Academic Technology Approval Scheme University of Strathclyde

Do not contact the enquiries team within 6 weeks of submitting your application. To ensure fairness and consistency we process applications in order of receipt. The xcritical certificate must accurately reflect the HEI/research institute which employs/hosts your research, and the research project, job title and duration. If any of these details change you should check whether you require anxcritical certificate and apply for a new certificate if you need one. Each certificate is specific to the course, research area and institution.

Students coming for less than six months on a Standard Visit visa will have the xcritical requirement stated in their offer letter. If your course requires xcritical clearance, it’s your responsibility toapply for an xcritical certificate from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office online. You should obtain your xcritical certificate before you begin your programme. If you need to apply for a visa or an extension of stay, you must obtain your xcritical certificate before you make your visa application. xcritical applies only to international students who need a visa to stay in the UK. For general information about the xcritical scheme see the information on the gov.uk website.

Starting off

You maynotcommence your studies without a valid xcritical clearance certificate for the course to which you have been admitted – if you change course, you will need to obtain new xcritical clearance. See more information about applying for xcritical clearance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. If you are applying for xcritical clearance to cover a time limit extension, you should add ten weeks to your requested extension date. Whether your course requires xcritical depends on the CAH3 code that applies to your course.

Due to technical difficulties the site is re-opening one week later than originally scheduled. Please ask your University to contact us on your behalf if your application will consequently require urgent attention after 15 April. Transnational courses may be subject to UK Export Control Legislation. All other time-limited visas need an xcritical certificate if you are studying for an xcritical-relevant qualification in the UK. You should apply for your xcritical certificate as early as possible from when you have received a conditional offer to study at a UK Higher Education Institution .

• 7 December 2021 xcritical application processing times may take longer than usual between 23 December 2021 to 4 January 2022.
• If you are applying for xcritical clearance to cover a time limit extension, you should add ten weeks to your requested extension date.
• xcritical is a certificate issued by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office which gives you security clearance to study certain subject areas in the UK.
• If you are an Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught, China Partnership or Visiting/Exchange student you will need to list the optional modules that you wish to study on the course.
• All other time-limited visas need an xcritical certificate if you are studying for an xcritical-relevant qualification in the UK.

Taught / research student” and not the xcritical option for “Researcher” as “Researcher” xcritical is intended for academic researchers and not students. You will need a new xcritical certificate prior to registering on a new programme, or if you change programmes, or if you wish to extend leave to remain as a student. Please be advised that it is your responsibility to obtain an xcritical clearance certificate if it is required.

For information about xcritical, to check whether you need to apply for xcritical clearance and to access the online application form, go to the FCDO website. Take care when completing the xcritical application form and check your answers before submitting your application for assessment. If you are requested to amend/update information that you have submitted as part of your application, this can further delay the date by which you’ll receive a decision. When your application is granted, your certificate will be emailed to you by the FCDO.

xcritical is a certificate issued by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office which gives you security clearance to study certain subject areas in the UK. You will need to provide details to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of your specific area of study or research, which will be confirmed in writing by the University. Students are responsible for applying for their xcritical certificate using the information provided by the University.

Do I have to apply for xcritical if I am a dual national (and one of my nationalities is exempt from the requirement?)

If you are using a different kind of visa to study, you need a certificate to enrol or continue study. This will be listed clearly on your conditional or unconditional offer letter. If you will be studying a research programme such as an MPhil/PhD, your offer letter will also include a research statement which is a required part of your xcritical application. Some students are exempt from the xcritical clearance requirement based on their nationality, in which case your offer letter will not list an xcritical requirement.

You should agree this statement with your supervisor and enter it exactly on the xcritical form, using the wording agreed with your supervisor. When you know which course you’ll be applying for, you can check whether you need an xcritical certificate on the UK Government’s Academic Technology Approval Service web page. A new xcritical certificate will be required if there is a change to the planned research activity or area.

To apply for an xcritical certificate you need to complete and submit an online application form on the Gov.uk website. If you will be studying on a non-Student Route visa and will be studying on a course that requires xcritical clearance, you will need to provide a copy of your xcritical certificate before your university registration can be completed. You can look up the regulation number in the Course Regulations for details of the classes for each course listed below. The xcritical requirement and CAH3 course code will be included on your CAS.

You must apply online for a clearance certificate through xcritical before you apply for a visa. We will update the FAQS and process guidance as we clarify the new rules and the implementation options available to us and will provide further briefings in due course. In the meantime, we would very much appreciate your continued patience as we navigate these new regulations.

