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Credibility Checks

Applicant Support Interviews

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may conduct credibility interviews for Student Visa applicants as part of the visa application process. Therefore the University will conduct mandatory pre-CAS applicant support interviews.

The purpose of the interview is to determine whether an applicant's intention to study in the UK is genuine. The interview will be conducted in English, and therefore your English language ability will be checked. The questions will focus on your reasons for coming to the UK, and will include questions about your background, your study plans, career aspirations and your financial circumstances.

If the interview suggests that you are not a genuine student or your risk of visa refusal is high, we do reserve the right to refuse your CAS.

You will be contacted by our interview team to schedule an interview.

This interview will be conducted via Teams or Google Meet and will last for approximately 1 hour.

Please ensure:

  • you respond to the interview request
  • you have a device that has video and audio capabilities 
  • you have internet access
  • you are in a quiet space on your own
  • you have your passport available
  • you are fit and well (we will confirm this in the interview)

It is very important that you attend your interview, or rearrange as soon as possible, as we may not be able to reschedule. We MUST conduct the interview prior to issuing your CAS. You will only have one attempt at the interview, so it is your responsibility to prepare appropriately.

Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and questions will be tailored to your personal circumstances.

When considering the reasons to study in the UK, this should be personal and unique to your circumstances.

Intention to study

  • Why do you want to study in the UK?
  • What made you choose the University of Bradford?
  • Which other Universities did you consider?
  • What facilities are unique to your course/needs at the University of Bradford?
  • What do you know about the city of Bradford?
  • Why did you choose your course?
  • What modules will you be studying and what qualification will you leave the University with?
  • How is your course assessed?
  • What other courses (if any) did you consider studying?
  • What are your plans after you complete your course?

Your academic history

  • Where have you studied previously and why did you choose this course of study?
  • If you have any study gaps then you may need to explain what you have been doing in this period.
  • Why have you decided to return to study?

Your personal background 

(This may include details about your family at home and in the UK)

  • Have you ever visited the UK before?
  • Will you have any family travelling with you?
  • Do you have family in the UK?
  • Do you have family in your home country?
  • Have you ever had a visa refusal for the UK or any other country?

Financial questions

  • How will you fund your studies for the full duration of your course?
  • What are the source of your funds and will you have access throughout your studies?
  • Have you carried out research on accommodation costs, location, availability?
  • Do you plan on working while in the UK?
  • If you have a loan how do you plan on paying this back?

Other Checks

The following factors are considered in our pre-CAS checks and may affect the decision to issue a CAS:

  • Intent and ability to study course
  • English language ability
  • Financial credibility
  • Previous study in the UK
  • Immigration history (such as visa refusals for the UK or other countries, previous curtailments or overstaying)
  • Failure to disclose material information about your immigration and academic history

The Home Office will conduct checks on supporting documents to verify that they are genuine. You are responsible for ensuring that the documents you provide with your visa application are not fraudulent. If your visa is refused for fraudulent documents, it will lead to a 10-year ban from entering the UK and in these circumstances we reserve the right to withhold 50% of your advanced fee payment.

We need to decide if a student is likely to succeed in making a Student Visa application as each refusal negatively impacts our Sponsor License; we therefore reserve the right to refuse to issue a CAS if your risk of refusal is deemed too high based on our pre-CAS checks.

If you have any questions or concerns about your CAS eligibility as outlined above, please contact the Visa Support Team before proceeding with your advanced fee payment.