Extending your visa in the UK

Important: If you are a new student that has not had a student visa to study at the University of Leeds before, please skip this step. You do not need to complete a CAS request form. You will receive your CAS from the Admissions team instead. 

If you have had a CAS from the University of Leeds before, you will need to request a new one before you can start your visa extension application. To request a new CAS, complete the relevant form:

• CAS form for undergraduate or taught postgraduate students
• CAS form for work placement or a study abroad year
• CAS form for research students

A CAS is usually issued within 5 to 10 working days of the request being approved. 

If you have been living in the UK for the last 12 months with a valid UK visa and are applying to extend your student visa inside the UK, you will automatically meet the financial requirement and you will not need to submit any financial evidence with your new application. This exemption only applies to applications submitted inside the UK. 

Holidays and short absences from the UK will not break this 12-month period. However, if you have not been based in the UK for a significant part of the 12 months, for example for at least 3 months, then you may not meet the requirement and you may be required to provide evidence showing that you meet the financial requirement. 

If you haven’t lived in the UK for the previous 12 months, then to meet the financial requirement for the new application you will need to provide evidence, such as a bank statement or letter, dated no more than 31 days before your application date proving that you have access to enough money to pay:

• Your outstanding tuition fees for the current academic year.
• Living costs of £1,136 per month for 9 months, or for the remainder of your course. This will change to £1,136 per month for applications submitted on or after 2 January 2025.
• If you have dependants, £680 per month for each dependant, up to a maximum of 9 months or for the remainder of your course.

The money must be held in an account belonging to you, your partner or your parents. It must be held for a minimum of 28 days prior to making your application. 

If using your parents' money, you will also need provide a letter from them giving you permission to use their money and proof that they are your parent (this must be a birth certificate or another official document such as a household register).

If using your partner’s money, they must be in the UK already or applying at the same time as you. 

You can only use funds from a bank account in your name, your parent’s name or your partner’s name. You can only use your partner’s account if they’re already inside the UK or applying at the same time as you. You can’t use money in a company or business account, and you can’t use money from a different relative such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle.

Sponsored students and scholarships 

If you are a sponsored student or in receipt of a scholarship or any other form of financial sponsoprship, you will require a recent letter confirming your sponsorship/scholarship. 

If you will receive official financial sponsorship, a scholarship or a bursary, please ensure that this funding meets UKVI's requirements. If not, you are required to submit a bank statement to supplement your funding.

UKVI conduct verification checks when considering financial evidence and will refuse the application if your bank does not verify the statements. If your bank is not willing to verify financial statements for data protection reasons, or charges for the service, UKVI will refuse the application. If you are concerned about this then please consult your bank directly regarding their policies.

Use the financial document checklist for more information about the documents you need to meet the financial requirement.

Find out more about the financial requirement on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and the UK government website.

If your nationality is listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’ you do not need to submit any financial documents with your visa application. However, if you don’t automatically meet the financial requirement based on living in the UK for the previous 12 months, you must still prepare your documents and make sure you meet the financial requirements as of the date you submit your application. This is because UKVI still have the right to contact you to request copies of your financial documents when they process your application, and so it is still important to prepare the funds and documents just in case you are asked to provide them later. 

Check our financial document checklist for more information about the documents you can use to meet the financial requirement.

Depending on your situation, you will need copies of some, or all, of the following documents: 

• New Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
• Current passport.
• Financial documents – as explained in step two.
• Letter from your official financial sponsor (if you are receiving financial sponsorship or a scholarship).
• previous qualifications mentioned in your CAS (not required if your CAS states "sponsored on the basis of progress to date") 
• New ATAS certificate, if applicable to your course. If you need ATAS you must apply for this as soon as possible as ATAS applications take at least 30 working days (6 weeks) to be processed.  
• Certified translations for any documents that are not in English or Welsh – each translation must include a written declaration from the translator confirming that it’s a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’, the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details.

Once you have received your CAS, complete the online visa application form. 

Help with your application

If you need assistance completing the application form, please check our guide to completing the student visa extension application form (PDF).

If you wish to have your application form checked over, email the Student Visa Advice team at studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk the PDF of your draft visa application and supporting documents and we will review these before you submit the application.

Alternatively, you can book an in-person or Teams appointment with a visa adviser by emailing studentvisadvice@leeds.ac.uk. Please include your student ID number with your email. 

Important: do not complete the ‘Declaration section or pay the application fees if you would like your application forms to be checked by the Student Visa Advice Team, as after this point you will not be able to change any of your answers.  

If you have an expired Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or an EU, EUSS or Swiss passport, you will will be able to verify your identity and complete your application digitally via the ID Check app. After paying the application fees, you will need to return to the application to upload and submit any required documents. 

If you cannot use the ID Check App to complete your application, you will be required to book an in-person appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point after submitting the online application form. 

The address for Leeds UKVCAS service point is: TLScontact Leeds - VCAS service point Regus, Princes Exchange, Princes Square, West Yorkshire, LS1 4HY, Leeds, United Kingdom. 

The UKVCAS booking calendar shows 4 weeks of appointments with a new date added each day, 30 days in advance. There are only a limited number of appointments available each day, so if you cannot find an appointment you may need to keep checking the system or check different locations. Find more information about UKVCAS appointments on the TLScontact website. 

• £490 for standard service
• £990 for priority services
• £1,290 for super priority service

The IHS rate for students is £776 per year, and £388 for any period less than 6 months. 

The total amount you will need to pay for the IHS will depend on the length of the new visa. If you are studying a course that is longer than 12 months your visa will be granted with an additional 4 months after your course end date, and these additional 4 months are included in the IHS calculation. 

For example, the IHS for a visa that covers a single academic year (e.g. September 2025 to July 2026) will be £1,164. 

Calculate how much you will need to pay for the IHS using the calculator on Gov.uk. If you are extending an existing course with a new CAS, enter the date your new visa will start as your course start date and answer ‘Yes’ when asked if you are applying to continue on the same course. 

The full amount for the IHS must be paid up-front. It cannot be paid in instalments. The IHS must also be paid for any dependant that is applying with you.