CREDIBILITY INTERVIEWS:

INFORMATION AND ADVICE

How to use this guide:

Read this guide carefully before you apply for your visa.
Pay attention to the ‘Common Reasons for Refusal at Interview’ section, making sure you
avoid all of these.
Read this Guide along with the University of Bedfordshire’s guides Applying for your
Student visa overseas and Applying for your Student visa in the UK in order to
prevent your visa being refused.
Contact us if you have any queries.
Only apply for your visa if you are sure you can fully answer all the questions the
interviewer might ask you!
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CONTENTS
General information 4

Typical Questions 5

English Language 6

If you visa is refused 7

Common reasons for refusal at interview 8

Contacts
If you are starting a new course, any queries should be
sent to your admissions team. Find a list of contacts
here.

If you are continuing a course, any queries should be

sent to: visaadvice@beds.ac.uk

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 SECTION 1
General information
What is the purpose of a credibility interview?
The interview is to check that you are a genuine student and that you do not wish to come to the UK for any
other purpose. In order to assess this, you may be asked questions about the studies you are planning to
undertake in the UK, your future plans and your background and immigration history.

You may also be asked how you intend to cover the financial cost of your life and study in the UK, and why
this cost will be worthwhile.

If there are concerns about your credibility, your Student visa application can still be refused even if you
score the points required. The University will not issue another CAS to you.

Will I be called for an interview?

The UK Home Office intends to interview most Student visa applicants so you must be prepared to be called
for an interview when you apply for a Student visa.

You will usually be sent an email asking you to attend an interview so you should check your email
(including the ‘junk’ folder) regularly. If you are applying in the UK you will be sent an email and a letter will
also be posted to you containing the same information. Your visa application will be automatically refused
if you are asked to attend an interview and you do not do so without providing a satisfactory explanation.

If the Home Office still has queries regarding your application after your first interview, they may call you
back for a second interview at a later date.

Do not be alarmed by this, but it does indicate that they will want to clarify certain issues with you, so you
should be prepared to provide more detailed answers than those you originally provided.

At what stage of my application will the interview take place?

If you are called for an interview, the interview will take place when you attend a visa application centre
when you are called to submit your biometric information, such as your fingerprints.

What can I expect if I am called for an interview?

The interview will take between five minutes and half an hour. It may be face to face but is usually via
video link, similar to Skype. Once you have completed the interview, a typed record of the interview will
be sent to the Entry Clearance Officer who will make a decision concerning your visa application. They will
take your answers into account when deciding whether to grant you a visa.

The interview will be conducted in English and therefore the interviewer will also be assessing your ability
to hold a conversation in English. You should therefore let them know immediately if the connection is bad
as they may mistake your inability to hear for an inability to understand.

If you feel unwell and are concerned this may affect your performance at the interview, you should also
inform the interviewer.

