Academic Technology Approval Scheme ATAS
Introduction
As of 1st November 2007, ATAS has replaced the Voluntary Vetting Procedure (VVP). The rationale behind this is that the VVP scheme was voluntary and was rather vague to interpret.
ATAS will be operated by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) but the applications will be reviewed by other agencies (e.g. the MOD). It is envisaged that approximately 12,000 applicants will use the ATAS system each year. The FCO and the associated agencies should have sufficient capacity to deal with these cases given that these applications will be spread throughout the year.
After a short trial period, the ATAS system became live on 1st November 2007. It is now mandatory. Amendments to the system have been made. The system will be reviewed again after 6 months.
Who will it affect?
ATAS will apply to all non-EEA* research students in the relevant areas and to MSc students in certain subject areas (see list below). All applicants who are subject to ATAS will require an ATAS Certificate before they can apply for a student visa. Any student seeking an extension to their current visa will also require an ATAS certificate. Applicants who change their course details will have to re-apply. If an applicant holds offers for more than one course/programme, then they will require an ATAS certificate for each course that is relevant to the scheme. The scheme would not however be applicable to visas applications for English language courses prior to the PhD programme in one of the relevant areas. The ATAS Certificate would apply to the research programme only, not the language course.
* - Switzerland has a similar agreement as the non-EU EEA countries. ATAS does not therefore apply to Swiss students.
How does the system work?
The ATAS on-line system is free and should take applicants around 30 minutes to complete. It is similar to an enhanced CV. The FCO will circulate the ATAS application form to the relevant agencies within 5 days. It will then take approximately 10 working days for all checks to be made. Applicants have a right of appeal through the FCO, but only to assess if the procedures were followed correctly.
See also www.fco.gov.uk/atas for further information.
It is essential that the name that you use on the on-line application for ATAS approval is the same as that on your passport. It is equally important that the name used an all the formal letters issued by the University corresponds to the name on your passport. PhD and MPhil applicants will have to provide a statement of purpose or mini abstract (6 to 7 sentences) on their proposed research and why they wish to pursue this particular research project. This must be agreed with the University and should either be included in the offer letter or as an attachment to it (e.g. in pdf format). JACS codes will be provided on offer letters to indicate the area of research or study.
Applicants for taught Masters should submit a list of the core modules and where possible elective modules for their proposed study. It would however be difficult to assess the research element for the Masters dissertation as this will not be defined until at least 9 months into the course. It would be possible to refer students to the University’s database of study schemes. It does not appear that this will affect applicants for Aberystwyth University as we do not currently have any relevant MSc courses.
An ATAS approval certificate will be provided in the form of a pdf file but with added security features. There will not be an expiry date for an ATAS certificate should the start date of the programme be delayed however a new ATAS Certificate should be sought should the area of research change.
Will it help my application for a visa?
An ATAS Certificate is a pre-requisite for your visa application. The new Points Based System for visa applications will be introduced in 2009. No additional points will be given to an applicant with ATAS approval as it is a separate process for the UK but it will provide extra but mandatory documentation for your visa application. Checks similar to the ATAS check are integrated within the visa application process in other countries.
What do I do next?
The onus will be on you as the applicant to provide full and accurate information on your ATAS application as it will be in your best interest. Aberystwyth University will therefore provide you with the relevant information. The most important documents in this regard will be the formal offer for postgraduate study and an ATAS instruction letter that will include the relevant JACS code and the statement of purpose. Both the offer letter and the ATAS instruction letter will be sent to successful applicants who are subject to this scheme. A listing the relevant applicants, together with the relevant JACS codes and statements of purpose will be maintained by staff at the Postgraduate Admissions Office who deal with the relevant formal offer letters and acceptance letters. ATAS procedures are thus integrated into the admissions procedures for non-EEA PhD and MPhil applicants.
The ATAS Process: flowchart
ATAS Flowchart
Relevant areas of research that will be included in the ATAS:
Subjects relevant to studies at Aberystwyth University are in bold:
Biological Sciences; Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects; Physical Sciences; Mathematical and Computer Sciences.
PhD/MPhil level:
| Subjects allied to | JACS Codes beginning |
|---|---|
| Medicine | B1 – Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology B2 – Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy B9 – Others in Subjects allied to Medicine |
| Biological Sciences | C1 – Biology C2 – Botany C4 – Genetics C5 – Microbiology C7 – Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry C9 – Others in Biological Sciences |
| Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects | D3 – Animal Science D9 – Others in Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects |
| Physical Sciences | F1 – Chemistry F2 – Materials Science F3 – Physics F5 – Astronomy F8 – Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences F9 – Others in Physical Sciences |
| Mathematical and Computer Sciences |
G0 - Mathematic & Computer Science G1 – Mathematics |
| Engineering | H1 – General Engineering H2 – Civil Engineering H3 – Mechanical Engineering H4 – Aerospace Engineering H5 – Naval Architecture H6 – Electronic and Electrical Engineering H7 – Production and Manufacturing Engineering H8 – Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering H9 – Others in Engineering |
| Technologies | J2 – Metallurgy J4 – Polymers and Textiles J5 – Materials Technology not otherwise specified J7 – Industrial Biotechnology J9 – Others in Technology |
| Taught Masters courses that will be covered by ATAS | F3 – Physics H3 – Mechanical Engineering H4 – Aerospace Engineering J5 – Materials Technology not otherwise specified |
Tips from the ATAS Team:
Research students only entering the title of their course - although the application form clearly states that the full, agreed research proposal is needed, a large number of students still only enter the title. This means the ATAS Team have to go back to each individual student to get an agreed text, manually enter it before considering the application. They have tried to make the process for the student easier by simplifying the question that they ask.
Student Referees when applying for ATAS - the ATAS Team require that all students have known their referees for at least three years, and at least one of the referees should be from their home country. Also, one of the two referees should have an academic background.
The European Economic Area (EEA)
Students from EEA countries and Switzerland, as listed below, will not have to submit an ATAS application:
Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom.
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU). However, the European Economic Area Agreement gives nationals of these countries the same rights to enter, live in and work in the United Kingdom as EU citizens. A similar agreement exists for Switzerland.
For further advice on any of the above topics, please contact Dr. Rhys Williams at the Postgraduate Admissions Office