# Basic Compliance Assessment: the refusal threshold for sponsors tightens to 5 percent

UK universities keep their student-sponsor licence only if fewer than 5 percent of the students they sponsor are refused a visa, down from 10 percent, with enrolment and completion thresholds raised too. The practical effect for Indian applicants is a tougher pre-CAS screening by the university itself.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/updates/basic-compliance-assessment-5-percent-threshold · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

The Basic Compliance Assessment is the annual test every licensed sponsor passes to keep recruiting international students. The tightened thresholds move the risk onto the university: a refused Indian student now costs the institution a share of a much smaller margin.

Universities respond by screening before the CAS: their own credibility interviews, proof-of-funds checks before the offer is unconditional, and refusal of CAS to applicants with a prior refusal on file. The CAS-readiness check on this site mirrors those screens.

Applicants from Punjab with a previous UK or other refusal should declare it to the university early; a CAS withdrawn after the visa application is submitted means a refusal and a lost fee.

## Student visa: rupee table
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa, main applicant application fee | £558 | ₹73,840 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 1.5 years at £776 a year | £1,164 | ₹1,54,032 |
| Each dependant: Student dependant (partner or child), each (optional) | £558 | ₹73,840 |
| Priority service (optional) (optional) | £500 | ₹66,165 |
| Super priority service (optional) (optional) | £1,000 | ₹1,32,330 |
| VFS user-pay centre appointment (optional) (optional) | £76.50 | ₹10,123 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST included |  | ₹24,999 |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £1,722 | ₹2,52,871 |

Fees effective 8 April 2026, verified 2026-10-08; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (2026-10-08). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk.

Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-sponsor-guidance. Published 2026-10-08, updated 2026-10-08.

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
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