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Typical Questions
You must be sure that you can answer each of the questions stated below fully and truthfully before you
apply for your visa. If you cannot, you must not apply for your visa.
Location: Why the UK and why
Bedfordshire?
Why have you chosen to study in the UK?
Given that you could have studied in your home
country, or in an alternative country, why is it
that you have chosen to study in the UK? There
are many other English speaking countries which
offer courses to overseas students – for example,
Australia, USA, Canada, and New Zealand.
What is it that attracted you to the UK instead of
one of those? Which universities in other English
speaking countries did you consider? The British
Council offers lots of reasons to choose a UK
education: Please check educationuk.org
Why did you choose to study at the University
of Bedfordshire?
There are lots of universities in the UK. You
should consider why you chose the University
of Bedfordshire rather than any other. Was it
because it offered your chosen course? There
may be many courses in the same subject area as
the one you plan to study at Bedfordshire. What
was it specifically about the Bedfordshire course
which you prefer? Was it specific modules? Was
it the facilities we offer on campus? If so, what
was it about these features that were particularly
attractive? Was it the location? If so, why? Which
other UK universities did you consider? More
information about the University is available at:
www.beds.ac.uk/international/why-study-at-
bedfordshire/
SECTION 2
The Course: Course content and how
the course will help you
Why did you choose the course you have
applied for?
Of all of the courses on offer in the UK, and at the
University of Bedfordshire specifically, what was it
about the course you have chosen that made you
choose that course? You should think about the
process you went through when you were deciding
which course to study, and how you decided on
your chosen course. You should also consider how
the specific modules and course content influenced
your decision making: you will be expected to know
what the course units are called and what you will
be taught. You will be expected to know how you
will be assessed and what skills and knowledge you
expect to gain from the course. Reliable information
can be gained by checking the University’s website
at www.beds.ac.uk/courses
You may also be asked at the interview how long
your course will last, how much your tuition fees
will cost and what qualification you will gain when
you complete your course. This information is
presented clearly on your CAS letter.
How do your studies fit into your plans for the
future?
Taking a course of study in the UK is an expensive
and challenging task. Therefore, you should have
a good reason for deciding to do it. You should
think about how your qualification will benefit you
throughout your planned career.
This might relate to what other people who have
finished this course have gone on to do afterwards:
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has it helped them? It is also important to consider
how the course complements previous courses
you have completed and work experience that
you have already gained. Information about
career opportunities provided by the courses
at Bedfordshire is available on the University’s
website.
Finances: How you will pay for
your studies and how you will
make the money back
How will you fund your stay in the UK,
including the cost of your studies?
When you apply for your visa, you may be required
to submit evidence of your ability to fund your stay
in the UK. You should know exactly where this
money has come from and where any extra money
will come from that you will require to fund your
entire stay in the UK. If your family is funding your
studies you must be aware of the family income
and how many people it supports. This money may
come by means of sponsorship. If that is the case,
you must be clear as to what the conditions of
the sponsorship are, and what precisely it covers.
If you have obtained the money by taking out an
educational loan, you will need to explain very
clearly how you intend to pay this money back.
In order to answer this question satisfactorily, it is
essential that you are aware how much money you
will need when in the UK. Refer to the living costs
stated on your offer letter, and make sure you know
how much your accommodation in the UK will cost.
Please note: It is a good idea to take any evidence
you have of money being available to you, such as
a bank statement, with you to the interview, so you
can prove that what you say is true.
Why is it worthwhile for you to spend so much
money choosing to study in the UK?
You should consider why it is profitable for you to
invest so much money gaining a qualification from
the UK, rather than remaining in your home country
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studying or working. Are the advantages of gaining
the degree really enough to outweigh the costs?
To answer this question you should know what the
expected costs are and how your qualification and
UK experience will enable you to make this money
back later on. You should be able to talk about
expected future income.
Employment: Working in the UK
Do you plan to work in the UK?
You must be aware of the regulations concerning
working in the UK whilst holding a Student visa. If
you are applying for entry clearance to the UK under
a Student visa, the main purpose of your stay must
be to study – not to work. You cannot rely on funds
from working to pay your course fees and living
costs.
Any work you do undertake should complement
your studies. If you do intend to work, you
should therefore think about how your intended
employment will build upon and develop the skills
and knowledge you will gain by means of your
academic course.
For more information about working regulations
under a Student Visa, please see the section about
‘Work Conditions for a Student’ in the Immigration
Rules www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-
rules/appendix-student
Accommodation
Where do you plan to live during your studies?
You should investigate your accommodation options
and be able to say where you plan to live. You
must live near the University, you must consider
how much it costs and how you will travel to your
classes.
Dependants
If you have a spouse and/or children, you must also
be prepared to answer questions about them, such
as whether they will be joining you in the UK and
what they will be doing there.
Previous Study: Returning to
study and academic progression
If you have previously studied in the UK, why
are you returning?
You should consider how the course you are taking
will develop the knowledge and skills you gained
previously, and how this further development will
assist you later on in terms of your career goals
and financial aspirations. If you did not successfully
complete your previous course of study, you should
be prepared to explain why this occurred and why
this will not happen again.
How does your new course constitute
academic progression from your previous
studies undertaken in the UK?
You should think about how your proposed course
represents academic progression from your previous
studies, especially if that previous study was
undertaken in the UK. This is particularly important
if your study is at the same academic level as your
previous course, such as if you are moving from an
MSc to another MSc, MA or MBA.
You must be able to explain how the new course
is related to the previous course for which you
were given a student visa or how the previous and
new course combined support your genuine career
aspirations. You will have been asked to explain this
on your personal statement when you applied to the
University of Bedfordshire for a place on your new
course. You should be prepared to explain this again
at your interview.
If your last course of study was taken a long
time ago, why are you returning to study now?
You should be clear why it is that you have chosen
to return to study, and why the return to study
will benefit you in terms of your future career. You
should consider why now is a good time for you to
return to study, and why you did not return to study
before. You should be able to talk about what you
have been doing since you last studied, and about
your current job and income.
If you require an extension to your current
visa to complete your course, can you explain
why?
You should be able to explain why you were unable
to complete your course within your existing period
of leave. You should also be able to explain what
you have completed and what you are still required
to do for your chosen course. You should be clear
about any paid work you have done and plan to
do and you must be able to explain how you will
be able to make satisfactory academic progress
without needing further extensions.
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Immigration History: Meeting Additional questions on
visa conditions and previous credibility
refusals Apparent discrepancies
If you have previously studied in the UK, you must You may be asked additional questions during your
be sure that you complied with all your visa rules, credibility interview if the Entry Clearance Officer
such as limits on the number of hours spent working needs to clarify any apparent gap, discrepancies
each week or registering with the police, if required. or contradictions in your application or during
If you have previously experienced a visa refusal you your interview. If these cannot be satisfactorily
should also be able to explain why that happened, explained, you will be liable to have your visa
what you learnt from that, and why it will not refused.
happen again. You may also be asked about any
other previous UK visas or visa refusals you have
had and visas or visa refusals you have had for other
countries around the world.

