment should be received at the University of Sheffield by the following deadlines. If you are required to pay a tuition fee deposit this will be shown in the offer letter for your degree course. More information is available on our fee deposits webpages.
   • 10-week pre-sessional course: 19 May 2023
   • 6-week pre-sessional course: 25 June 2023
   • 4-week pre-sessional course: 9 July 2023

If you do not meet these requirements, or if you do not want a Combined CAS, we will arrange two separate CAS for you: one for the pre-sessional course, and one for the degree course. You will then apply for two separate visas. If you have two separate CAS you will need to use a SELT for your pre-sessional course CAS.

APPLICANTS WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONDITIONS: You must provide a SELT to be eligible for a Combined CAS. If we upgrade your offer from Conditional to Unconditional, the Unconditional offer will be issued on the understanding that you will attend the pre-sessional course at the ELTC, which will equip you with the English language ability required to study the degree course. Attendance at the pre-sessional course is therefore essential. We will be working closely with the ELTC to monitor attendance and engagement on the course. If you do not register on, attend and successfully complete the pre-sessional course, we will report you to the UK government and your visa will be cancelled. We will also downgrade your offer for the degree course to Conditional on the original English language requirement.

We will start to arrange Combined CAS from 4 months before the start date of your ELTC course. We will email you to let you know when your CAS application is available to you.

More information about the CAS application process is available on our CAS application pages.