Eligible for sponsorship
Check if a job (based on its occupation code) is eligible for sponsorship
The University can only employ people with permission to work in the UK. For many overseas nationals, this will mean obtaining a visa under one of the UK's immigration routes. Whether a visa is required, and the type of visa, will depend on the person's individual circumstances, but the Skilled Worker route (formerly Tier 2), Global Talent route (formerly Tier 1) and Government Authorised Exchange route (formerly Tier 5) are the visa routes most relevant to the University.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
Visa options for University Visitors
Policies and guidance documents
EEA nationals who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 may still be able to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Please see the HR website and GOV.UK for more information.
With status under the EU Settlement Scheme it’s important that all personal details (name, address, passport information etc.) are kept up to date with the UKVI. Please see GOV.UK Update your UK Visas and Immigration account details for further information.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is a scheme administered by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is aimed at preventing the transfer of information, knowledge or technology which could develop, advance or support an Advanced Conventional Military Technology and Weapons of Mass Destruction programme or their means of delivery. ATAS is a type of vetting scheme and we have a legal requirement to protect our research both as a University and internationally.
For Students and ATAS please see the Student and Academic Administration pages.
A check for the ATAS requirement must be made for the sponsored Skilled Worker and Government Authorised Exchange routes for new, switch and extension visa applications. A check must also be made if an individual changes research subject or role.
An individual will be subject to the ATAS requirement where all of the following apply:
It is the University’s responsibility to check whether the worker is subject to the ATAS requirement.
If the individual is subject to the ATAS requirement, they must apply for and obtain a valid ATAS certificate before a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) is assigned by the University of Southampton. The individual must include a copy of the ATAS certificate with their visa application. If this is not included, their application will be refused, and the University's sponsor licence will be at risk.
The ATAS certificate will confirm that the applicant is permitted to apply for a University-sponsored Skilled Worker or Government Authorised Exchange visa. The ATAS Certificate does not guarantee the visa application will be successful.
HR Operations will liaise with the manager and individual regarding ATAS as part of the COS process.
The ATAS Condition may apply for visiting researchers coming to the University on a UK Visitor visa and will be undertaking science and academic activities as part of a permitted activity, including:
Please see GOV.UK for further details.
It is the visitor's University host’s responsibility to check whether they are subject to the ATAS condition.
If the individual is subject to the ATAS condition, they must apply for and obtain a valid ATAS certificate before being registered as a University visitor and before starting the research. It is recommended that the visitor obtains an ATAS certificate prior to travelling to the UK. Once a valid ATAS certificate has been issued, the individual must provide this to their University host and the host must attach this to the Visitor HR Request (New or Extension). If an individual is subject to the ATAS condition, and the ATAS certificate is not provided, the HR request will not be able to be submitted and access to systems will not be granted.
Relevant SOC (Occupation) codes (sponsored routes only)
Please see GOV.UK Relevant occupation codes for the list.
Relevant Subject areas
Please see GOV.UK Relevant subject areas for the list with CAH3 codes.
Exempt nationalities
Individuals who are nationals from countries in the EEA and Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and USA, do not need to meet the ATAS requirement or the ATAS condition. Please see GOV.UK Exempt nationalities for the full list.
Where ATAS applies, the individual will need the following from the University (to be provided by line manager / host) to include in their ATAS application:
There is no cost for the ATAS certificate.
For further information including timeframes and how to apply, please see GOV.UK Academic Technology Approval Scheme
Internal members of the University can also visit the University of Southampton HR UKVI SharePoint site to explore further details for ATAS.
No action is required for current Tier 2 visa holders. If we need to extend their visa or undertake a change of employment, this will be done under the Skilled Worker requirements.
The Skilled Worker route (SWR) replaced the Tier 2 (General) route and allows employers to recruit workers from outside the UK and Ireland to fill a wide range of skilled vacancies in the UK. Applicants must meet certain criteria and requirements before the University provides a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) which is used by the applicant to apply for their Skilled Worker visa.
People who wish to come to the UK, switch to or extend their stay in the UK on this route must meet:
The job advertised by the University must also be a genuine vacancy.