SECTION 3
English Language
You will be refused a visa if you are unable to communicate well without using an interpreter.

If it is necessary for you to accept the services of an interpreter, you will be considered unsuitable for
study in the UK.

The interviewer will expect your English language level during the interview to be at the level stated
on your CAS letter. If it is not, you will be refused your visa.

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 SECTION 4
If you visa is refused
If your visa is refused for any reason, it is essential that you let the University know straight away.

We will then do all we can to assist you if we believe you have valid grounds to challenge the Entry
Clearance Officer’s refusal decision. Our contact details can be found at the end of this booklet.

SECTION 5
Common Reasons for Refusal at Interview
In our experience, refusals will most often occur because the visa applicant does not know:

• Why they are coming to the UK to study the course instead of staying in their home country or going to
another country

• Why they chose this University instead of others and what facilities the University offers

• Where in the UK the University is

• Why they have chosen the course they have applied for

• What is taught on the course they have applied for, how it is assessed and what they expect to learn

• Why the qualification will help the applicant fulfil their career dreams more effectively than if they did
not have the qualification

• What they intend to do after completing the course and how their studies fit into this

• How the applicant is funding their studies

• Why the course will be financially profitable – why it is worthwhile spending so much on the course
and how it will allow the applicant to make the money back

• Why they are returning to study after a gap in studies (if applicable)

• Where they plan to live during their studies

If you are not sure you could confidently answer all of these questions fully and truthfully when you
are asked, you should not apply for your visa! You must be sure of the answer to these questions
before you apply. Simply stating that ‘Bedfordshire is a good University with excellent courses and
facilities that will help me get a good job’ is not acceptable! You must provide more detail.

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Date of publication: January 2021
Every effort is made to ensure that the information in this guide is accurate at the time of publication. However, regulations relating to Student visas can change and
this guide should be read alongside current UK Visas and Immigration applicant guidance. The content is provided for information only. It is not intended to amount
to advice upon which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking or refraining from any action on the basis of the content of this
publication.

While all reasonable care and diligence has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this guide, the University of Bedfordshire does not warrant its
accuracy and disclaims any liability, legal or otherwise, resulting in any injury, damage, direct or indirect loss (which is not foreseeable), consequential or economic
loss or any other loss suffered as a result of the use or reliance upon information contained in this guide to the extent that such losses are foreseeable. Nothing in
these terms of use excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence or our fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation or any other
liability that cannot be limited by English law.