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International and Support Opportunities
Find out everything you need to know about relocating internationally to join Newcastle University, as well as the support we offer.
Right to work
All colleagues are required to complete a right to work check before starting employment at Newcastle University, regardless of your nationality. If you’re subject to UK immigration control, you‘ll be required to obtain a visa to work in the UK. Colleagues who fall under one of the below categories won’t need to obtain a visa to work in the UK, but will still need to complete a right to work check before commencing employment:
- British citizens
- EEA citizens residing in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 and have obtained pre-settled/settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Non-EEA citizens who hold indefinite leave to remain or settlement status in the UK
Find out more with the government’s full guidance on right to work checks.
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Advice and Guidance by Nationality
Non-EEA nationals seeking entry clearance to the UK.
For employment purposes, you’ll need an appropriate work visa. This could include:
- Global Talent visa
- Skilled Worker visa
- Student visa
- Graduate Visa
- Temporary Worker (GAE)
- International Sportsperson visa
Other visa categories that provide the right to work in the UK include Family Member of Settled Person visa and UK Ancestry visa.
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EEA nationals resident in the UK before or by 31 December 2020
If you applied for pre-settled or settled status by 30 June 2021, you won’t be required to apply for a UK work visa. Find out more information on the EU Settlement Scheme.
EEA nationals arriving in the UK for the very first time on or after 1 January 2021
For those who arrived or who are arriving in the UK for the first time on or after 1 January 2021, you won’t be eligible to apply via the settled status scheme and will therefore need to gain an appropriate work visa in advance of relocation to the UK.
Skilled Worker VISA
From 1 January 2021, free movement for EEA nationals ended, and the new points-based immigration system came into effect. This route will apply equally to EEA nationals who arrived or are arriving into the UK for the first time from 1 January 2021, and to non-EEA nationals who need a visa to work in the UK.
The Skilled Worker route requires you to demonstrate the following:
- you have a job offer from a Home Office licensed sponsor (Newcastle University)
- you speak English at the required level (B1 or above)
- your job offer is at the required skill level of RQF Level 3 (A Level-equivalent) or above
- you’ll be paid at least £26,200 or the ‘going rate’ for the job offer, whichever is higher. Salaries between £20,960–£26,200 can still be considered if other tradeable points can be obtained - for example, if you have a job offer in a shortage occupation or have a PhD relevant to the job
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Points based system
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you’ll need a minimum of 70 points. If you meet the mandatory requirements listed in the first three bullet points above, this will earn you an initial 50 points. Guidance on the tradeable points sytem and how to obtain points required for sponsorship can be found in this Tradeable Points Guidance document. You can also review the guidance on the English language requirement for Skilled Worker visa applications.
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Prohibited activities:
- working in the UK, including employment, contracting, self-employment, work experience, internships, selling to the public and providing goods and services
- receiving payment
- marrying or forming a civil partnership
Permitted activities:
- studying
- work-related training
- tourism and leisure
- science and academia
- volunteering (up to 30 days)
- certain business activities – such as attending a meeting or interview. Read more information on Standard Visitor visa here.
This route is available for leaders, or potential leaders, in the following fields:
- academia or research
- arts and culture
- digital technology
Global Talent visa
The visa carries many benefits for colleagues, including:
- greater flexibility in employment (the Global Talent visa does not require sponsorship from the university unlike the Skilled Worker visa route, and it allows the freedom of movement between different roles and employers)
- greater flexibility to undertake collaborations within the UK
- no cap on your visa length based on the length of your employment contract
- visa applications for up to five years
- the option to apply for indefinite leave to remain/settlement after three years on this visa route
You can find further information and guidance on making an application under the Global Talent visa route in the Global Talent Visa Guidance document.
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Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
From 21 May 2021, the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) was extended to apply to all international students and researchers who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects. The subjects and research areas are those where knowledge could be used in programmes to develop advanced conventional military technology (ACMT), weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) or their means of delivery.
