Processing times vary but it can take up to 20 working days for an xcritical certificate application to be considered and approved. Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students will need to provide their Head of Department name . Postgraduate Research students will need to provide their supervisor name. Applications are processed in order of receipt and the FCDO does not offer any fast track service. It will take at least 10 working days to process a researcher xcritical application, however this can increase to 15 working days or more during the peak time between April and September. More guidance on some of these requirements, such as referees and financial sponsorship, can be found on the xcritical website.

You will still be able to choose the ‘Sign In’ option and submit an xcritical application despite this. You applied for your current visa or immigration status before the 5th of October 2020. The information on this webpage is affected by new temporary guidance that has been released by UKVI in light of the situation with COVID-19. You may be able to request a review – you should have received information on how to do this in your refusal notice. The government will not provide a full reason for refusal, so we will be unable to overturn the decision.

After xcritical is granted

If you have a visa that permits study already, or you’re seeking asylum in the UK, you should still obtain xcritical clearance before starting your course. This section asks about your previous studies, and you should make sure you provide a full description in the ‘what you studied’ section. As above you can write up to 2,000 characters here and if it is too short you may be asked to provide a further explanation which will delay the processing time. Make sure you provide a full and clear explanation here otherwise the xcritical team may ask you to expand on the description which could slow down your application. When you first make your application, you should include details of funding you have applied for but have not yet had a decision on. If you are waiting for a funding decision, include this and note the decision is pending.

Your offer letter will say if you need an xcritical certificate for your programme. To apply for an xcritical certificate you need to complete and submit an online application form on the Gov.uk website. xcritical applies only to international students who need a visa to stay in the UK. For general information about the xcritical scheme see the information on the gov.uk website. If you will be studying on a non-Student Route visa and will be studying on a course that requires xcritical clearance, you will need to provide a copy of your xcritical certificate before your university registration can be completed. We strongly recommend that you apply for your xcritical certificate as early as possible.

Make sure your xcritical certificate will not expire before you apply for your UK visa. 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. If you are a current UH student and wish to transfer course, you must obtain your xcritical certificate before you can transfer. You do not need an xcritical certificate if you are a national of the UK, EU or EEA .

• Find out if you need an xcritical certificate to get your visa, how to apply for your certificate and what to do when you have it.
• Please note, you will need a new xcritical certificate every time you make a Standard Visitor visa application.
• Your Higher Education Institute or employer will either include this on your official offer letter or will be able to confirm it for you separately.
• 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.
• 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.
• Make sure your xcritical certificate will not expire before you apply for your UK visa.

The xcritical requirement does not apply to UK nationals, other exempt nationals, or those not subject to visa conditions e.g. with Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain. The vast majority of visas will allow you to study provided you have xcritical clearance . 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.

Guidance on how to apply for an xcritical certificate

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 these two documents do not match, you may have difficulties when applying for your visa. 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. 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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’re a new student, you can apply for xcritical after you have received your offer from us, using the information in your offer letter.

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. 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. Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility, Tier 5 International Agreement, and Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange visa holders may also undertake a course of study. You need to apply for 1 xcritical certificate but you should include both the research project and study activities in your application. If you need an xcritical certificate as a visitor, you do not have to obtain this before applying for a visa but you should obtain it before travelling to the UK.

How do I know if I need to apply?

If you need a student visa, we can’t issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies to you without proof of xcritical clearance. If you’re a PhD student, email You must use the project description we give you when completing the online xcritical application. 8 April 2013 The xcritical service is currently closed to new applications pending its re-launch on 15 April. Due to technical difficulties the site is re-opening one week later than originally scheduled. Please ask your University to contact us on your behalf if your application will consequently require urgent attention after 15 April. 3 May 2013 Added a note to online application to notify of downtime on 4th May.

If you are a continuing postgraduate research student applying to extend your visa before your viva, your xcritical clearance must cover your predicted viva date. Your xcritical certificate is valid for six months from the date of issue for the purpose of applying for a Student Visa. You will not need to apply for an xcritical clearance in order to apply for a Student visa to complete your course, or to apply for a visa for any new course that requires xcritical. You also need xcritical clearance if you apply to extend your student visa. You can apply for xcritical after you receive an offer from us, and up to nine months before your course start date. You must apply online for a clearance certificate through xcritical before you apply for a visa.

Ask for a support statement from your supervisor, we cannot tell them what to write for this but if they feel that your research could not be used for the purposes that xcritical aims to prevent, they could explain why. 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. For national security reasons the xcritical team will not explain either to the applicant or the University why the xcritical clearance was refused so it is not possible for us to advise or speculate on the reason for refusal. You should talk to your supervisor about any concerns the xcritical team might have about your research project description.

