Assessment based on your qualifications

If your Tier 4 sponsor has assessed your qualifications in order to assign your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS), you must send us these qualifications with your application. For each qualification listed, you must provide:

• the original certificate(s) of qualification; or
• the original transcript of results.

We will not accept provisional certificates.

Each certificate of qualification must be the original (not a copy), and must clearly show:

• your name;
• the title of the award;
• the date of the award; and
• the name of the awarding institution.

Each transcript of results must be the original (not a copy), and must clearly show:

• your name; and
• the name of the academic institution; and
• your course title; and
• the confirmation of the award.

This transcript must be original unless the applicant has applied for their course through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), and:

• the applicant is applying in the UK to study at a Higher Education Institution which has Highly Trusted Sponsor status; and
• the qualification is issued by a UK awarding body for a course that the applicant has studied in the UK.

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. We will not provide this information to you.

There are additional requirements if you are applying to study a course that requires an ATAS clearance certificate, or if you are a postgraduate doctor or dentist.

Assessment by other means

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.

Assessment of your English language competence

If you are applying to study a course at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9 at a UK higher education institution, the institution can choose its own method of assessing your English language ability. You do not need to submit any documents with your application to support this.

If you are applying to study a course at a lower level or with a different education provider, the education provider must use an approved English language test to confirm your English language ability. You must include your test certificate with your application.

ATAS clearance certificate

You must obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate if you are applying to do a course which starts before January 2012 and is:

• postgraduate study leading to a doctorate or master's degree by research in a subject listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 1 of the Immigration Rules; or
• postgraduate study leading to a taught Master's degree in a subject listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 2 of the Immigration Rules; or 
• more than 6 months' study or research in the UK which is part of an overseas postgraduate-level course, in any subject listed in Appendix 6 of the Immigration Rules.

If you are applying on or after 1 October 2011, you must obtain an ATAS clearance certificate to do a course which starts before January 2012 and is:

• undergraduate or postgraduate study leading to a doctorate or master's degree by research in a subject listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 1 of the Immigration Rules; or
• undergraduate or postgraduate study leading to a taught Master's degree in a subject listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 2 of the Immigration Rules; or 
• more than 6 months' study or research at a UK higher education institution, which is part of an overseas postgraduate-level course, in any subject listed in Appendix 6 of the Immigration Rules.

You must a pply for an ATAS clearance certificate online on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. This site also contains information about the scheme and the list of designated subjects.

An ATAS clearance certificate is issued for a specific course with a named Tier 4 sponsor, and remains valid as long as the Tier 4 sponsor and the course details (including the length of the course) do not change. You will need to apply for a new certificate if:

• you change your course;
• the area of research or modules change for the course you originally applied to;
• you move to another institution; or
• your permission to stay was issued on or after 30 November 2007, and you need further permission to stay inorder to write up a thesis.

If you are applying for further permission to stay to write up your thesis, and your previous permission did not require ATAS clearance as it was granted before 30 November 2007, you do not require a certificate.

If you are applying to study a course that requires an ATAS certificate, you must send us a print-out of your ATAS clearance certificate with your application.

You must obtain an Academic ATAS clearance certificate if you are applying for leave to take:

• undergraduate or postgraduate studies leading to a Doctorate or Masters degree by research in 1 of the subjects listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 1 of the Immigration Rules;
• undergraduate or postgraduate studies leading to a taught Masters degree or other postgraduate qualification in 1 of the subjects listed in Appendix 6, paragraph 2 of the Immigration Rules; or
• study or research of more than 6 months at an institution of higher education in the UK, where this forms part of an overseas postgraduate level course, in any subject listed in Appendix 6 of the Immigration Rules.

You must a pply for an ATAS clearance certificate online on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. This site also contains information about the scheme and the list of designated subjects.

An ATAS clearance certificate is issued for a specific course with a named Tier 4 sponsor, and remains valid as long as the Tier 4 sponsor and the course details (including the length of the course) do not change.

If you are applying to study a course that requires an ATAS certificate, you must send us a print-out of your ATAS clearance certificate with your application.

If you are applying to take a recognised Foundation Programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentist, the qualification(s) you send with the application must include the original certificate and/or original transcript of results of the UK recognised degree in medicine or dentistry that you completed while in the UK as a student.

Assessment based on your qualifications

If your Tier 4 sponsor has assessed your qualifications in order to assign your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS), you must send us these qualifications with your application. For each qualification listed, you must provide:

• the original certificate(s) of qualification; or
• the original transcript of results.

We will not accept provisional certificates.

Each certificate of qualification must be the original (not a copy), and must clearly show:

• your name;
• the title of the award;
• the date of the award; and
• the name of the awarding institution.

Each transcript of results must be the original (not a copy), and must clearly show:

• your name;
• the academic institution's name;
• the course title; and
• confirmation of the award.

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. We will not provide this information to you.

Assessment based on references

If your Tier 4 sponsor has assessed you using one or more references, you must send us each of the original references assessed on the CAS.

Each reference must contain:

• your name;
• confirmation of the type and level of course or previous experience;
• the dates of study or previous experience;
• the date of the letter; and
• the referee's contact details.

If you cannot provide the original reference(s), you can provide a copy, together with a letter from your Tier 4 sponsor confirming that it is a true copy of the reference they assessed.

Assessment based on your progress

If you have been offered a place becuse 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.

Assessment of your English language competence

If you are applying to study a course that is below level 6 of the revised NQF and is not a foundation degree, your Tier 4 sponsor may have needed to assess your English language skills before assigning your CAS. If the assessment was based on a formal qualification that you hold, you must include the qualification certificate with your application to us.