Home Services
Everything between your first question and your first lecture.
Course selection, applications, personal statements, offers, CAS, accommodation and arrival. One adviser, from start to finish, at no cost to you. Below is exactly what that includes — and, just as importantly, what it doesn't.
Scope
What we do, what we don't, and who to see instead
Most agencies won't tell you where their help stops. Knowing it now is worth more to you than finding out in month three.
In detail
Eleven things we do for you
All of it free. Switch the view to whichever situation is yours — the work is the same, but the order and the pressure points differ.
Applying from overseas. Your critical path is the visa: everything upstream exists to get you a correct CAS in good time, with a credibility interview you're ready for. Start at least three months before your intake.
Already in the UK. Your critical path is your current leave. Whether you can apply from inside the country depends on your visa and your history — that's a question for a regulated adviser, and we'll introduce you to one early rather than late. Start at least two months before your intake.
- 01
Free course and university matching
We start with what you've studied, what you can afford and where you want to live, then work outwards. You'll get a shortlist of five to eight courses with entry requirements, tuition fees, intake dates and an honest assessment of your chances at each — including at least one ambitious option and one you're very likely to get.
- 02
Document preparation and certification
Transcripts, certificates, passport copies, references and translations. We tell you exactly what each university needs, check everything before it goes, and arrange certified translation where it's required. Missing or mismatched documents are the most common cause of delay, and they are entirely preventable.
- 03
Personal statement and reference support
You write it — that isn't negotiable, and admissions tutors can tell. What we do is show you strong examples for your subject, tell you what that department is actually looking for, edit your drafts properly, and chase your referees until their letters arrive.
- 04
Application submission and tracking
We submit to every university on your shortlist, including through UCAS where that applies, and we track each one. You get a status update every week whether or not anything has changed, and we chase admissions teams that go quiet.
- 05
English language routing
Whether you need IELTS, a UKVI-approved SELT, PTE Academic or a university's own test depends on the course, the institution and your route — and getting it wrong costs months. We tell you which test to book, what score you need, and whether a pre-sessional English course is a better answer than resitting.
- 06
Offer management and negotiation
We explain precisely what each conditional offer requires and by when, compare them side by side, and where there's room, ask about scholarships, early-payment discounts and fee waivers. Universities publish less of this than they award.
- 07
Pre-CAS interview preparation
Most universities now interview international applicants before issuing a CAS, and a surprising number of well-qualified students fail it — not on their English, but because they can't explain why they chose that course, that city and that career. We run a practice interview and give you honest feedback.
- 08
CAS issuance support
Once you've met your conditions and paid your deposit to the university, we make sure your CAS is requested, issued and — critically — correct. A CAS with the wrong course dates or a misspelled name causes refusals, and it is far easier to fix before it is used than after.
- 09
Referral to regulated immigration advice
We don't give immigration advice and we're not permitted to. What we do is introduce you to an OISC-regulated adviser or immigration solicitor who does, brief them on your case with your permission so you're not starting from scratch, and make sure the university side of your paperwork is ready when they need it. The introduction is free and we take no referral fee.
- 10
Accommodation and arrival
University halls, purpose-built student accommodation or private renting — we'll explain the difference in cost, contract length and deposit protection, and introduce you to providers we've dealt with before. Then the practical list: airport pickup where available, opening a UK bank account, registering with a GP, a student travel card, and collecting your BRP or activating your eVisa.
- 11
First-term support
Your adviser stays your contact after you've enrolled. Course changes in the first weeks, problems with accommodation, questions about working during term — ring them. If something needs a regulated adviser or the university's international office, we'll say so and make the introduction.
Timings
How long each stage actually takes
And, more usefully, who controls it. Naming that honestly up front is why our students chase us less and worry less.
| Stage | Typical time | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Free assessment and shortlist | Same week | Us |
| Documents gathered and application submitted | 1–2 weeks | Mostly you |
| First offer received | 7–30 days | The university |
| Conditions met and deposit paid | 1–3 weeks | You and the university |
| Pre-CAS interview and CAS issued | 3–15 working days | The university |
| Visa decision | Per current Home Office service standards | The Home Office — outside anyone's control |
These are the timings we see most often, not promises. University decision times vary by institution and season, and visa processing times are published and updated by the Home Office. We'll always tell you where your application actually is rather than what we'd like it to be.
Get started
Build your document checklist
Tell us your level of study and where you are, and we'll show you exactly what your applications will need — with the things people most often get wrong flagged.
Your checklist
Documents you'll need
Nothing here has been sent or saved — this list is generated in your browser. Bring it to your free assessment and we'll go through it line by line.
Where our help stops
We are not regulated to advise on immigration
Unilight Education is a UK-registered education placement agency. We advise on courses and institutions, prepare and submit university applications, and support students through to enrolment. We work to the principles of the British Council's National Code of Ethical Practice for UK Education Agents.
We are not regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, and we do not provide immigration advice or immigration services. Under section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, only a person qualified to do so may advise on immigration matters in the course of a business. That applies to every channel — telephone, email, WhatsApp and in person.
So if you ask us "which visa should I apply for?", "can I switch from a visitor visa?" or "will my refusal be a problem?", we will not answer. We'll introduce you to an OISC-regulated adviser or an immigration solicitor, free of charge, and take no referral fee for it. That isn't us passing you around — it's the only lawful way to get you a correct answer.
Any agency that answers those questions for you is either regulated, or breaking the law with your application in their hands.
Your next step
Thirty minutes is enough
to know where you stand.
No cost, no obligation. You'll leave with a realistic shortlist, a timeline and an honest answer about your chances — whether or not you decide to apply with us.
Book my free assessment Chat on WhatsApp
We'll follow up once, and then leave you alone.