Academic & Affiliate Visitors and Honorary Appointments

There is now a standardised procedure for Academic Visitor and Honorary Staff appointments being implemented across the University which must be followed in all cases. Any applications which do not follow to the correct procedure will not be processed by People Services.

It is important that you read the relevant appointment policy before proceeding with an application. This is especially crucial for appointments where the applicant requires a visa to enter the UK and/or is a student in their home, or another, organisation.

Honorary appointments

Honorary appointments policy
Honorary appointment application form
Honorary appointment review form (for renewal of appointment requests)

All application forms and supporting documentation must be sent to the SEED School Office (SEEDSchoolOffice@manchester.ac.uk).

Required approvals

Most applications will require Head of Department approval before they can be submitted to People Services for processing.

Applications for the title of Honorary Professor require approval from the Dean of Humanities in addition to support from the Head of School before they can be submitted for processing. Application forms for Honorary Professor should be sent to the School Office accompanied by 3 supporting references in line with requirements for substantive appointments.

Academic and affiliate visitors

SEED can host visiting academics, either international or from the UK, for short term visits, or up to a maximum of 2 years. See our Visitors page for more information.

A visitor application should be completed in the following circumstances:

Visitors who require physical access to the University and its facilities and need to hold an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate to carry out their activities, regardless of the length of visit;
Visitors who require physical access to the University and its facilities and are not required to hold an ATAS certificate to carry out their activities, where the visit is for more than one week;
Visitors who require remote access of any duration.

Visits of 7 days or less do not require approval by the Global Mobility team and a visitor application form does not need to be completed unless any of the following apply to the visitor:

ATAS certificate required
Export Controls Clearance
The visitor requires IT access
The visitor requires an ID card
The visitor will receive payment from UoM

Visitors attending for 7 days or less who do not meet any of the above criteria still require approval from the Head of Department or Head of School and must be logged as a visitor to SEED. Please inform SEEDSchoolOffice@manchester.ac.uk of any such visitors so we can ensure approval is sought [please provide the visitor's name, visit start and end dates, department and a brief outline of the purpose of visit].

We advise you to submit Visitor applications as early as feasible. Global Mobility request that applications are received at least four weeks for UK residents and twelve weeks for international visitors prior to the planned start date of the visit.

Refer to our Visitors page for information, including details of activities academic visitors can, or cannot do.

Activities that Academic Visitors can and cannot do

Activities that Academic Visitors can and cannot do - Fee payments

Academic Visitor Fee Payments

Permitted Paid Engagement for Visitors

We are not permitted to pay a fee for work undertaken for the University on a Standard Visitor Visa. To pay a fee to an international visitor they must enter the UK as a Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visitor.

The Academic Visitor application process must be followed. Global Mobility can approve a Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visitor if a visitor will be visiting for the purpose of business (as described in the application). Visitors will be required to adhere to the Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) immigration rules and must only conduct paid for work in the first 30 days after they arrive in the UK.

Visitors must provide a copy of their visa to Global Mobility before they travel to the UK to be fully approved, along with a copy of the passport immigration entry stamp or a copy of their e-ticket. This is required so Global Mobility can evidence that the engagement takes place in the first month of their arrival.

Details can be found on the .gov website. For further information, please contact people.globalmobility@manchester.ac.uk.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme [ATAS] Codes

Please refer to the relevant guidance from People Services:

IT access process for Visitors / non-Staff

For agency staff (temps), NHS employees and work experience who need access to IT facilities please complete the IT Account Application Form (The University of Manchester).

Guidance on which form to complete can be found in the Requesting IT Access document.

Academic Visitor Application Process

Academic Nominator

Communicate with Head of Department about the proposed visit to gain agreement in principle.
If a Visitor needs an invitation to obtain funding (initial invitation) there is a template here: Academic & Affiliate Visitor Initial Letter of Invitation. Once complete, send to SEEDSchoolOffice@manchester.ac.uk to arrange sign off. Please do not issue your own letter. There have been instances where a Visitor has obtained a visa as a result of an academic invitation and arrived at the University when the Visitor has not been formally approved by the University.
Complete the application form with the Visitor: Academic & Affiliate Visitor Request Form.
Please ensure you carry out due diligence with regard to ATAS and Export Control – this may be required if the Visitors home institution is in a Key Country. If it is then you will need a confirmation letter from export control to submit with the application.
Once the application form is completed, and you have all of the required supporting documentation, please submit to SEEDSchoolOffice@manchester.ac.uk.

