TL;DR — Each destination issues a defined admission document that unlocks the visa application: CoE (Australia), Form I-20 (US), Letter of Acceptance (Canada), CAS (UK), and offer letter plus enrolment confirmation (New Zealand). Know the difference before you deposit tuition.
Every intake we counsel students who conflate an admission offer with the visa-triggering document. They are not always the same. The visa authority in each destination requires a specific document that confirms your enrolment status. This piece names each one and explains how it fits into the timeline.
Australia — Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
- Issued by a CRICOS-registered institution after you accept the offer and pay the required deposit.
- Contains your CRICOS course code, start and end dates, tuition amount and OSHC arrangement.
- Required to lodge the Subclass 500 student visa application.
United States — Form I-20
- Issued by a SEVP-certified institution once your admission is confirmed and financial evidence is submitted to the university.
- Contains the SEVIS ID needed to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee.
- Required to complete DS-160 and book the F1 visa interview.
- Also required at the US port of entry.
Canada — Letter of Acceptance (LoA)
- Issued by a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
- Required to apply for the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) unless the applicant is Master or doctoral level at a public DLI (exempt from 1 January 2026).
- Required with the study permit application.
United Kingdom — Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
- Issued by a Student Route sponsor holding a valid Home Office licence.
- Contains a unique CAS reference number, sponsor licence number, course details, and tuition and living-cost information.
- Valid for 6 months from issue.
- Required to apply for the Student Route visa.
New Zealand — Offer and Enrolment Confirmation
- Immigration New Zealand accepts an offer of place and later a confirmation of enrolment from an NZQA-accredited provider.
- Required for the student visa application.
Common Nepali mistakes we see
- Assuming an admission offer alone is enough to book a visa appointment.
- Depositing tuition to a provider that cannot issue the visa-triggering document (unlisted institution, non-DLI, non-CRICOS).
- Letting a UK CAS expire without lodging the visa within the 6-month window.
- Applying for an Australian visa before the CoE is issued.
Key takeaways
- Each destination has a specific visa-triggering document — CoE, I-20, LoA, CAS.
- Deposit tuition only at a listed institution.
- UK CAS validity is 6 months; lodge within that.
- Australia CoE contains OSHC and tuition arrangements needed for the Subclass 500 application.
- US Form I-20 is also needed at the port of entry.
Related resources
See our destination hubs: Australia, Canada, UK, USA, and New Zealand.