Who needs an ATAS certificate?

The ATAS ‘requirement’ applies to certain sponsored worker routes, including Skilled Worker and Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange (T5). An ATAS certificate must be applied for and granted before an individual applies for a visa for leave to enter the UK or further leave to remain in the UK.

The ATAS ‘condition’ applies to the standard visitor visa route. An ATAS certificate must be applied for and granted before an individual can start any research activity in the UK. The ATAS certificate is not required for applying for a standard visitor visa but it is strongly recommended that the certificate is granted before travelling to the UK.

An ATAS certificate is required if;

o The role is in a relevant occupation code
o The role includes an element of research at PhD level in a relevant subject area
o The individual is not an exempt national or individuals in non-sponsored visa categories (except the standard visitor visa route)

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

A final employment contract or extension to contract is not required before applying for an ATAS certificate.

If an ATAS certificate is required, Human Resources will notify the individual.

How to apply for an ATAS certificate

Guidance on how an individual can apply for an ATAS certificate is available at the following link;

www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme

ATAS certificate eligibility tool

Please note, it takes at least 10 working days for the FCDO to process an ATAS certificate application and processing times increase between April and September to 15 or more working days.

Important information for Recruiting Managers / Administrators

It is our responsibility as a sponsor to check whether an individual is subject to the ATAS ‘requirement’ or ‘condition’ and ensure the individual obtains an ATAS certificate. Failure to meet these responsibilities is likely to result in the individual’s visa application being refused or unable to start their academic visit, with the possibility of the University’s sponsor licence being revoked. Whereby an individual 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 topic fits in one of the categories listed then they may get in contact with you for further clarity. 

The Home Office recommend an individual applies for their ATAS certificate at least 4 months before their current permission in the UK expires. Therefore, we will need to be mindful of the timescales for an individual obtaining an ATAS certificate, ensuring that any extensions to fixed-term contracts are produced allowing enough time for an individual to apply and receive their ATAS certificate ahead of applying for their visa.