Check if you may be eligible for a SWR visa
For a person to be sponsored under the SWR, the job must be skilled to level 3 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (equivalent to A-level standard). This does not mean the worker has to have A-levels or equivalent qualifications, but the work they do must be at that level. Eligible jobs are listed in the tables GOV.UK.
The applicant must score 70 points to be eligible. This includes 50 points for mandatory or ‘non-tradeable’ criteria, and 20 points for ‘tradeable’ criteria. The mandatory criteria are set out in the table below. All applicants on the Skilled Worker route must score 50 points from this table:
| Points Type | Description | Points Available |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship | Must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the role, assigned by the University. | 20 |
| Job at appropriate skill level | The job must be in an eligible occupation code. | 20 |
| English language | Must have English language skills at level B1 or higher. | 10 |
The applicant must also score 20 points for salary and other attributes from the table below. The applicant can score points against only one row in the table. Where reference is made to the ‘going rate’, this means the going rate for the occupation code in which the worker is being sponsored:
| Option | Requirements |
|---|---|
| A: Salary only |
Salary offered equals or exceeds both:
|
| B: Relevant PHD |
PhD in a subject relevant to the job and salary offered equals or exceeds :
|
| C: Relevant PHD (STEM) |
PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job and salary offered exceeds:
|
| D: Shortage occupation |
The job is in a listed shortage occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both:
|
| E: New entrant |
Applicant is a new entrant to the labour market and salary offered equals or exceeds:
|
| F: Listed health or education occupation |
The job is in a listed health or education occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both:
|
Applicants applying from outside the UK, or who have been in the UK for less than a year at the date of application, must show they have enough funds to support themselves and any family members in the UK.
As an A-rated sponsor, the University can certify this requirement is met when we assign a COS to them.
For some occupations, applicants need to provide a criminal record certificate from the relevant authority in any country in which they have been present for 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the past 10 years, while aged 18 or over. The list of occupations can be found GOV.UK.
Where an individual is subject to ATAS clearance, they must apply for an ATAS certificate before a COS is issued. Please see the ATAS section above for further details.
Sponsorship is provided in line with the duration of the appointment. The University can provide initial sponsorship for up to 5 years. There is no limit to the time that can be spent sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa, but individuals may be eligible to apply to stay permanently after 5 years residence in the UK. Please see GOV.UK for further details.
The applicants partner and children can apply to join them in the UK as their ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible. If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as the applicants. Please see GOV.UK for further details.
If the applicant indicates they require a COS HR Operations will undertake assessments to check that all requirements can be met for the SWR and will undertake next steps for the COS process with the individual and their manager.
The applicant is responsible for submitting their own visa application online, once HR Operations have confirmed a COS has been assigned to them. The COS will be valid for three months to use with their application.
Applicants will be asked to prove their identity and provide:
*This information can be found on the COS.
The applicant may be asked to provide additional information (such as proof of funds, a PHD certificate, a criminal records certificate etc.) Please see GOV.UK for further details.
The applicant must submit their application no more than three months before the start date in their COS. Existing employees must submit their application before their existing visa expires.
Once the full visa application, including online application, payment of fee, and registering biometric details, has been completed processing times are normally:
Priority services, are available at additional cost.
When submitting their visa applications online (after they have been issued a COS) applicants and their dependants have to pay the following:
Visa application fees will vary depending on the length of the COS, and whether the job is on the Shortage Occupation List. Nationals of some countries pay a reduced application fee. More information about costs can be found on GOV.UK.
These costs will need to be met by the applicant themselves but they may be eligible for reimbursement for some of the costs, as per the University’s Visa Reimbursement Policy.
You can apply for reimbursement once you've received a successful outcome from your visa application, we've checked your right to work, and - if you're a new employee - you've commenced employment with us.
Applicants will either be granted digital immigration status (eVisa) and/or a Biometric Resident Permit. Some applicants who applied outside the UK will receive an Entry Clearance vignette (visa sticker) in their passport, as well as a decision letter which will also explain where they can collect their BRP.
The visa sticker will be valid for around 30 days, and will allow the applicant to enter the UK within that period. They must collect their BRP within 10 days of entering the UK.
In other circumstances, applicants will have an eVisa which they can access via their UKVI account.
