Credibility interviews, document verification and refusals
Credibility Interview
The UKVI may invite you to a credibility interview as part of your visa application process. The purpose of this is to verify that you are a genuine and credible student and that you meet the English language requirements to study in the UK. The interviews normally take place online via video link and are conducted by UKVI staff members.
The interviewer will ask you questions about yourself, your immigration/travel history and your reason for choosing the UK for study. You should also be prepared to answer questions about the course you have chosen (including course structure and module options) and how this will influence your future career.
You can prepare for the interview by reviewing the information that you have provided in your application, and researching your choice of course.
There is a link to the course prospectus here that will provide information about the course structure and modules:
Some questions you may wish to consider:
· Why do you want to study in the UK? Have you considered other countries for study, which ones and how did you research these options?
· Why did you choose this specific course? What about is appeals to you, and which modules specifically will you find useful or interesting?
· What are your future plans after completing your studies and how does this course help with your career goals?
· How will you fund your studies in the UK? How much are your course fees? If the course is available for less cost in your home country, what is the reason that you would choose to pay extra to study in the UK?
· What are some of the benefits of studying in the UK compared to your home country?
· How do you explain any gaps in your study/professional history?
· Where will you live while you are studying in the UK? How far will that be from where your classes will be held and how do you plan to travel to class?
You will be able to find videos online that show you how the interview might look. There is an example video here showing an interview with a student who is well-prepared and there is an example video here of an interview with a student who is not well-prepared.
Verification of documents by the UKVI
In some cases, the UKVI caseworker may contact your bank or document provider to verify the genuineness of the documents that you have submitted. This may mean that they contact the central records section of the institution and not the individual branch. Your application may be refused if this cannot be completed within a certain timescale. You may wish to check with your bank or document provider to confirm that they would be responsive to a query from the UKVI and would be prepared to verify your documentation if this is requested.
Refusals and Refund Policy
Even if you meet all the financial and qualification requirements, your application can still be refused on general grounds such as criminal history, immigration history, forgery and giving false information in your application (this is known as deception). You can also be refused for failing a credibility interview or if your documents are unable to be verified. Please visit the UKCISA webpages and read the sections called 'Criminal convictions' and 'General grounds for refusal' for more detailed information.
If your visa application is refused please get in touch with us as soon as possible, and email us a copy of your refusal notice so that we can check it and advise you. Do not attempt to make another application using the same CAS as it will be refused – we will need to issue you a new CAS to make the new application. Depending on the reason for the refusal we will assess if we are able to issue you a new CAS.
In some cases where the visa application is refused you may be eligible for a refund of your programme deposit.
Please see here for information about refunds, including eligibility criteria and the required timescale for requesting a deposit refund:
International deposit refund information
Please be aware that if you are refused and you have applied for University accommodation you should also contact the Accommodation team