Do I need ATAS clearance before I start my course at King's?

What is ATAS Clearance?

ATAS is a form of security clearance for studies and research where knowledge could be used towards the development of weapons of mass destruction.

International students who require a visa to study in the UK may need to obtain ATAS clearance to study certain Postgraduate science & engineering courses and integrated Master's courses.

Who needs ATAS?

You'll need to apply for ATAS clearance if the following apply:

You're applying for a time-limited visa (a visa with a start and end date). This includes a Student visa.
You're studying or conducting research in a sensitive subject area. A list of these subject areas is available in the ATAS section of the Immigration Rules.
You're not a national from:
- UK/EU/EEA
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Korea
- United States of America.

Do I need an ATAS certificate?

Your offer letter from King's will confirm whether you need to get an ATAS certificate as one of your offer conditions. Contact the Admissions team through the King's Apply portal if you're unsure.

If you're applying for a new visa (either in the UK or overseas) to continue a course you are currently studying, or to resume studies that you interrupted, you'll need to apply for a new ATAS certificate.

How do I apply for ATAS?

ATAS clearance applications are made on the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) webpages. You'll need your offer letter and your CAH3 code (a code for classifying academic subjects), which will be stated in your offer letter.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office have provided some helpful guidance on completing the ATAS application.

When should I submit my application?

ATAS clearance is valid for 6 months, so if your course starts in September, you could make your ATAS application any time after April.

We would recommend applying as early as you can, to avoid delays in receiving your ATAS certificate. Please be advised that you can't apply for your visa until you have received your ATAS certificate.

When will I receive my ATAS certificate?

ATAS applications take at least 20 working days to be processed. Between April and September applications can take over 30 days.
Each ATAS application is specific to the course you applied for. If you have applied for more than one course that requires ATAS, you would need to submit a separate ATAS application for each course.

What happens once I get my ATAS certificate?

Your ATAS certificate will be emailed to you as a PDF. You should check it carefully to ensure that all the information is correct. If everything is correct, include it with the supporting documents for your visa application.

If there are any errors on the certificate, please contact the ATAS team.

Once you've received your ATAS certificate, you must remember to submit your visa application before your certificate expires.

Important to know: You'll also be asked to provide your ATAS certificate as part of the enrolment for your course.

What if my ATAS clearance is refused?

If your ATAS application is refused, you'll need to contact the Admissions team, so that you can discuss your options with them. You can request a review of the decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision email. You can also submit a new application.

We strongly recommend that you consult your academic department before requesting a review or making a new application.

Changes after you've received your ATAS certificate

If the provider and/or your course details change or your course end date is postponed by more than 3 calendar months you must apply for a new ATAS certificate within 28 days of being notified of the change.

You will also need a new ATAS certificate if:

There are changes to the course content or research proposal. This includes changes include changes other than minor changes to areas of research of the use of a new research technique
You apply for a visa extension to continue your course or you need to remain in the UK for writing up your thesis
You want to start a new course that requires ATAS
You move to another institution

You should take note of the date your visa is due to expire to allow enough time to apply for a new ATAS and extend your visa. The ATAS team recommends that you apply at least 4 months before your visa expires.

Keywords: ATAS Clearance, Offer letter refusal

Do I need ATAS clearance before I start my course at King's?

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