How do I find out if I need an ATAS certificate?
Researchers who are conducting research at PhD level and above (apart from exempt nationalities) will need an ATAS certificate. This will affect colleagues sponsored (Skilled Worker and Temporary Worker - GAE ) under one of the below SOC codes, who are undertaking research in one of the identified research areas:
- 2111 Chemical scientists
- 2112 Biological scientists and biochemists
- 2113 Physical scientists
- 2114 Social and humanities scientists
- 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2150 Research and development managers
- 2122 Mechanical engineers
- 2123 Electrical engineers
- 2124 Electronics engineers
- 2127 Production and process engineers
- 2129 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2311 Higher education teaching professionals
- 3111 Laboratory technicians
- 3112 Electrical and electronics technicians
- 3113 Engineering technicians
- 3114 Building and civil engineering technicians
- 5235 Aircraft maintenance
Do I need an ATAS certificate for my Skilled Worker/Temporary Worker (GAE) visa application?
If you’re an academic researcher making an application on the Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker(Government Authorised Exchange) route, you’ll be required to obtain an ATAS certification before submitting your visa or permission to stay application.
It's important that you know the expiry date of your current period of permission to stay in the UK and have a clear understanding of what documentation you need to support a new application for extending that permission. You must ensure that you’ve submitted an ATAS application to support your visa application under the relevant route in plenty of time – we advise allowing at least three calendar months before you need to apply for permission to stay.
NOTE: If you change your field of research or change where you conduct your research, you’ll need to apply for a new ATAS certificate.
Please contact Samantha Bosher on Samantha.bosher@ncl.ac.uk, who can advise on whether your extension will fall under a SOC code, which requires an ATAS certificate.
If you hold an ATAS certificate for a course of study you’ve undertaken in the UK and you’re now making a new application for a Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker (GAE) visa, you’ll need to obtain a new ATAS certificate before submitting the visa application.
Sponsored visa holders may also undertake a course of study. In this situation, you’ll only need to obtain one ATAS certificate, but it should detail both the research project and study activities.
Visiting researcher applications
If you’re a researcher on a Standard Visitor visa who is attending meetings, conferencier giving speeches, and you won’t be undertaking research during your time in the UK, you don’t need ATAS clearance.
The rules are a little different for researchers on a Standard Visitor visa who are undertaking science and academic activities, such as:
- gathering information and facts for a specific project that directly relates to your employment overseas, or to support independent research
- taking part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts
- carrying out research for your own purposes or as a group
In this instance, if you’re engaged in an ATAS-categorised sensitive subject, you’ll require an ATAS certificate regardless of the length of your visit.
If you require an ATAS certificate as a visitor, you don’t have to obtain this before making a visa application, but we strongly recommend obtaining it before travelling to the UK. The hosting unit is required to check your ATAS certificate before allowing the research to commence. If you’re unable to present this, you may not be permitted on campus.
Application process
Apply for your Academic Technology Approval Scheme.
Read the guidance on how to apply for an ATAS certificate.
If your ATAS application is successful, you’ll receive your certificate by email to the address that you used to register.
Once you receive your certificate, you should:
- check the details on it are correct and match your offer and research statement provided by Newcastle University
- contact ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk if there are any mistakes
- print out the certificate if everything is correct and include it your visa application documentation
Interest Free Visa Loan Scheme
The University is pleased to provide an interest-free loan scheme to support all colleagues and their families with UK visa-related costs. The scheme can assist with costs such Immigration Health Surcharge or colleagues applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. All colleagues with a regular contract of employment with the University will be eligible to make an application for this loan, which will be available from employment commencing. Further information on this scheme can be found Interest free loan scheme colleague guidance.
In addition to the interest-free loan scheme, the University also has a visa reimbursement policy which supports new and existing colleagues with costs relating to Skilled Worker or Global Talent Visa applications. Further information on this can be found Visa Reimbursement Policy.