Find out if you need an xcritical certificate

Check your certificate when you receive it to make sure the details are correct. If you are a new student, you should apply for xcritical after you have received your conditional offer letter from us. The University will not issue your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies until we have received your xcritical certificate. An xcritical certificate is specific to both the programme of study you intend to undertake and the university you plan to attend. If you have an offer from another university and are undecided as to which offer you will accept you need to apply for separate xcritical certificates.

If there is no code listed on your offer letter, it is likely that you do not require xcritical clearance, either because of your programme or nationality. The University will also receive a copy and it will be checked against our records. If the details on the certificate do not match those held by the University, we will not be able to accept it and you will be advised to apply again, and you should hold off applying for your visa until you have a correct certificate. You canapply for xcritical online, free of charge, once you have received your official offer email from Loughborough University – we recommend doing so as soon as you receive your offer.

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. Include any paid work you have done and any long-term voluntary or unpaid work since you left school. You do not need to include temporary jobs you have done during university vacations. If you have been employed but there are any long gaps when you were neither employed or in education, use this section of the form to explain what you were doing in this period, for example full-time parenting, or unemployed. There is further information on this in our guide to completing the online form, click on the tab at the top of this page.

Details of applying for xcritical can be found on theForeign, Commonwealth & Development Officewebsite. If xcritical clearance is required, it will be a condition of your offer. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office manages this scheme and the application is free. Please visit the FCDO xcritical website for further xcritical application guidance. If you are a new postgraduate student , your offer letter will tell you the specific CAH3 code for your course and the research statement you can use in your application. An xcritical certificate is valid for six months only and if it is not used in a visa application within this time, new clearance must be obtained before you make your visa application.

Postgraduate Research

xcritical is one of the UK government’s measures to prevent the spread of knowledge used in developing weapons of mass destruction and related technology. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme was introduced on 1 November 2007. It is used to help stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The xcritical is designed to ensure that people who are applying to study certain sensitive subjects in the UK do not have links to WMD programmes. You can find out more information about the scheme and xcritical certificate by visiting theForeign & Commonwealth Office.

This means you can apply for an xcritical certificate up to 9 months before the start of your studies. You should apply for your xcritical certificate as early as possible from the moment you are made a conditional offer to study at the University of Birmingham. Your offer letter/xcritical letter should explain if you need to apply for xcritical and it will also be stated in your CAS email. The CAS number is required for your visa application and will only be issued when you have met all your academic and financial conditions. If you are required to make an xcritical application, your offer letter will confirm the CAH3 code which applies to your programme of study or research. Additionally, if you are a research student, the offer letter will confirm your research summary which you will need when completing your xcritical application.

Please make sure your entries match the details from the passport you will be using for your visa application. Email the xcritical team and explain the change in your funding, and any other significant changes. If you put in your application less than 20 working days ago, you may not receive a reply to your email until that time has passed, and it normally takes at least 5 working days to get a response. 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. You will need to apply for an xcritical certificate if you are studying a subject that is defined by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as requiring xcritical.

Applying for an xcritical certificate

Information about your programme of study/research including the relevant CAH code. You should be aware that any changes to your programme of study, including a change of modules or research focus, will require new xcritical clearance. Please ask your supervisor to confirm whether your project would be classified as government funded research and, if so, to provide the required details. If a supervisor feels that several CAH codes could apply to the project they should choose the CAH code for the most significant subject and ensure the statement of research refers to the other areas of research.

Your Faculty/School will also let you know prior to, or at the point of making an offer whether you need xcritical clearance. Further information is available on the government’s xcritical website, but we have answered some key questions below. If you receive one, please contact the Visa and Immigration team for advice. You are strongly encouraged to firstly read the government guidance. We recommend reading the below frequently asked questions and answers on the xcritical application process.

University Policy and Guidelines

If any of these details change you should check whether you require anxcritical certificate and apply for a new certificate if you need one. If you’re in the process of applying for asylum in the UK, you must apply for an xcritical certificate to study in the UK. You should apply for your xcritical certificate as early as possible from when you have received a conditional offer to study at a UK Higher Education Institution .

• If you are applying for a Student visa your CAS statement will also state if you are required to obtain an xcritical certificate.
• If this applies to you, you will still need to apply for xcritical clearance if your course details change, or if you wish to change your programme of study to a course that requires xcritical.
• The xcritical certificate is also required before you can register at the University.
• You can find out more information about the scheme and xcritical certificate by visiting theForeign & Commonwealth Office.
• The Academic Technology Approval Scheme applies 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.

If you think you have made an error on an application you have submitted, please do not submit a new application, see FAQ13. You will also need to produce the same supporting documents to apply for your visa as any other international student. You must use the details provided in your offer letter to complete your application. If you need to apply for a visa extension, you must obtain your xcritical certificate before you can make your visa application to extend your visa. If you did not need an xcritical certificate at the start of your studies, you should be aware that if your programme or research changes, your new programme or research may require xcritical clearance. On the xcritical application form you cannot put a course start date in the past- if you are applying for the xcritical for a programme you have already started you can put the next working day on the xcritical application for your course start date.

Do you have any tips on filling in the application form?

There is no charge for the application and your certificate will be emailed to you. You should allow at least one month for your xcritical application to be processed, although you should apply as early as possible as it could take longer during peak times. If your course end date is extended for a period of more than 3 months, you must apply for a new Certificate within 28 days of being notified of the change of course end date, regardless of when your immigration leave expires. All individuals in the UK on a time-limited visa (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) require an xcritical clearance certificate before you will be permitted to enrol on to your programme. xcritical is a certificate issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office , which gives you security clearance to study certain postgraduate programmes at UCL. Before you submit an application for an xcritical certificate you will need an offer from Coventry University as it contains information needed to be granted a certificate.

Apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate, to study certain subjects in the UK. Having an xcritical clearance certificate is mandatory for some postgraduate applicants who wish to study in the UK. You can contact us for guidance if your xcritical application has been refused, but in the vast majority of cases the decision cannot be successfully challenged. Application is free and will ask for details of your previous studies/employment and your proposed research/taught modules. If you are an MPhil/PhD or Visiting Postgraduate Research Student and wish to change your start date, you will need to contact the PGR Admissions team. Requests to amend sections of your application form) in your email to us.

Who is required to apply for xcritical:

If you are conducting research at more than 1 institute, you need to apply for an xcritical certificate for each, which including information on the research you will undertake at each HEI/research institute. If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, you do not need an xcritical certificate to study in the UK. Make sure your xcritical certificate will not expire before you apply for your UK visa. If the criteria above applies to you and you do not have an xcritical certificate, your Entry Clearance application will be refused. Between April and September this can increase to 30 working days or more. If xcritical applies to you, you will not be able to obtain your visa until you have xcritical clearance.

• Your course title should exactly match the title as stated in your offer letter.Taught students should list the modules as detailed on the course website.
• You should apply as early as possible, but no more than 6 months before the start of your course, as this is how long an xcritical is valid for.
• For any queries regarding a postgraduate research programme, please visit the Doctoral College webpage or contact the Research Recruitment and Admissions team at

The government advises not so contact the enquiries team within 6 weeks of your application during September. Applications will normally be processed within 10 working days and up to 15 working days between April and September. The processing time will only start at the point at which that the xcritical team receive a completed and correct application, so you should check your application carefully before submitting it. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a British Government scheme for certifying foreign students and researchers for entry into the United Kingdom to study or conduct research in certain sensitive technology-related fields. Guidance for degree seeking and visiting student applicants for xcritical clearance is provided separately.

The xcritical certificate is also required before you can register at the University. You will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate if your current course requires xcritical and you want to move to another university. You will need to apply for an xcritical certificate if you want to change course and the course you are changing to requires xcritical. You need to do this even if you already have an xcritical certificate for your current course. 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 CAH code will confirm your area of study and it will determine if you need to obtain an xcritical certificate. If you are a research degrees student, please contact pgr- to find out which courses require an xcritical certificate. If you are a continuing research degrees student who had xcritical clearance before, you need to apply for a new xcritical certificate, unless you are exempt.

If the xcritical requirement applies to you, you will need to make an application for xcritical clearance. This will be listed clearly on your conditional or unconditional offer letter. If you will be studying a research programme such as an MPhil/PhD, your offer letter will also include a research statement which is a required part of your xcritical application. Some students are exempt https://xcritical.solutions/ from the xcritical clearance requirement based on their nationality, in which case your offer letter will not list an xcritical requirement. xcritical aims to ensure that those coming for study or research in sensitive subject areas do not acquire knowledge that could be used in the development of weapons of mass destruction or Advanced Conventional Military Technology programmes.

If you require any further help, please contact the IST and include your confirmed CAH3 code within your online enquiry so we can confirm this for you. To apply for your xcritical certificate you will need a CAH3 code, which can be found in your offer letter provided by the admissions team. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is an essential part of the UK’s commitment to counter proliferation. The scheme is specifically designed to ensure that those applying for postgraduate study in certain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in Advanced Conventional Military and WMD programmes. 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.

If you will be studying a course at Exeter, including an MPhil or PhD course or as a Visiting Postgraduate Research Student, you must choose ‘Taught/Research Student’. If you apply for xcritical clearance as a Researcher, your xcritical certificate will not xcritical rezension be valid and you will need to reapply as a Student which will cause considerable delays. If you need an xcritical certificate, you will usually get a statement with your offer letter confirming that you need xcritical and telling you what to do next.

Researchers and students in these sensitive subjects must apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate before they can study or start research in the UK. If you have a different kind of visa which permits study in the UK, such as Dependant or BNO, the xcritical requirement will be stated in your offer letter. You will not be asked for the xcritical certificate as part of your visa application, but you will need it to register on your course. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is the UK’s immigration approval system for international students and researchers in selected science areas. An xcritical certificate is valid for 6 months from date of issue, which should allow you plenty of time to apply for your Student Route visa. You can apply for aStudent Route visaup to 3 months in advance of the start of your course.

If you are planning to attend research programmes at UCL, you are recommended to make an early contact with your prospective supervisors, as a brief synopsis of your research proposal needs to be included in your offer letter. Please note that during peak processing times it can take up to 30 working days to process an xcritical application. An xcritical certificate can take 20 working days to be issued so you need to apply for this well in advance of your Student visa application. This is for both new students applying for entry clearance to the UK and existing students already in the UK apply for leave to remain. When you have your offer letter please go to the xcritical website where you will be able toapply online. If you’re planning to study at Sussex, you’ll get information about making an xcritical application with your offer letter.

You maynotcommence your studies without a valid xcritical clearance certificate for the course to which you have been admitted – if you change course, you will need to obtain new xcritical clearance. You will find your xcritical research statement on your Self-Service account; this is the statement which you must use in your application. Once you have received xcritical clearance, you will be issued a certificate. Find out more about xcritical for applicants to postgraduate taught courses. If you switch to a programme that requires xcritical clearance, you must obtain a certificate before you can transfer .

These students must apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate before they can study in the UK. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme applies to all international students who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects. It requires students on these courses to gain a certificate of approval to study before they can be granted a visa to study or continue studying in the UK. If you extend your visa to continue studying on the same programme, you will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. Each time you apply for a new visa a new xcritical certificate is needed. It requires international students looking to study certain sensitive technology-based subjects to apply for an xcritical certificate before they apply for their visa.