Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Who needs an ATAS certificate?

The ATAS ‘requirement’ applies to the Skilled Worker and Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa routes. The Researcher must apply for and be granted an ATAS certificate before a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) can be assigned to support a visa application for leave to enter the UK or further leave to remain in the UK.

The ATAS ‘condition’ applies to the standard visitor visa route. The visitor must apply for and be granted an ATAS certificate before commencing any research activity in the UK. An ATAS certificate is not required to apply for a standard visitor visa but it is strongly recommended that the certificate has been granted before the visitor travels to the UK.

An ATAS certificate is required if:

• The role or visit activities are in a relevant occupation code (see list below)
• The role or visit activities include an element of research at PhD level in a relevant subject area (see list below)
• The researcher is not from an exempt country (see list below)

An ATAS certificate is required for new members of staff and visitors applying for leave to enter the UK and current or new members of staff applying for further leave to remain in the UK. Changes to an individual’s field of research / research project, change of job title or duration of contract will require a new ATAS certificate.

Evidence of an application for an ATAS certificate is required before an extension to contract can be processed.

The need for an ATAS certificate can be checked using the ATAS eligibility tool below. 

If an ATAS certificate is required, Human Resources will notify the researcher or visitor.

How to apply for an ATAS certificate

Guidance on how to apply for an ATAS certificate is available below.

Please note it takes at least 30 working days (6 full weeks) for the FCDO to process an ATAS application.

Important information for recruiting managers / administrators

As a sponsor, it is the university’s responsibility to check whether a researcher or visitor is subject to the ATAS ‘requirement’ or ‘condition’ and ensure an ATAS certificate has been granted if applicable. Failure to meet these responsibilities is likely to result in the researcher or visitor’s visa application being refused or unable to start their academic visit, with the possibility of the University’s sponsor licence being revoked. Whereby a researcher or visitor is being sponsored, our internal procedure is to have confirmation that the individual has obtained an ATAS certificate before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. 

If your Human Resources contact is unsure whether the research area fits into one of the CAH subject codes listed above, they will contact you for confirmation. 

The Home Office recommends an ATAS application is submitted at least 4 months before an individual’s current permission in the UK expires. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the FCDO timescales for an individual obtaining an ATAS certificate, ensuring that any fixed-term contract extensions are processed with sufficient time to allow the researcher to apply and receive their ATAS certificate ahead of applying for their visa.