Other engagements

Visiting Researchers & Academics are most commonly on sabbatical leave (paid or unpaid), employed at an overseas academic or research institute who come to Imperial College campus to undertake their own research.

They can also include academics (including doctors) taking part in formal exchange arrangements with United Kingdom counterparts and eminent senior doctors and dentists coming to take part in research, teaching or clinical practice.  Academic visitors are not 'employed' by Imperial College and must not be paid or funded by Imperial College.  Payment of reasonable expenses to cover their needs whilst in the UK may however be made.

Visitor or Honorary Association requests should be made to the HR Staff Hub team. Guidance and a request form can be viewed here.

Please visit the Government's website for information on the Standard Visitor visa process.

Whether a standard visitor visa application will be required will depend on the visitors nationality, and length of intended visit. 

Nationals of specified countries may not need to apply for a standard visitor visa in advance of travel, if they are visiting for less than 6 months and will be undertaking only the permitted activities for visitors during their stay. This can be checked using the gov.uk check if you need a UK visa tool

Departments/Divisions wishing to host a Visiting Researcher or Academic who will need to apply for standard visitor visa in advance of travel to UK should provide them with a formal letter of invitation that has been arranged in advance. An assessment form with a template invitation letter is available here.

From 31 January 2024, UK Visa & Immigration (UK Gov) have expanded the type of research activity that will be permitted, for research visits to the UK of up to 6 months. This expansion means that most research activity for these short-term visits can be permitted under the standard visit rules, where previously Imperial College may have been required to host under a sponsored route.

Please be aware that the expansion is only for total visits of up to 6 months, so any extension to an association/UK visit beyond this maximum period would be reviewed whether the activity does fall under the standard visitor permitted activities, or not.

Identity/status check

Visitors will not be working or employed by Imperial College, so there is no legal requirement to undertake a right to work check. However, we would still advise the hosting department to undertake an ID check for any visitors who will be issued with an Imperial College association/status and/or undertaking activities at Imperial College campus. Please ensure that we have a copy of the relevant documents (usually an endorsement/vignette within current passport – However, if the visit is for less than 6 months and individual is a national of a country able to use border eGate they may have no endorsement confirming their entry as a standard visitor)

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Dependent on the type and level of research activity and nationality of the academic/researcher, an additional requirement may include Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certification.

Where ATAS is required for a visitor, it is essential that the individual’s ATAS certificate is checked, and a copy retained by Imperial College before they are allowed on campus or granted access to Imperial College systems. Please see the ATAS information on Immigration & Compliance webpages.

Due to variable ATAS processing times, we would recommend that the hosting manager provides the ATAS information directly to the prospective visitor as early as possible from 6 months before their intended visit start date. We advise the academic/researcher not to make their travel arrangements until their ATAS certificate has been granted

Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) visitors can carry out short-term paid activities such as giving a guest lecture, examining students, and/or participating in a selection panel for up to a maximum of one month. The visitor is allowed to stay in the UK for the remainder of their standard visit period, but all PPE activity must be fully completed within the first month.

The engagement must relate to the visitor’s area of expertise and/or qualifications and must relate to their main occupation overseas. They cannot be fully retired but can be semi-retired.

Up to 30 January 2024, UK Visa & Immigration (UK Gov) required individuals to apply for a PPE visa before travelling to the UK or for non-visa nationals to obtain a PPE stamp at UK border on arrival (rather than using an eGate to enter the UK). These requirements have been removed from 31 January 2024.

Departments/Divisions wishing to engage a PPE Visitor should provide them with a formal letter of invitation for each engagement that has been arranged in advance. If the PPE payment will be made by the Casual Worker Team, please follow the guidance and contact the Casual Worker Team for any guidance on setup

Where the individual will be paid via the College casual payroll, please ensure that the Casual Worker Team are aware of the permitted paid engagement in advance of the visit, so they can send any offer of casual PPE activity, provide relevant information and undertake the required pre-engagement checks and complete the PPE joiner (and leaver) process.

Please see the Gov.uk guidance on Permitted Paid Engagements here

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Where ATAS is required for a permitted paid engagement as the individual will be undertaking ATAS-restricted research during their UK visit, it is essential that the individual’s ATAS certificate is checked, and a copy retained by the College before they are allowed on campus or granted access to College systems. Please see the ATAS information on Immigration & Compliance webpages here.

Due to variable ATAS processing times, we would recommend that the hosting manager provides the ATAS information directly to the prospective PPE visitor as early as possible from 6 months before their intended visit start date. We advise the academic/researcher not to make their travel arrangements until their ATAS certificate has been granted.

Please visit the Government's website for further information on the Permitted Paid Engagement visa process.

‌The College has a sponsor licence under the Temporary Worker: Government Authorised Exchange category which allows us to act as sponsors for sponsored researchers working on a supernumerary research collaboration/projects to come to the UK for up to a maximum of 24 months. Activity can include:

• A formal research project or collaboration
• A period of work-based training/work experience/internship/placement;
• Skill development/knowledge transfer;
• A series of lectures, which doesn’t amount to a formal teaching post;
• External examinations.

Sponsored researchers are not employees of the College.  They must not fill job vacancies but can undertake research and work under the full or partial control of the College which will benefit from the research. They are normally invited to come to the UK to lead or to take part in a formal research project which is hosted but not necessarily funded by the College, can be funded from sources in the UK or overseas and paid by either the College or by their employing organisation.

Sponsored researchers must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from the College and pass a points based assessment in order to obtain permission to work in the UK.  A Certificate of Sponsorship can only be issued for EEA/Non-EEA nationals where the work/activity is at least equivalent to RQF level 3 or above, and where the activity/funding meets all eligibility criteria, usually including the funding being at least at UK minimum wage hourly rate levels.

Departments/Divisions wishing to sponsor a sponsored researcher should complete a T5 Sponsored Researcher CoS Application Form and email this to the Staff Compliance team along with the necessary supporting documents (listed on the request form) before the College can issue a CoS.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Dependent on the type and level of research activity and nationality of the researcher, an additional requirement may include Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certification.

Where ATAS is required for a sponsored researcher it is essential that the individual’s ATAS certificate is checked, and a copy retained by the College before they can be provided with a certificate of sponsorship to make their T5 visa application. The T5 Sponsored Researcher CoS Application Form has relevant questions that the hosting manager needs to assess whether ATAS is required.

Due to variable ATAS processing times, we would recommend that the hosting manager provides the ATAS information directly to the prospective sponsored researcher as early as possible from 6 months before their intended visit start date.

Please see the ATAS information on Immigration & Compliance webpages here.

It is essential that before any sponsored research engagement starts, that a right to work document check is completed by the Staff Compliance Team prior to the research start date, and any follow-up RTW checks as necessary.

Please visit the Government's website for further information on the Points Based System Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa.

UK Entry: eGates –how some nationalities can enter the UK

Home Office has expanded the use of UK border eGates. Nationals from the following Non-visa nationals countries can enter the UK for visits of less than 6 months to undertake listed permitted activities without needing to seek a visa in advance:

The list of ‘Visa nationals’ countries who need a visa in advance of travel to UK in all instances, are listed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-visa-national-list. If a country is not on this list, they are a ‘Non visa national’.

The following are currently ‘non-visa national’ counties:

• European Economic Area (EEA), European Union (EU) Countries and Switzerland
• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Colombia
• Guyana
• Japan
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Singapore
• South Korea
• United States of America
• Uruguay

Nationals from the specific Non-visa national countries who use the eGates do not have to complete a landing card, and will not receive an entry stamp in their passport from an immigration officer on the border.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

You can apply now if you are a national of the following countries and travel using a national passport:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

By April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa, except British and Irish citizens, will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – a digital permission to travel to the UK.

Nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries (above) already need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK.

All remaining nationalities will be able to apply for an ETA from later this year through a quick and simple process using the UK ETA app.

ETA is extending in two phases:

• Eligible non-Europeans can apply in advance from 27 November 2024 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025.
• Eligible Europeans can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.

Visitors can find out when they will need an ETA here:  Check when you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)

An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.

ETA applies to:

• visits of up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study
• visits of up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession  Creative Worker visa concession
• visits for a permitted paid engagement  permitted paid engagement
• transiting through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

Further information and how to apply:   www.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation

Academic Technology Approval Scheme and ETA

Where a visitor is coming to UK with ETA to undertake visiting research that is not exempt from the ATAS requirement (either through exempt nationality, or the research not being in field, level that requires ATAS), they would continue to need an ATAS certificate in place before starting any research at Imperial, in line with individuals who need to obtain a standard visit visa.