Expansion of the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
01 Jun 2021
A message from our Vice-President for Research, Professor Colette Fagan
Dear colleagues,
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) has recently expanded who it is applicable to.
It now applies to international students and researchers, including PGRs, post-doctoral researchers, visiting researchers, academic staff and visitors (depending on nationality), who require a visa to study or work in the UK and who will study or conduct research at a postgraduate level, including enhanced undergraduate Masters degree level, in certain sensitive subjects.
These groups are now required to hold an ATAS certificate before applying for a visa to conduct activities on UK soil that could result in the Intangible Transfer of Technology (ITT) to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and Advanced Conventional Military Technology (ACMT) programmes of concern.
Those employed, or registered for PGT or PGR programmes or enhanced undergraduate Masters degree, before 21 May 2021 and hold a valid visa will not have to retrospectively apply for ATAS clearance.
Government have advised that it can take 20 working days to process a student ATAS application and ten working days for a researcher application with both timescales increasing by five days during April and September.
Exempt nationalities include all EEA countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA.
ATAS certificates are institution specific. So if a researcher has an existing visa and/or ATAS clearance from another institution, they would still be required to gain ATAS clearance in order to be offered an appointment or visiting position at Manchester.
- Recruitment processes have been updated to reflect these changes.
ATAS regulations are separate to Export Control, however compliance with both are essential to safeguard ourselves and the work we carry out, while also mitigating against any potential threats to national security.
- You can find out more information on the University’s export control StaffNet pages.
Thank you for attending to these new government regulations. Our HR and export compliance teams are working to minimise the administrative burden so that our research can continue to flourish.
Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research