When a Skilled Worker/Tier 2 visa holder approaches the end of their visa (permission to stay) and their contract is being extended, they can apply for a visa extension under SWR or other visa routes if they are eligible. Eligibility and requirements must continue to be met to provide a COS extension.
The University has a duty to report any changes in circumstances to the UKVI within 10 days – it is very important that the University meets its statutory duties. Failure to do so can result in the University being fined and/or losing its sponsorship licence and the University having to end sponsorship of the employee.
Line manager and sponsored employees are both responsible for reporting any changes of circumstances to HR and will be sent a responsibilities document when a COS is assigned and reminders regularly throughout the sponsorship period. Types of changes that need to be reported include:
To report a change in circumstance as either a manager of a sponsored employee or as the sponsored employee, please contact Ask HR as soon as you become aware of the change.
Internal members of the University can also visit the University of Southampton HR UKVI SharePoint site to explore further details for SWR.
The Global Talent Visa (GTV) allows the most highly skilled individuals within a certain eligible field to come to the UK as either a leader or potential leader.
The GTV is an alternative to the Skilled Worker visa for eligible international applicants including EU and EEA nationals (excluding Irish nationals), with more flexibility and without the requirement for University sponsorship. Under GTV, there is no minimum salary requirement, no language requirement, and as GTV is non-sponsored, the University does not have the same additional reporting requirements as Skilled Worker.
There are two stages for the application for GTV: endorsement stage and the visa itself. The applicant decides whether to apply for the endorsement first and then the visa, or to apply for both endorsement and the visa at the same time. The application must be made online and depending on the endorsement route, the University may need to provide supporting written confirmation.
There are three fields the individual can be endorsed if they are leader or potential leader:
The six Home Office engaged endorsing bodies are as follows and differ depending on which of the above fields the individual applies under (see Eligibility for further details):
For the field of Academia and Research, there are four routes for endorsement:
Individuals who are at least 18 years of age can apply for this visa if they are endorsed as a leader or potential leader in one of the three fields noted above.
Under ‘Academia or Research’ the individual will need to be a leader or potential leader in one of the following four fields: Science, Medicine, Engineering or Humanities. The endorsement routes for ‘Academia or Research’ are subject to eligibility as follows:
Route 1: Academic and research appointments: Fast-track endorsement for individuals who have accepted a position at an approved UK higher education institution (HEI) or research institute with responsibility either for academic, research or innovation leadership and development, or for directing or leading an individual or team in a research or innovation project or programme of work. Endorsing bodies: The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Royal Society
Route 2: Individual fellowships: Fast-track endorsement for individuals who have been awarded an individual fellowship on the list approved by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. The fellowship must be current or within the last 5 years.
Endorsing bodies: The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Royal Society
Route 3: Endorsed funders: Fast-track endorsement for researchers and specialists whose name or job title is specified in a successful grant application from an endorsed funder approved by UKRI. In order to be eligible, researchers must be hosted or employed by an eligible institution approved by UKRI.
Endorsing body: UK Research and Innovation
Route 4: Peer review: Standard endorsement for individuals submitting an application for full peer review.
Endorsing bodies: The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Royal Society
Please see GOV.UK for further details.
Subject to eligibility, an applicant’s partner and children can apply to enter or stay in the UK. Please see GOV.UK for further details.
There is normally a two-step process which the applicant can either apply for separately for each stage or at the same time. Step one is the endorsement and step two is the visa itself. Applications must be made online.
Depending on the endorsement route, applicants will also need to provide supporting documents. For example, under Academic or Researcher and UKRI routes, a letter is required from the Director of HR. The HR Operations team will support with providing this letter if all statements can be verified by the employing department.
For further details on endorsement requirements per route under ‘Academia and Research’ please see the following links:
The endorsement decision is normally made within eight weeks, unless a fast-track route is available in which case it will take one week.
Once the full visa application, including online application, payment of fee, and registering biometric details, has been completed processing times are normally:
There is a fee for each of the following which the applicant pays for:
For the full breakdown of fees, please see GOV.UK
If successful, the applicant may be able to claim some of these costs back under the University's Visa Reimbursement Policy.
