As the UK Home Office progresses toward a fully digital immigration system, we're thrilled to announce a series of powerful enhancements in CAS Shield designed to streamline visa verification and onboarding for institutions and students alike.
With swift action, agility and adaptability we’ve been able to update the functionality in the system that will keep our partners at the forefront of digital compliance and operational efficiency. Here’s an overview of what’s new and how CAS Shield continues to evolve to simplify workflows.
Embracing the eVisa Era with CAS Shield
The Home Office’s transition to a ‘digital border’ is underway, with September 2024 starters now receiving short-dated Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) valid only until December 31, 2024. Starting November 1, 2024, students issued a visa will receive an eVisa instead of a BRP. With CAS Shield, your institution is prepared for this shift:
- No new right to study checks required: Universities will no longer need to recheck the right to study status for existing students, as UKVI will now share visa data with institutions holding over 100 students.
Enroly’s CAS Shield platform remains agile to ensure compliance while removing administrative burdens, adapting instantly as regulations evolve.
Best practice adaptations in CAS Shield
CAS Shield automatically integrates the collection of UKVI decision letters into the platform’s standard configuration. This feature ensures that your team can quickly verify student permissions to stay through precise end dates, whether students present stamped vignettes, BRPs, or eVisas.
With CAS Shield’s robust tracking, manage your students seamlessly from CAS issuance to campus arrival, confidently handling every right-to-study check.
Key CAS Shield enhancements for digital visas
1. Expanded share code verification
CAS Shield fully supports shared code-based verification for all students that have received a Student visa, aligning with the UK’s digital immigration transition. This update accelerates verification processes, standardising checks across teams to maintain full compliance.
2. Flexible document upload options
The updated checklist feature in CAS Shield offers students flexibility to upload the documentation that matches their visa type and issuance date: vignette, BRP, or share code. As BRPs phase out, this flexibility ensures a smooth transition for all students.
3. Streamlined digital visa journey
CAS Shield now guides students through each step of the digital visa process, from initial visa issuance to sharing their digital status. Using share codes for immigration proof is simpler than ever. Students will be prompted to upload their share code, while your team can easily generate evidence documents via the gov.uk portal and attach them directly to CAS Shield records. Given share codes expire every 90 days, Staff simply have to reject the expired code which will automatically request a new code from the student and CAS Shield notifies the student via email.
4. Automated notifications and status updates
CAS Shield’s automated notifications prompt students to stay on top of any visa status changes, with proactive reminders on required documentation, both pre-departure and post-arrival. This added functionality ensures students stay up to date, reducing the administrative load on your team.
Stay on top of the latest changes with our industry-leading technology
With these and many other product updates Enroly’s CAS Shield is proactively adapting to every shift in compliance and operational demands required within our industry. Our commitment to staying at the forefront ensures that our partner institutions have the most reliable, up-to-date tools for managing their international students CAS applications and visa status.