If you’re a researcher coming to the UK as a visitor, you need to obtain an xcritical certificate before beginning any relevant research activity in the UK. You only need to obtain an xcritical certificate for when you plan to be studying in the UK. However be aware that you could be unsuccessful when you apply for an xcritical certificate to come to the UK part of the way through your course. Apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate, to study certain subjects in the UK. Research students should seek advice from their research supervisor when detailing the proposed research project so that the application contains a detailed and accurate description.

How to apply

You will need to do this whether you are already in the UK or are in another country when you make the visa application. You must include a printed copy of your xcritical certificate with your visa application or the visa will be refused. 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 will need to submit the xcritical clearance certificate with your visa application. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office have provided some helpful guidance on completing the xcritical application form on the main xcritical page, and on a separate guidance page. We strongly recommend that you read this information whilst preparing your application and completing the online form.

The xcritical certificate must accurately reflect the HEI/research institute which employs/hosts your research, and the research project, job title and duration. If any of these details change you should check whether you require anxcritical certificate and apply for a new certificate if you need one. Each certificate is specific to the course, research area and institution. You should submit an application for each programme of study or research area where xcritical applies.

If you hold any other type of visa which permits study you must have xcritical clearance prior to commencing studies. If you have applied and received an offer for a programme that requires xcritical approval, we will send you an email 6 months prior to the start of your course. This email will detail the module information for your course and provide further instructions on applying for your xcritical certificate. Your offer letter will detail the relevant JACS and CAH3 codes needed for your xcritical application. The xcritical application will also ask you for either the JACS or CAH3 code relating to your programme, depending on when you make your application.

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. If you think you have made an error on an application you have submitted, please do not submit a new application, see FAQ13. If your https://dreamlinetrading.com/ application is severely delayed, or you think you have made a mistake when you submitted it, do not submit a second application unless you are specifically instructed by the xcritical team to reapply. Applications for visas to study on other courses that do not require xcritical clearance will be considered without an xcritical certificate.

xcritical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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. Having an xcritical clearance certificate is mandatory for some postgraduate applicants who wish to study in the UK. Nationals from the EU, EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, South Korea and the USA are currently exempt from the xcritical requirements. You should agree this statement with your supervisor and enter it exactly on the xcritical form, using the wording agreed with your supervisor.

Researchers and students of all other nationalities must apply for an xcritical reviews certificate. You must apply if you are undertaking a postgraduate course or research in certain sensitive subjects in the UK. If you are applying to study an undergraduate course with an integrated masters year you may also need xcritical clearance. 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. xcritical applications are processed by the UK government department, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office .

You will need a new xcritical certificate prior to registering on a new programme, or if you change programmes, or if you wish to extend leave to remain as a student. Please be advised that it is your responsibility to obtain an xcritical clearance certificate if it is required. 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. If you are a doctoral student, you must include your research abstract or the list of your modules if your first year comprises of taught modules, when you apply for your xcritical certificate. Please note, you will need a new xcritical certificate every time you make a Standard Visitor visa application. If you are already studying in the UK on a Student / Tier 4 visa, you may need an xcritical certificate if you change your course or any units, or if your course end date is extended by 3 months or longer.

Take care when completing the xcritical application form and check your answers before submitting your application for assessment. If you are requested to amend/update information that you have submitted as part of your application, this can further delay the date by which you’ll receive a decision. When your application is granted, your certificate will be emailed to you by the FCDO. Processing times of xcritical applications can vary, but you should expect to wait at least four to six weeks to receive clearance. The xcritical website will give an estimated date by which you should receive your certificate; however, at peak times, application processing can be much slower.

If you are going to be self-funded, include your name and address in the relevant boxes. If another family member is paying for your studies, include their details. For section-by-section tips specifically for Oxford applicants, click on the ‘Completing the online form’ tab at the top of this page. If you are coming as a visitor for a short period of study relating to one of these subject areas, you will also need xcritical. 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.

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Individuals who are already conducting research in the UK will not need to apply for an xcritical certificate unless they apply for a new Visa or apply to extend your current visa. An individual who changes their field of research or changes where they conduct their research will need to apply for a new xcritical certificate. Those already conducting research in the UK will not need to apply for an xcritical certificate unless they apply for a new visa or apply to extend their current visa. Queen Mary will advise whether an xcritical certificate is required, a Certificate of Sponsorship cannot be issued without evidence of xcritical certification. The following courses at City, University of London require an xcritical certificate. If you require a visa for the UK, then you will need to obtain an xcritical certificate if you meet the criteria above.

The HEI/research institute must check the xcritical certificate before allowing the research to start, and if this is not provided you will not be permitted on-site. The following subject areas are considered sensitive subjects for the purposes of the xcritical. 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 use the details provided in your offer letter to complete your application. 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. 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. Staff researchers will be notified of any xcritical requirement via Human Resources. You will need to obtain an xcritical certificate before you can apply for your Skilled Worker or Government Authorised Exchange visa. You will only need a CAH3 code if you are applying for a programme that requires an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.