SoSS has a scheme to accept visiting academics either International, European or from the UK and Northern Ireland, which allows for short-term visits to a maximum of 2 years. You may be approached by an academic who you have had no previous contact/ relationship with or you may have an existing contact where it would be beneficial to you both for them to spend a period in the department/ Institute. Either is acceptable but what is crucial is that you consider the visit beneficial to yourself and understand that you will have responsibility for the visitor while they are visiting, in your role as Nominator.

If the visitor is international, it is recommended that you should allow six months for the Visitor to be approved and obtained a visa. While People Global Mobility ask for 3 months, UKVI is outside the University’s control. Depending on where the Visitor is coming from and time of year (summer is particularly busy because of student visas) this can significantly delay a visit.

If the visitor is from the UK/ Northern Ireland or Europe with settled or pre-settled status these are processed more quickly as no visa is required.

Information for those interested in visiting the School is available here.

There are two main routes for academic visitors visiting the University of Manchester: Standard Academic Visitor or a Temporary Worker Authorised Exchange – Tier 5.

Standard Academic Visitor Route

Academic Visitors must/may:

• be highly qualified in their field of expertise and currently employed in a teaching and/or researching role in that field at an academic or higher education institution overseas
• be on sabbatical leave from their home institution and carrying out research for their own purposes
• take part in a formal exchange programme (e.g., where the University is collaborating with an overseas university on research and exchanges staff for some or all of the duration of the project) and where their salary continues to be paid by their own institution
• come to share knowledge and experience or hold informal discussions with UK counterparts
• take part in a conference, meeting or seminar that is not a commercial or non-profit venture

Academic Visitors cannot: 

• Be students or recent graduates
• Be conducting research on University of Manchester hosted projects
• Study
• Be retired
• Be a named researcher on a grant
• Be a sponsored researcher (see GAE/Tier 5)

Please note if the visitor wants to bring school age children with them then the visit has to be for the full 12 months if they want their children to attend school in the UK.

Visitors who are employed by academic or high education institutions overseas and who are also students must obtain a Short term study visa to enter the UK.

See here for more information

Academic Visitors - Temporary Worker Authorised Exchange – Tier 5

This scheme enables researchers (which includes academics, researchers, scientists or other skilled research technology specialists) to come to the UK on a temporary basis, where they are hosted at a UK higher education institution (HEI). The HEI is able to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for a maximum duration of 2 years to undertake the following activities:

• A formal research project or collaboration
• A period of work-based training/work experience/internship/placement
• Skill development/knowledge transfer
• A series of lectures, which doesn’t amount to a formal teaching post
• External examinations

The researcher:

• May be funded by their host, their overseas employer, or an independent UK or non-UK funding body
• Must be in receipt of funding in line with, or above, the National Minimum Wage
• Must apply from outside the UK
• Can make frequent trips on this visa (i.e. they do not have to be resident in the UK for the duration of the approved visit).

They cannot:

• be self-funded
• fill a genuine vacancy ie in accordance with the Home Office rules, the role must be over and above the organisation’s normal staffing requirements, and which would not be automatically refilled once the post holder leaves.

The Tier 5 route is therefore 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 here.

• If you want to invite a visitor the first step is to communicate with the Head of Department/ Institute about the proposed visit and ensure there is space to host and get agreement in principle.
• Sometimes a visitor needs an invitation to obtain funding (initial invitation), there is a standard letter please contact SoSS-Academic-Visitors@manchester.ac.uk
• Please do not issue your own letter, as we have had instances where the Visitor has obtained a visa as a result of an independent invitation from an academic member of staff, and arrived at the University with the Operations Team having no knowledge of the visit and the Visitor is not formally approved by the University. This means they do not have access to any systems, no desk has been allocated and it places the Visitor in a difficult position as they can wait for several weeks until everything is set up.
• Complete the Application form with the Visitor. Visitor (Staff) Affiliation Request Form (The University of Manchester)
• In terms of the form you need to ensure you have carried out due diligence with regard to ATAS (it is unlikely that ATAS Clearance will be required) and Export Control – this may be required if the Visitors home institution is in a Key Country? If the visitor is coming from a Key Country then you will need a confirmation letter/ email from export control to submit with the application.

ATAS Codes for the Visitor Form

You also need to make an initial assessment on which visa is appropriate for the visit. The Global Mobility panel make the final decision on whether the visit falls under the Standard Visitor Route or Temporary Worker Authorised Exchange (Tier 5) based on what is on the form. It is therefore really important to be as clear as possible as to what the visit entails so it goes the correct route in terms of visa.

If Tier 5 then as Nominator you will need to produce a job description on a standard template.

If you need further guidance please contact SoSS-Academic-Visitors@manchester.ac.uk

Once the form is completed and you have the supporting documentation it can then be submitted to the School Operations Team SoSS-Academic-Visitors@manchester.ac.uk) attaching the Visitor Form, brief CV, Passport/ National ID, Visa (if applicable/ available), confirmation letter/email from Export control if the visitor is from a Key Country.

• When the paperwork is received by the School Operations Team, there will be an initial review to ensure that all the paperwork is complete. If there are any omissions or errors this will be followed up in the first instance by the Operations Team with the Nominator.
• The application will then be sent to the Director of Research so they are aware of visits and potential contribution in terms of research priorities and the internationalisation strategy.
• Once the Director of Research has reviewed, the application it will then be sent to the Head of Department/ Institute.
• The Head of Department/ Institute will review the application and raise any queries with the Nominator. Once queries are resolved, they approve the application and return to the School Operations Team, if it is a Visiting Professor the Head of School has to approve and the Operations Team will obtain the approval.
• The School Operations Team will then send to People Global Mobility.

People Global Mobility Review

Applications are reviewed by a panel in People Global Mobility usually once a week, it does depend on volume as to how quickly the applications gets reviewed and start date of the visit. People Global Mobility will make the final judgement on visa and may come back with queries before the final decision is made.

If the decision is the visitor can come on the Standard Academic Visitor visa (Visit maximum of 12 months) they let the School Operations team know who will then issue the formal invitation, the visitor can then apply for the visa themselves Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: Visit as an academic - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If the visitor is coming to the UK under Tier 5 then People Global Mobility liaise directly with the visitor over the visa see People Global Mobility Process - Temporary Worker Authorised Exchange – Tier 5 below.

• People Global Mobility issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Information Request Form to the visitor – Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange.
• Within this form personal details are asked for as well as proof of sufficient funds - copies of bank statements showing that the visitor has held the minimum funds that are allowable for at least three months. There is a minimum of amount for each migrant (including partners, children and other dependants who are coming to the UK with the visitor). At no point must the funds drop below the minimum requirement.
• In addition, proof from the visitors employer of salary details and any other additional sponsorship for the visit.
• People Global Mobility then apply to the UKVI for a CoS via the points based system.
• When this is issued they email the Visitor with the CoS and the Operations Team send the official invitation and Visitor Agreement Form.
• The visitor then has to apply to the Entry Clearance Officer for the necessary visa for them to travel to and remain in the UK (Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa: Apply - GOV.UK, submitting the original documentation/information.
• When the leave is granted, the visitor will be issued with an e-Visa and will be able to view their status through the GOV.UK ‘View and prove service’.
• They must enter the UK and start their visit within 28 days of the start date on the CoS or the date of issue of the e-Visa, whichever is the later. If they cannot do this they have to let People Global Mobility know as sponsorship may need to be stopped.
• From 6 April 2022 non-British/Irish nationals must demonstrate their right to work in the UK via the Gov.UK’s right to work service (Prove your right to work to an employer - GOV.UK. The visitor has to provide People Global Mobility with a share code for them to undertake a right to work check before they start working or on the first day. The check usually has to be done in person.
• The visitor has to check whether they are required to register with the police in the UK.
• 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. By paying this surcharge migrant workers will have access to NHS facilities.

Please note - The CoS can only be applied for 3 months in advance of the visit, as it is time limited.

Nominator’s Responsibilities:

• Communicate with the Head of Department/ Institute about the proposed visit and ensure that there is space to host.
• Ensure the correct paperwork is submitted to the School Operations Team (SoSS-Academic-Visitors@manchester.ac.uk) -Visitor Form, CV, Passport/ National ID, Visa (if applicable/ available) and you have carried out due diligence with regard to ATAS (unlikely that ATAS Clearance will be required) 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/ email from export control to submit with the application.
• If the visitor is coming under a Tier 5 route you will need to produce a job description using a standard template.
• Maintain contact with the Visitor prior to the visit and liaise with the department support to ensure that the identified space is set-up.
• Ensure that the Department Administrator adds the visitor to the department/ institute listserv so the visitor is included in seminars/other department activities.
• Be physically present on the Visitor’s first day in the department/ Institute to on-board them into the department/ institute and familiarise them with the University.
• Escort the visitor to People 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 in-person right to work check and ensure that they do this.
• Maintain regular contact throughout the visit.

Head of Department/ Institute Responsibilities:

• Review the application and raise any queries with the Nominator.
• Approve the application and return to the School Operations Team.
• If at Professorial level the Operations Team will obtain the Head of School’s signature.
• Meet with the visitor to welcome them to the department/ Institute at a mutually convenient time during the first month of the visit.

School Operations Team Responsibilities:

• An initial review of the application and supporting documentation to ensure that it is correctly filled in and there are no glaring errors or issues.
• Log the application on the SoSS Academic Visitor Log.
• Forward to the Director of Research for an initial review. If the Director of Research has any concerns they will liaise directly with the Nominator and Head of Department/ Institute.
• When the Director of Research has reviewed then send to the appropriate Head of Department/ Institute with a deadline.
• Chase the application with the Head of Department/ Institute if not returned by the deadline date.
• HoS needs to authorise any Professorial Visitors.
• Send the documentation to People & Global Mobility for review and approval.
• When approved issue the formal invitation letter, entry clearance letter (and the Visitor Agreement Template to the visitor.
• Ensure that the department administrator is aware of the visit and the timescales.
• If a bench fee is due, arrange for collection of this when the visitor arrives.
• Add visitor to SoSS Listserv.