Do all the following criteria apply to you?
- Currently studying on a Masters course
- Currently studying on a Student visa
- Applying for further study in the UK requiring a new Student visa
- Your current course of study finishes in September and your next course of study is due to start in September or October of that same year (i.e. before you will be awarded for your current course)
If this is you, you can request a Pre-Award visa letter from Student Services.
What is a Pre-Award visa letter?
This letter is designed specifically for students on a Student visa applying for further study in the UK, but where the start of the new course of study overlaps with the end of the current course. This can make it difficult to prove your results so you can be admitted onto the new course. This document is designed to bridge that gap.
The admissions team at King’s or another institution may ask that you provide a letter confirming you're 'highly likely to succeed' on your current course of study, to support your application for your next course.
Student Services can provide this letter for you. First, they'll check if you're eligible for the letter. If you are, they'll seek confirmation from your department directly to confirm you're 'likely to succeed' and pass your course. To request this, please submit a document request form.
Important to know:
- This letter is not the same as predicted grades (which the university isn’t able to provide).
- If you’re currently studying at different institution and you’ve applied to King’s for your next course, but your official award hasn’t been issued yet, you might need to request the equivalent of our ‘Pre-award’ letter from your current institution to show our admissions team that you’re highly likely to succeed on your previous course.
- The offer for your new course and new CAS for your new programme will be issued based on your Pre-Award letter, as the expectation is that you’ll receive the award from your previous course. If you don’t achieve the award your Pre-Award letter was issued for, it could impact your new visa and study on your new course.
When I request a Pre-Award visa letter, how long will it take for me to receive it?
We aim to resolve all cases within 5 working days. However, these requests are usually made in September, the busiest time of year for Student Services and many other departments across the university. During this period of high demand, requests can take longer than our usual 5 working days to process.
If you need this document urgently, please provide all details relevant to your request (including your deadline) to help us process it as quickly as possible.
What if I'm not studying on a visa but still applying for a new course?
If your next course is due to start immediately after the end of your current course, and you need to show evidence of your results so far and that you are due to graduate, please see our article I need to prove I’ve finished my course and am awaiting results.
What if I'm an undergraduate?
Undergraduate courses usually end in May/June, and new courses for further usually start in September. Normally, undergraduates get awarded their degrees in July/August, in time for a September start on a new course. The Pre-Award Visa letter is designed for those who are unlikely to be awarded in time for their new course.
If you feel your situation falls outside of this, please let us know providing as much information as possible, and we'll do our best to help you.