The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) was introduced on 1 November 2007 to help stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.
The ATAS is designed to ensure that people who are applying to study certain sensitive subjects in the UK do not have links to WMD programmes.
If you need to get an ATAS certificate you must do so before you apply for your student visa or extension of stay. Possession of an ATAS certificate does not guarantee you a visa, or extension of stay, but your application to do so will automatically be refused if you need an ATAS certificate and cannot provide one.
An ATAS certificate is specific to both the programme of study that you intend to undertake and the University/Higher Education Institution. If you are in possession of a number of offers from different Universities/Institutions and have not decided which one you are going to accept you must apply for separate ATAS clearance certificates for each University/Institution and programme of study.
An ATAS certificate is valid as long as the details of your course do not change. You can apply for an ATAS certificate up to 12 months in advance of your extension.
Not all ATAS applications will be approved - you should not make any travel plans before your ATAS application is resolved. We would therefore encourage you to apply as soon as you are able to.
If you are in the UK already and planning to commence a course that comes under the ATAS requirements and your visa expires before your course does, we would recommend that you apply for an ATAS certificate BEFORE you start your new course. There is otherwise a risk that you start a course and your ATAS application is refused, in which case you would be unable to get an extension of stay to undertake the remainder of the course.
For more information please visit University's International Students Pages.
