Credibility interviews
Credibility interviews are now part of the Student Visa application process. The Home Office holds these interviews for most individuals applying for this visa route from overseas. Sometimes students applying to extend or renew their visa from inside the UK are also invited for a credibility interview.​
- Most students only have one interview. This will be very short over a video link. The Home Office will record the interview and send a summary to the Entry Clearance Officer. They will decide if a second more detailed interview at the Embassy is required.
- A transcript of your interview will be part of the application process and the caseworker will consider your answers when making a decision on your application. You can request a copy of your interview transcript and we suggest all students to do this. This may also come in useful if for any reason your visa application is refused.
- The Home Office expects most applicants to be able to show they are genuine students at the first interview. Failure to attend an interview when invited may result in your visa application being refused.
What to expect from a credibility interview?
The purpose of a credibility interview is to check the genuineness of a student. During the interview you will be asked questions about:
- your education history at home and in the UK and overseas
- your employment background
- your immigration history in the UK and elsewhere
- the course you are planning to study in the UK
- your reasons for choosing to study at the University of Huddersfield
- how you intend to fund your study and living costs in the UK
- how your intended course fits into your career plans for the future.
If you have previously studied a course which is at the same level as your new course, you should be ready to explain why you now want to study at the same level as a previous qualification. You should think about how your new course will allow you to develop a deeper knowledge or specialisation on top of your previous study and how this will develop and improve your future career plans in your home country.
Download our Credibility Interviews Factsheet for further information.
Other useful links
Visa refusals
Find guidance and information on visa refusals and the common reasons these refusals happen as well as tips to avoid.
Visa brake
Find out more about the UK Government's temporary visa brake on certain Student Visa applications from specific countries.