International students who have completed an eligible course at a UK higher education provider can apply for the Graduate route to continue to stay in the UK and work. Applicants must have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa, and must be in the UK when applying for the Graduate visa. The maximum period for this visa is 2 years for Bachelor’s or Master’s level study, or 3 years for Doctoral students. This visa cannot be extended but eligible individuals may be able to switch to another visa such as Skilled Worker.
This route is non-sponsored which means applicants do not need a job offer to apply for this route, there are no minimum salary requirements, and there is no cap on numbers. This also means individuals with this visa can switch jobs, and work flexibly, and the University does not have additional reporting requirements for changes to individual’s circumstances.
Please see GOV.UK Graduate visa for further details including eligibility, cost and how to apply.
European staff who live outside the UK but travel back and forth to the University to work, and who have been doing this prior to 31 December 2020, may be deemed 'Frontier Workers'. They can apply for a Frontier Worker Permit to evidence their right to continue working in this way. A frontier worker will not require sponsorship by the University.
A person will be deemed a Frontier Worker if they:
A digital permit will be issued rather than a physical document. It will be valid for 5 years, or 2 years for retained rights if they are currently not working, and can be extended as long as work in the UK is continuing.
There is no application fee and the application can be made from inside or outside the UK. Please see GOV.UK for further details.
The following section provides a summary of the different visa routes that may be available for a visitor to the University who is coming to the UK from overseas.
For more detailed information please see Guidelines - Visa Routes for International Visitors.
Under the Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) route, the University can sponsor people coming to the UK, on a temporary basis, to take part in one or more of the following activities:
Sponsored researchers include academics, researchers, scientists, research engineers or other skilled research technology specialists.
The role they are filling must be supernumerary (i.e. in addition to the faculty's normal requirements).
Please see GOV.UK for further details.
In certain circumstances, overseas academics may be able to visit the UK for up to a month to undertake a paid engagement, without requiring sponsorship. They need to be invited by a UK institution as an expert in their professions. Examples of PPE include:
Please see GOV.UK for further details.
Depending on the purpose of their trip some overseas visitors to the University may be able to enter on a visitor visa as a Business or Academic Visitor:
Business Visitor:
Maximum Stay: Six months. A multiple entry visa for 2, 5 or 10 years is available (each visit duration maximum is six months).
Payment: No salary. Only reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.
Academic Visitor:
Maximum Stay: 12 months
Payment: No salary. Only reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.
Please see the following links for further details:
For general information please contact Ask HR in the first instance. They will try to answer your query, sign post you to the relevant information or escalate it to another HR team to action or respond to.
For questions about the visa application process and for general immigration advice please contact the UKVI. Please see GOV.UK for contact information.
Internal members of the University can also visit the University of Southampton HR UKVI SharePoint site to explore further details on each of the visa types above.
Visa Reimbursement
FORM - Request for Reimbursement of Visa Costs
Sponsored worker and sponsoring line manager responsibilities
GUIDELINES - Tier 2 / SWR Employee Responsibilities
GUIDELINES - Tier 2 / SWR Line Manager Responsibilities
Maintenance
FORM - Application for Maintenance Loan (PDF)
FORM - Application for Maintenance Loan (Word)
Global Talent Visa
GUIDELINES - Global Talent Visa
T5 visitor and supervisor responsibilities
GUIDELINES - Tier 5 / Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange Visitor Responsibilities
GUIDELINES - Tier 5 / Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange Manager Responsibilities
Brexit information for EU nationals
GUIDELINES - Brexit information for EU Nationals
International visitors
Guidelines - Visa Routes for International Visitors
Temporary Work - Government Authorised Exchange - COS Personal Details Form
Check if a job (based on its occupation code) is eligible for sponsorship
Identify a job’s occupation code.
Check the minimum going rate for a job (i.e., the going rate for the occupational code)
Check if the job qualifies for a PHD salary discount (including STEM PHD)
Check the minimum salary requirements for the ‘new entrant’ option
Check if the job is listed as a shortage occupation and what 80% of the going rate is for that job
Use this tool to check if someone is eligible for Skilled Worker visa
To view the most up to date guidance on the Skilled Worker Visa