School Office

When the application paperwork is received by the School Office there will be an initial review to ensure the paperwork is complete. Any omissions or errors will be followed up with the Nominator.
The application will be sent to the Head of Department to review. They will raise any queries with the Nominator. Once approved, the application is returned to the School Office.
School Office will send the application to Global Mobility.

Global Mobility

Review applications weekly (application volume determines how quickly applications are reviewed).
Determine whether a visit falls under the Standard Visitor or Temporary Worker Authorised Exchange route based on the application form.
Communicate outcome to School Office.

Nominating Staff, Head of Department and School Office Responsibilities

Nominator responsibilities

Communicate with Head of Department about the proposed visit/visitor.
Ensure the correct paperwork is submitted to the School Office and that you have carried out due diligence with regard to ATAS and Export Control – this may be required if the Visitor’s home institution is in a Key Country. If it is then you will need a confirmation letter from export control to submit with the application.
If the Visitor is coming under a Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange route you may need to produce a job description (if the visitor form does not provide sufficient detail).
Maintain contact with the Visitor prior to the visit and liaise with the department support about related requirements.
Be physically present on the Visitor’s first day in the department/ Institute to on-board them into the department and to familiarise them with the University.
Escort the visitor to Global Mobility for them to collect their staff card and take relevant paperwork, visa information and passport etc and if coming under a Tier 5 visa make them aware of the right to work check and ensure that they do this.
Maintain regular contact throughout the visit.

Head of Department responsibilities

Review the application and raise any queries with the Nominator.
Approve the application and return to the School Office.
Meet with the visitor to welcome them to the department, if desired.

School Office responsibilities

Initial review of the application and supporting documentation and follow up any omissions/queries.
Send application to the Head of Department for review/approval.
Send the documentation to Global Mobility for review and approval.
Once approved, issue a formal invitation letter, and the Visitor Agreement Template, to the Visitor.
Log the Visitor’s stay to ensure a complete record of visiting staff.

Student Visitors

A student who is not enrolled at the University and who will be visiting to conduct a short piece of research which is relevant to a course they are enrolled on overseas, and that is at least the equivalent to a UK Degree, will be treated as an Academic and Affiliate visitor as the student relationship is not directly with the University

For all other student visitors, please contact Student Services via admissionshub@manchester.ac.uk.

Visas

Visit our Visitor visas page.

Standard Academic Visitor Visa

Applicable to visitors who are highly qualified, on sabbatical leave from an academic/higher education institution overseas and carrying out research for their own purposes (independent i.e. does not need input from academics in SEED to carry out their work).

The maximum duration for the visit is 12 months. If the visit is approved by Global Mobility, the formal invitation letter is issued by the School Office Team and the visitor applies for the visa.

Please note: If a Visitor wants to bring school age children with them then the visit has to be for the full 12 months if their children are to attend school in the UK.

Temporary work – Government Authorised Exchange (Sponsored Researchers)

This scheme enables researchers (academics, researchers, scientists, research engineers or other skilled research technology specialists) to come to the UK on a temporary basis, to be hosted at a UK higher education institution (HEI).

This route is appropriate for visits of a longer duration than 12 months and for those who want to spend some time at Manchester, but do not want to be here continuously e.g. may want to spend 3 weeks every 3 months. It is also suitable for postdocs who will need some supervision/ mentoring or researchers who have independent funding but will be visiting to work in collaboration.

Read more about this on the gov.uk website.

Visitors who require a Certificate of Sponsorship will be asked to complete a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Information Request form. If a certificate is required, Global Mobility will assign a CoS to enable the visitor to make their visa application.

When leave is granted, visitors are issued with an e-Visa and will be able to view their status through the gov.uk view and prove service. Visitors must enter the UK and start their visit within 28 days of the start date on the CoS or the date of issue of their e-Visa, whichever is the later. They must inform Global Mobility if this is not going to be possible as they may have to stop sponsorship.

Non-British/Irish nationals must demonstrate their right to work in the UK via the gov.uk’s right to work service and provide a share code for Global Mobility to undertake a right to work check before the visit start. Checks can be done in person or online.

Visitors may need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), payable by all non-British/Irish nationals who come to the UK to work or study for more than 6 months, or who are already in the UK, to access NHS facilities.