International Students

Information for Students applying to Study in UK.

About.

International students wishing to study at with Court Theatre Training Company (CTTC) on the BA (Hons) Acting: Accelerated Degree (BAA) full-time course will require a Student Visa (SV) – formerly the Tier 4 visa – to study on the course with us.

The annual tuition fee for International Students is £18,000. Applications are now open and you can APPLY HERE.

The information contained within this pack is designed to outline the process and support understanding of the requirements of being an International Student with a SV.

 

Introducing Student Visas.

Students must have a SV before coming to the UK to start the course – without the visa you will not be allowed to enter the UK.

To gain a SV, you will need to provide evidence that you have a confirmed offer of a place at CTTC and have met all of the necessary entry requirements. You will also need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover tuition fees and support yourself while studying in the UK.

The UK Visa & Immigration Directorate of the Home Office (UKVI) requires Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to undertake a range of duties and responsibilities in their role as Sponsors of international students:

• Issuing Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• Keeping accurate and up-to-date records of;
  • Attendance
  • Contact Information incl. Term time Address
• Reporting Duties

The CAS is a key instrument needed to obtain your SV and CTTC will be required to issue a CAS for any student that it wishes to sponsor. The CAS contains the following essential information about the student:

• The Course of study
  • incl. fee information
• Personal information
• Education background
• Proficiency in English language (where required).

 

Visa Application Requirements.

The Student Visa Policy Guidance on the UKVI website includes full details of all the requirements to make an application, and the responsibilities the student will have as a Student visa holder.

To be eligible for a SV, International Students must:

• hold an unconditional offer or have met all of the conditions of the offer of a place to study on the BAA at CTTC.
• be able to speak, read, write and understand English to a required level.
• have enough money to pay for your course and support your living costs.
• provide required supporting documents as outlined in the Student Visa Guidance (such as previous qualifications).

 

Obtaining a Visa.

Once you have received your offer, and you have accepted it, you can request a document called a Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (or CAS) which assigns a number unique to you for your SV application.

When the student has met the conditions of your offer and submitted your CAS Request Form (available from CTTC) with copies of your supporting documents, CTTC will then send the CAS as a pdf. The information in the CAS is then used to complete the SV application.

Once you have your CAS, you can begin the visa application process. You can apply for your student visa up to six months before your course starts. You must pay an application fee and have a current passport. Information about how long it may take to receive a visa from different countries can be found on the UKVI website.

You must apply online for a student route visa:  www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply

You will also need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application.

 

About the CAS.

Upon submitting the completed CAS request form to CTTC, you should also submit clear, scanned copies of required supporting documents.

Once the form and the documents have been checked and confirmed as in order, a CAS can then be generated by CTTC and sent to the student as a non-editable document (pdf).

The CAS statement provides the UKVI the following information:

• Students’ personal details;
• Title, level, qualification and length of the course of study
• Information about the HEI delivering the course of study
• Tuition fees of the course of study
• Students’ achieved qualifications that meet the required academic entry criteria.
• Students’ level of English language proficiency.

The information contained within the CAS must match the information within any completed visa application form.

About the Visa.

As the BAA at CTTC is more than 12 months long, an SV should last for the duration of the course (two years) and for an additional four months upon completion. However, if for any reason the SV conditions are breached the SV becomes invalidated and CTTC are obliged to report this to UKVI.

 

Cost.

A CAS costs £55 and the student is expected to cover this cost as well as any CAS replacements if any information needs to be adjusted.

The fee when applying for an SV from outside the UK (entry clearance) is currently £524, increasing to £558 from 8 April 2026. When applying from within the UK (leave to remain), the fee is currently £524, increasing to £558 from 8 April 2026, with an additional likely cost to register biometric information of £19.20.

Students are also required to pay a yearly amount for the immigration healthcare surcharge as part of the application of £776 .

SV financial requirements also mean that at the point of application, the student must provide evidence of sufficient funds to cover the tuition fees and living costs for at least the first year of the course. Depending on the country of origin of the student, there may also be supplemental costs involved, details of these and any further information regarding financial requirements when applying for an SV can be found on the UKVI website.

The student must show that you have held the required money for a consecutive 28-day period, ending no more than 31 days before the date of submission of the visa application. Students should NOT apply for an SV until you can provide this evidence.

CTTC require international students to pay a security deposit of £2,500.00 before a CAS is issued. £500 of this fee covers administration costs and is non-refundable. The £2,000.00 allocated towards a students final instalment of your course fees (to ensure you complete your studies).

Living Costs for a UK Student Visa

You must also show that you have sufficient funds to meet your living expenses in the UK, depending on the location of your studies:

• If you will study in London: You must have £1,529 per month for up to 9 months (maximum £13,347)

These amounts are current as of the latest UKVI guidance in March 2026 and reflect the cost-of-living thresholds used in assessing Student Visa applications.

The required funds must have been held in your name (or that of a parent/legal guardian if you are relying on their funds) for a consecutive 28-day period, ending no more than 31 days before the date of your Student Visa application.

 

Qualifications.