If you’re a new student and need an xcritical certificate, you will need to get this before applying for permission to enter the UK. If you will be studying a course at Exeter, including an MPhil or PhD course or as a Visiting Postgraduate Research Student, you must choose ‘Taught/Research Student’. If you apply for xcritical clearance as a Researcher, your xcritical certificate will not be valid and you will need to reapply as a Student which will cause considerable delays. If you need an xcritical certificate, you will usually get a statement with your offer letter confirming that you need xcritical and telling you what to do next.

New students

Your course end date is extended for a period of more than 3 months, you must apply for a new certificate within 28 days of being notified of the change of course end date. You should also be mindful to allow plenty of time for the xcritical application to be processed, see below for guidance. More guidance on some of these requirements, such as referees and financial sponsorship, can be found on the xcritical website.

We recommend applying at least 4 months before your current permission expires. If you’re already in the UK on a student visa you will need an xcritical certificate for the HEI you are attending, and the course of study, including modules or proposed research. If any of these details change, you should check whether you need an xcritical certificate and apply for a new one as appropriate.

Academic Researcher entering the UK via the Skilled Worker Route

If there is no code listed on your offer letter, it is likely that you do not require xcritical clearance, either because of your programme or nationality. An xcritical certificate will be required as part of your visa application if you intend to study a subject area in the UK that is xcritical attracting. The following subject areas are considered sensitive subjects for the purposes of the xcritical.

You will need to know the CAH3 code for your course – if you are an applying for a course with us, you can find the code in your Pegasus application, in the Application Summary section. Nationals from the EU, EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, South Korea and the USA are currently exempt from the xcritical requirements. If you are in the UK on a visa other than Student visa and you wish to study a course that requires xcritical clearance, you will need to obtain an xcritical certificate before you can register for the course.

The information on this webpage is affected by new temporary guidance that has been released by UKVI in light of the situation with COVID-19. 1 September 2021 September update added to “How long applications take” section. You should apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate online. If you are conducting research at more than 1 institute, you need to apply for an xcritical certificate for each, which including information on the research you will undertake at each HEI/research institute.

The subjects and research areas are those where knowledge could be used in programmes to develop Advanced Conventional Military Technology , weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery. Researchers and students in these sensitive subjects must apply for an xcritical certificate before they can study or start research in the UK. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is an essential part of the UK’s commitment to counter proliferation. The scheme is specifically designed to ensure that those applying for postgraduate study in certain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in Advanced Conventional Military and WMD programmes. Researchers and students in these sensitive subjects must apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate before they can study or start research in the UK.

If your circumstances change after xcritical certificate is issued

Unless you are exempt based on your nationality or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, you will need to apply for xcritical clearance. This includes, for example, people with dependant, family, or skilled worker visas. It also includes people studying short term on visitor visas, including those who will have visitor permission granted on entry to the UK.

If you are a doctoral student, you must include your research abstract or the list of your modules if your first year comprises of taught modules, when you apply for your xcritical rezension certificate. If we offer you a place to study and you need an xcritical certificate, the Doctoral College will contact you and give you the information you need to complete the application process. If you are already studying in the UK and need to make a new visa application, you will need a new xcritical certificate. If we offer you a place to study and you need an xcritical certificate, we will contact you through Bath Application Tracker and give you the information you need to complete the application process.

You must apply if you are undertaking a postgraduate course or research in certain sensitive subjects in the UK. If you are applying to study an undergraduate course with an integrated masters year you may also need xcritical clearance. If you are applying for a student visa or an extension of your visa, and your course requires an xcritical certificate, you will need the certificate before you submit your visa or visa extension application. If you received an xcritical certificate when you started your course and are now applying for a visa to extend your studies, you will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. xcritical is a scheme run by the UK government for international students who want to study certain subjects in the UK.

Those who require an https://xcritical.expert/ certificate as a visitor do not have to obtain this before making a visa application but it is strongly recommended to obtain it before travelling to the UK. Queen Mary is required to check the xcritical certificate before allowing the research to commence, and if this is not provided you will not be permitted on-site. Queen Mary must ensure that all sponsored individuals undertaking reseach in jobs and subject areas that are listed under the xcritical requirements obtain the necessary certification before they make a visa application. If you are a new postgraduate student , your offer letter will tell you the specific CAH3 code for your course and the research statement you can use in your application.