Help: BPP visa/CAS timeline (PGDL → SQE prep)

[Eric Chang]

Hi everyone,

I find BPP's visa policy very confusing and not transparent, and I would really appreciate your insights — especially if you’ve been in the same situation.

I’m an international student with a training contract at a City firm, due to start the PGDL at BPP this September. I have also indicated to my firm that I'll start the SQE prep course (they call it CCP) in September 2026. A few days ago, BPP told me (via my firm’s advisor) that I should consider starting in January 2026 instead, but they still haven’t issued me a CAS.

Here’s my concern: if I start PGDL in January 2026 and finish in August 2026, I might not be able to secure a visa in time for the SQE prep course starting September 2026. My understanding is that I’ll need all my PGDL results before I can get an unconditional offer and CAS for SQE. But realistically, results may not be available immediately after the course ends.

I called BPP for clarification, but got two completely different answers:

• One staff member said I could get a “Highly Likely to Complete” letter, which would allow BPP to issue a CAS so I could extend my visa from within the UK.
• Another insisted I must have all my final results released before applying for a CAS and visa.

So now I feel stuck. Which PGDL start date do you think would be more suitable in my situation — September 2025 or January 2026?

Thanks a lot for any advice!

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi there @Eric Chang , have you informed your firm of the specifics of this situation? Furthermore, when does your TC start? From the information above, I presume that deferring your PGDL start date, could in turn defer your SQE start date, which could resultantly affect your TC start date. This is my assumption from the limited information above. Regardless, maintaining a good line of communication with both BPP and your firm is advised in this case, as both parties will know best how to address the situation.

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

Hi @Eric Chang,

As an international student myself, I know how nerve-racking the whole process can be.

Echoing @Amma Usman's advice, I would try and involve your firm in this conversation as much as possible, as the start dates for your PGDL and SQE would affect your training contract dates.

I would also try and ascetain whether a Highly Likely Letter would be enough to issue your CAS - in my personal experience, this was enough for my PGDL from my master's (which was not an essential requirement for the programme), but was not sufficient for the progression from the PGDL to the SQE - I did have to wait for my final transcript with the PGDL results.

In short, I would recommend getting the firm involved and sorting out the issue in this context!