Immigration Corner | Requirements needed to visit UK as an academic
Dear Mr Bassie,
Please tell me what the requirements are to visit the United Kingdom as an academic.
Any assistance would be appreciated.
– FM
Dear FM,
Persons may visit as an academic if they are a scientist, researcher or academic. Those persons can take part in formal exchange arrangements with United Kingdom (UK) counterparts and carry out research, either as part of their job or independently.
If they are a senior doctor or dentist they can also take part in research; teach (as long as it is not a permanent teaching post); and undertake clinical practice as long as it is not a permanent position.
Academics may need to get an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate to research certain subjects at postgraduate level or above, before they start research of subjects at postgraduate level or above.
Persons can also visit if they are invited for certain paid engagements or events (a ‘permitted paid engagement’) – for example, to give a lecture or be an academic assessor. They will need to show they are an expert in their profession.
PERSONS WHO WANT TO VISIT FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS
Those persons who would like to visit for up to six months should check that they meet the basic eligibility requirements for a Standard Visitor; if they need a visa to visit the UK; and/or apply for a Standard Visitor visa online, if they need one.
PERSONS WHO WANT TO VISIT FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS
Persons should be aware that all academic visits lasting longer than six months require a Standard Visitor visa regardless of their nationality.
Persons can:
• Apply for a Standard Visitor visa before they travel to the UK that lasts for up to 12 months and costs £220
• Visit for up to six months and apply to stay longer when they are in the UK for a fee of £1,100 (persons can stay up to 12 months in total)
Applicants must meet the basic eligibility requirements for a Standard Visitor and the additional eligibility requirements for academics. They must provide any required documents that show their eligibility.
An Applicant’s partner and children can apply to stay with him/her for up to 12 months. They can apply for a Standard Visitor visa in advance or visit for six months and extend their stay once in the UK.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO STAY LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS
Persons who want to stay longer than six months must prove they are:
• Highly qualified in their field of expertise – this will usually mean they have a PhD or higher
• Working in that field of expertise at an academic institution overseas at present.
• Not filling a permanent teaching post
If they are an academic, but not a senior doctor or dentist, they must also prove they are visiting to do research or a formal exchange.
If they are a senior doctor or dentist, they must also prove they are visiting to do research, clinical practice, a formal exchange or to teach.
DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE NEEDED
Applicants will need to show they meet the eligibility requirements, for example, by providing a letter from their employer outlining the dates of the sabbatical or exchange and outlining the research to be undertaken. They could also provide a letter from the UK host organisation confirming the arrangements for their research, exchange or clinical practice
Just for completeness, depending on where the applicant comes from, he/she may need a certificate that proves they do not have tuberculosis (TB). The applicant should check if he/she needs to take a TB test.
Good luck.
John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com