The Home office has announced a new requirement for those students who wish to study at Masters or above level, a course that is of more than 6 months` duration that they must obtain ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate from the Foreign and Commonwealth office`s Counter Proliferation Department.

This new requirement would be enforced from 30th of November 2007 and any entry clearance application or further leave to remain application submitted after this date must be accompanied with a valid ATAS certificate. Non compliance of this requirement would mean that the application would automatically be refused.
 
An ATAS certificate can be obtained by filling out an on-line application at the following web link:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1186674480243

There is no charge for making this application and it would take 3 weeks time to receive a response from the relevant department.

You must have an offer from the University before making an application for ATAS certificate. If you have more than one offer from different Universities, you must apply for ATAS certificate for each course. You can apply for as many ATAS certificates as you wish.

If the ATAS certificate is refused, the applicant would be given a right of appeal against that decision. If the appeal is also dismissed, then the entry clearance application or further leave to remain would also be turned down.

Please note that an issuance of an ATAS certificate would not guarantee issuance of visa or entry clearance. The applicant must fulfil the regular requirements of entry clearance or further leave to remain application.

Following are the subjects that if a student wishes to study / research, he must obtain a valid ATAS certificate before submitting his student visa or extension of student visa application:

JACS Code:     Subject

• B1 – Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology
• B2 – Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy
• B9 – Others in Subjects allied to Medicine
• C1 – Biology
• C2 – Botany
• C4 – Genetics
• C5 – Microbiology
• C7 – Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry
• C9 – Others in Biological Sciences
• D3 – Animal Science
• D9 – Others in Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects
• F1 – Chemistry
• F2 – Materials Science
• F3 – Physics
• F5 – Astronomy
• F8 – Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences
• F9 – Others in Physical Sciences
• G1 – Mathematics
• G2 – Operational Research
• G4 – Computer Science
• G7 – Artificial Intelligence
• G9 – Others in Mathematical and Computing Sciences
• H1 – General Engineering
• H2 – Civil Engineering
• H3 – Mechanical Engineering
• H4 – Aerospace Engineering
• H5 – Naval Architecture
• H6 – Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• H7 – Production and Manufacturing Engineering
• H8 – Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering
• H9 – Others in Engineering
• J2 – Metallurgy
• J4 – Polymers and Textiles
• J5 – Materials Technology not otherwise specified
• J7 – Industrial Biotechnology
• J9 – Others in Technology

Subjects included for Taught Masters as well as Doctorate and Masters degrees by research (but not MEng. MPharm, Msci):

• F2 – Materials Science
• F3 – Physics (including Nuclear Physics)
• H3 – Mechanical Engineering
• H4 – Aerospace Engineering
• J5 – Materials Technology not otherwise specified.