For each qualification listed on the CAS under ‘evidence used to obtain offer’, the student must provide either:

The original certificate(s) of qualification – clearly showing:

• The students’ name
• The title of the award
• The date of the award
• The name of the awarding institution

AND/ OR

The original transcript of results – clearly showing:

• The students’ name
• The title of the award
• The confirmation of the award
• The name of the awarding institution

Provisional Certificates and copies are not accepted under any circumstances.

If the student has completed a degree equivalent to a UK degree in a majority English-speaking country, you will likely need to provide an official assessment from UK NARIC which confirms that your degree is equivalent to a UK Bachelors, Masters, or PhD.

English Language Requirements.

As part of your student visa application, you may need to prove your knowledge of the English language.

Non-native speakers of English will need to provide evidence of a recognised English language qualification at an appropriate level, this will usually be an overall level 6.0 in the IELTS (International English Language Test System), or an equivalent.

It is advised that the student completes the English language test (if required) as early as possible. This is an integral part of the visa application and a CAS cannot be issued until the English language entry criteria of CTTC / BNU are met.

Translations.

ALL documents that are not in English must be officially translated by a certified translator. Original documents must be provided in addition to the original certified translation along with the Student Visa application.

CTTC staff can help you in finding a translator.

All translations must include:

• Confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of the translation
• The translator’s full name and signature
• The translator’s contact details

Student Visa Interviews.

Students from any country applying for a Student Visa either overseas or in the UK can be asked to attend a credibility interview. It is extremely important that you attends any interview that you are requested to by the Home Office. If the student does not attend the interview, the SV application will automatically be refused and CTTC will not be able to issue you another CAS.

If the student is selected to attend an interview, you will receive an email after submitting your SV application. The interview will take place when you attend the Visa Application Centre to have your biometrics taken and submit your documents. The interview will normally be conducted by secure telecommunications system (similar to Zoom) with a member of staff at the Home Office in the UK. It should last less than 10 minutes and questions will likely be about:

• Previous studies both in the UK and elsewhere.
• The course of study at CTTC.
• Why you chose CTTC / to study in UK.
• The application and audition process for the course at CTTC.
• Financial arrangements for Tuition fees, accommodation and cost of living.

The Home Office will want to be satisfied that you are a genuine student who can communicate in English to the required level, and that you have the necessary funds to pay for your studies and living costs. An interview report will then be sent to the Entry Clearance Officer processing the visa application to help them make any final decision.

Preparing for the Interview: You should familiarise yourself with the information about the course and CTTC and the questions listed above and how to clearly answer them.

Please note: All answers should be given in English. If asked about working in the UK, a SV holder can only work 20 hours per week in term time and that part-time work to supplement finances will not be sufficient to cover accommodation or living expenses.

Student Visa Application Checklist.

Ultimately the cost and responsibility of and for information contained within the SV application and the SV itself is the responsibility of the Student.

This checklist is to serve as a guide only and is not exhaustive, the student needs to ensure you are entirely familiar with strict requirements set out in the Student Visa Policy Guidance.

To obtain your CAS, you must provide us with clear, scanned COPIES of all supporting documents (including financial). You must keep the originals safe and with you until you need to submit them with your visa application.

• Check if a visa is required here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
• Met the English language condition of the offer to study.
• Met any other conditions of the offer to study.
• Read and understand fully the Student Visa Guidance.
• Understand the Student Visa financial requirements and are able to meet them.
• Your CAS.
• Submitted the SV application no more than 6 months before the start of the course.

You must complete your application and have it accepted before you arrive in the UK.

Student Visa Holder Responsibilities.

International students who are in receipt of an SV are expected to read and sign the Enrolment Declaration provided at Induction with CTTC this will indicate the full list of responsibilities of the SV holder while you are enrolled at CTTC on your chosen course of study.

The following information is an outline of those responsibilities. SV holders are expected to:

• Adhere to the attendance policies of CTTC at all times.

• Notify CTTC Academic Services of any planned leave requests in advance and immediately in the case of absence due to illness or personal reasons.

• Ensure all contact details held by CTTC are up to date at all times.
  • Term-time Address
  • Email
  • Telephone

• Notify CTTC Academic Services of any changes to immigration permission or travel documents and provide copies where necessary.

• Notify UKVI of any change of circumstance as outlined in the Student Visa Policy Guidance.

• Register with the Police within the designated time if required to do so.

• Apply for a National Insurance Number to be able to undertake permitted work legally and within the allowance of permitted hours per week.

• Immediately notify Academic Services of any change of circumstance in regard to studies such as intermittence or withdrawal.

• It is the responsibility of the student to protect your SV immigration status monitoring any changes to the conditions of immigration status.

Useful Links.

For advice on the CAS and visa application, as well as living and working in London, contact CTTC Admissions.

For information and guidance on Student Visas:

www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration

For Visa Application Centre (VAC) information:

www.vfsglobal.co.uk/en

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

UKCISA is the UK’s national advisory body serving the interests of international students and those who work with them. On your website, you will find free student immigration advice and helpful information sheets.

www.ukcisa.org.uk

UKCISA also have a student advice line – open Monday to Friday, 1300 – 1600 (UK time): +44 20 7788 9214

For the latest information on moving to the UK to study, please visit:

www.study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk