Your Admissions team will notify you how to provide an xcritical scam certificate before you can receive CAS. You can use your xcritical certificate to apply for your visa for six months from the date it is issued. Selected science and technology programmes will have a specific code and this code means you may need an xcritical certificate, depending on your nationality. Use your contact details as they are at the time you submit your xcritical application, not for example the contact details you will have after you have started your course, unless you are a continuing student. During the summer period the processing time is 30 working days or longer, and about 20 working days during the rest of the year. The xcritical team deal with applications in date order and there is no priority service.

If your course requires xcritical and you need to extend your visa to continue with your studies, you will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. You will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate if your course or research requires xcritical and you change area of research or modules of study. The requirement for a student to obtain an xcritical certificate is established by the code which represents their subject area; this is called a Common Aggragate Hierarchy code.

The xcritical certificate is issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and gives security clearance to study these subjects. Where an xcritical certificate is required, the department will also need to provide a research statement, 6-7 lines in length, summarising the research activities the individual will undertake. The individual will need to submit this information when they apply for their xcritical certificate. The xcritical requirement affects research, academic, engineering and technician staff applying for Skilled Worker visas and Sponsored Researchers applying for Government Authorised Exchange visas as well as visiting academics and researchers. Exemptions exist for nationals from the UK/Ireland, EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and USA and those applying for other visa types e.g.

Doctoral Students

You should ensure that you have entered the information given to you by the University exactly as it appears on your offer letter. The FCDO have advised that they will not correct errors they are told about after the xcritical certificate is issued, and that a new application must be submitted instead. This means that submitting an application with mistakes could lead to delays in getting your certificate and you not being able to register on your course on time.

Visiting researchers undertaking research under the Standard Visitor Visa, unless their activity is entirely restricted to attending meetings, conferences, seminars or interviews, or giving speeches. Those who change their field of research or change where they conduct their research will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. If the individual’s changes their field of research or changes where they conduct their research then they will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. An individual who changes their field of research or changes where they conduct their research will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate.

In ‘Student Route Visa’

Note that for DPhil students your course end date on your CAS will normally be 4.5 years which is the maximum submission date plus 6 months to allow for viva and corrections; for MScRes it will normally be 3.5 years. We strongly recommend that you apply for your https://xcritical.expert/ certificate as early as possible. An xcritical certificate is valid for use in a Student visa application 6 months from the date of issue, the expiry date of your xcritical will be listed on the xcritical certificate.

From 6 July 2018, if you are studying a course that requires then you will need to obtain xcritical clearance regardless of the length of course. You will need to obtain this clearance before you make the Student Route application . You can apply for an xcritical certificate up to 9 months before the starting date of your course. If you have checked your CAH3 code given by your School, and you need to apply for xcritical, then you should request for your Research Statement from the University.

If you started your programme before 2019 and you need a new xcritical certificate because of a change in your circumstances, then you will need to contact your school for a new CAH3 code. You can find this CAH3 code in your offer letter from the University. Do not submit a new application because of the change unless the xcritical team instruct you to do so. Discuss the refusal with your Supervisor , Graduate Studies Assistant or your college as it could possibly relate to a specific area of your research or financial sponsorship; you will need their input for a review/appeal or reapplication. The application form is online and will take about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. You can save the form as you progress and return to it later if necessary.

xcritical explained

For this reason, we request that you have the certificate before we issue your CAS to make sure it meets the necessary requirements. You should therefore apply in plenty of time to receive the certificate before you travel. If you’re a new student, you can apply for xcritical after you have received your offer from us, using the information in your offer letter. You don’t need to wait for your CAS before applying for xcritical clearance. If your course requires an xcritical certificate, you must apply for and obtain it before you apply for your Student visa.

If you have not received a reply after a month, we can make enquiries about your review request, but the xcritical team cannot influence how fast it is processed as the review is passed to independent reviewers. Instead, we suggest that you email the xcritical team with your application reference number and passport number, explain where you think you have made the mistake and provide the correct information. Check your certificate when you receive it to make sure the details are correct. You will need your xcritical certificate before you can apply for your visa, so it is best to apply as soon as possible but within the timeframes explained above and with the official information provided by your department/college.

