Offer → conditions → CAS
For a UK Student visa, you need an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsor and a CAS reference. The university issues CAS after its requirements are met.
GOV.UK course & CAS ↗After the offer
Student life abroad
Plan your move to the UK.
UK student life requires a coordinated plan for conditions, CAS, immigration, housing and arrival, with every important rule checked at its official source.
See arrival checklist↓
GUGA EDUCATIONLife after arrival
Plan your UK visa, housing and arrival before you travel.
Housing, food, transport and enrolment planning help turn an offer into a workable first month.
HousingBudgetArrival
01 — UK visa essentials
UK student life:four checks before you travel.
Rules depend on your course and individual circumstances. Your immigration permission always controls what you can do.
English evidence
For the UK Student route, the immigration benchmark is normally CEFR B2 at degree level and B1 below degree level. Universities can set higher requirements.
GOV.UK English ↗Work conditions
Eligible full-time degree-level students at compliant UK higher education providers may work up to 20 hours per week in term time. Check your exact conditions.
Immigration Rules ↗Graduate visa
The Graduate visa is 2 years for eligible applications made by 31 December 2026 and 18 months from 1 January 2027; eligible doctoral graduates receive 3 years.
GOV.UK Graduate visa ↗02 — Arrival plan
Prepare the firstfour weeks.
Good preparation reduces avoidable cost and stress when classes begin.
01 / 04
Common difficulty
Finding the right place to live
Offers can look similar until you compare contract dates, deposits, included bills, cancellation terms and the journey to campus.
How GUGA helpsGUGA helps you organise the options, prepare questions for the provider and identify what still needs to be checked against the contract and official guidance.
Discuss your housing checklist↗
Common difficulty
Making arrival day easier to navigate
Travel timing, accommodation check-in, onward transport and the first journey to campus need to work together.
How GUGA helpsGUGA helps you structure an arrival-day plan using confirmed travel details, institution guidance and backup contacts for the steps you control.
Prepare your arrival plan↗
Common difficulty
Keeping the first month affordable
Housing payments, local transport, groceries, a SIM and study essentials can all fall due before your regular routine is established.
How GUGA helpsGUGA helps you build an arrival budget from confirmed costs, separate estimates from known figures and keep a practical contingency visible.
Discuss your arrival budget↗
Common difficulty
Turn arrival instructions into a first-week plan
During the first week, students may need to complete enrolment, present original documents, collect an ID card, attend induction, confirm their timetable and activate university systems. Each action can have a different place, contact and deadline.
How GUGA helpsGUGA converts the institution’s emails and portals into a practical day-by-day checklist: what to bring, where to go, who to contact, which deadline matters and what to do if an instruction is still unclear.
Plan your first week with GUGA↗
03 — Official resources
Check the latest official guidance.
Immigration rules change. Recheck before every application, payment and trip.
04 — FAQ
Questions afterthe offer.
Every guide connects an explanation with a primary source, a practical check and the next step.
05 — Language support
Prepare your English for the real next step.
Interviews, tests, academic writing and confident speaking.
06 — UK visa and arrival sequence
Complete each stepin the right order.
This planning sequence explains what normally happens. Your nationality, location, sponsor and course can change the evidence or process, so use the instructions issued for your application.
- 01
Make the offer unconditional
Submit final results, English evidence, passport copy, translations and any course-specific evidence. Accept the offer using the institution’s process.
- 02
Complete deposit and compliance checks
Where required, pay the stated deposit, complete credibility or finance checks and respond to requests. Read refund terms before payment.
- 03
Check the CAS line by line
Confirm your name, passport, course, dates, tuition paid, qualifications and sponsor details before using the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies in the visa application.
- 04
Prepare financial evidence correctly
Where the funds rule applies, the required amount normally needs to be held for 28 consecutive days. The evidence closing date must be within 31 days before the online application. The account type, holder and document format also matter.
Official Student visa money rules ↗ - 05
Submit the application, prove your identity and track the decision
Complete the online form, pay the application fee and immigration health surcharge where applicable, prove identity through the instructed route, and monitor requests for further evidence. Do not book non-refundable travel around an assumed decision date.
- 06
Travel, enrol and follow your visa conditions
Check the permission dates and eVisa details, carry key admission and accommodation documents, complete university enrolment and understand attendance and work conditions before starting employment.
07 — Choosing accommodation
Compare the contract, not just the room.
University halls
Often easiest for a first year: furnished, student-focused and usually close to campus. Check catering, bathroom type, contract weeks, guarantor rules and what bills are included.
Private student residence
Can offer newer facilities and flexible locations, but compare total rent, booking fees, cancellation rules, deposit protection and the legal entity taking payment.
Private house or flat
Can suit later years or families. Inspect safely, verify the landlord or agent, read the tenancy, understand bills and local tax treatment, and never send money only because a listing feels urgent.