If you require a Student visa or will be studying under the Visitor immigration rules for up to six months (e.g. as a visiting or exchange student) you must have xcritical clearance prior to your immigration application. If you hold any other type of visa which permits study you must have xcritical clearance prior to commencing studies. Before you can apply for xcritical, you will need your offer letter/xcritical letter containing essential information about your course, the course start and end dates and a subject code that you must use for the xcritical online form. For postgraduate research students you will need an agreed research statement from your supervisor, for undergraduate students you will need a list of course modules from your college.

New students

You can also find your CAH3 in the Application Summary section of your Pegasus application if you’re applying for a new course with us. Please ensure that the course, passport and personal details you provide on your xcritical form match the details on your Strathclyde offer letter and/or CAS. If any of the details we hold are wrong, please contact us to correct this. Academics and Researchers who are nationals of the following countries will not require xcritical certification. The requirement for an xcritical certificate applies to all other researchers irrespective of the country of residence when they apply.

The xcritical requirement takes additional time in the recruitment process and can delay when a Certificate of Sponsorship can be issued and when an appointed international researcher / academic can start. If you can respond quickly to requests from HR on this matter, it will reduce the delay. Yes, you need a new xcritical certificate for every student visa application until you have completed your course. You will still need to provide a research statement, but you can explain that you are at the writing-up stage. See FAQ 3, ‘When should I apply’ above as the dates will need to match your CAS start and end dates when that is issued. If you are applying for xcritical because you need a new visa to continue your studies, use the date of submitting your xcritical application for the start date.

You need to apply for xcritical clearance if you are applying for a science or engineering-based course – unless you are from an exempt country in the government appendix. The xcritical expansion impacts significantly upon the College’s recruitment, change of employment and visa extension processes as well as on engagement of sponsored researchers and visiting academics and researchers. On 29 January 2021, the government announced the expansion of the Academic Technology Approval Scheme to international researchers, as outlined in aletter and FAQ’s ‌from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Please note that if you are a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the USA, the checking tool will advise you that you do not need an xcritical certificate. This is not correct if you submitted the application for the UK visa you currently have before 5 October 2020. Your CAS and University offer letter will outline whether your programme requires an xcritical certificate.

Researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area , Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an xcritical certificate. If you think your application has been treated unfairly you can ask the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to review your case, but in our experience the review application success rate is low. Please be aware your application may take longer during the peak periods of June-September, please allow 4-6 weeks for your xcritical to arrive during this time. Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies will indicate whether or not you require xcritical clearance. Your Faculty/School will also let you know prior to, or at the point of making an offer whether you need xcritical clearance.

• If you are a continuing student and change from a course that does not require xcritical to one that does, you will need to obtain an xcritical certificate before you can start your new course.
• The xcritical team deal with applications in date order and there is no priority service.
• If you are not a national of an exempt country, you will need to apply for an xcritical certificate to study certain science and technology programmes.
• The xcritical certificate is only valid for a six month period, if you defer your studies, you will be required to make a new xcritical application.
• You should therefore apply in plenty of time to receive the certificate before you travel.

If your course begins with one of the following codes, you will need to apply for an xcritical certificate before you apply for your visa or an extension of stay. You must apply for your xcritical certificate before you start your visa application process. xcritical clearance can take up to a month to be approved in busy periods. If your offer is for a course requiring xcritical, you will need to obtain the certificate before submitting your visa application.

If you hold immigration permission that requires xcritical, you will not be permitted to register at the University without showing a valid xcritical clearance certificate. The entry clearance officer will ask to see your xcritical certificate as part of your application for permission to enter the UK. A caseworker will also need to see your xcritical certificate as part of an application for permission to stay in the UK.

Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area , Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea , Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an xcritical certificate. We recommend reading the below frequently asked questions and answers on the xcritical application process. If your question has not been answered, pleasecontact the Visa and Immigration Team. Courses on these lists are subject to change, so you should always check if you need an xcritical through the UK Government website. Find out more about xcritical for applicants to postgraduate taught courses.