FAQ - students - after/while you're applying

I am applying to several different universities – will one ATAS certificate be enough?

Each ATAS certificate is specific to a course and institution. You need to submit an application for each programme of study or Higher Education Institution that you are applying for.

If the information on the certificate does not exactly match the information on your offer from the HEI, your Visa/EC/EoS could be refused.

You may submit as many ATAS applications as you wish. If you have more than one application to make at the same time the ATAS application form will allow you to copy across most of the basic details to save you re-entering them.

How will this affect my visa or extension of stay application?

The ATAS certificate is very important. Where applicable, if you do not have an ATAS certificate matching an offer from a Higher Education Institute then you will be refused a Visa/EC/EoS.

Please be aware the ATAS clearance certificate itself does not guarantee you will get a Visa/EC/EoS.

You will also need to produce to the Entry Clearance Officer the same supporting documents to support a student Visa/EC/EoS application as any other long-term overseas student. More advice about what information a student needs to supply for an Entry Clearance is available on the UK Border Agency website.

Will my ATAS application affect my university applications?

For new students you will need to obtain an offer from your Higher Education Institution(s) before you apply for an ATAS certificate.

For existing students you will need to have an official letter from your Higher Education Institution for the ATAS process. This will also be required if you apply for an extension of stay.

The ATAS process is completely separate to your Higher Education Institution applications.

Higher Education Institution(s) that you have applied to will be informed of the result of your ATAS application.

What will you do with the information I provide?

Once you have submitted your ATAS application your details will be held on our secure server in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. Once a decision has been made on your application it will be shared with UKBA, the Home Office and the Higher Education Institution you have applied to.

Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information on how we use the information you give to us. This also documents the ways in which we protect your privacy. We will not share your details with anyone else unless there are sufficient grounds under the Data Protection Act.

When will you have access to my details?

We will not be able to see the data you enter on the ATAS application form until you press the 'submit' button at the end of the application form.

What happens if I am refused an ATAS certificate?

Without an ATAS certificate you will not be granted a visa to come to the UK to study the course you had specified when you applied for clearance.

You are entitled to submit further ATAS clearance applications for different courses and they will be considered on an individual basis.

If you would like us to review a refusal decision please contact us. We will then provide you with further information on how to do this.

I have not received the email containing the link to the application form. What should I do?

The email should arrive in your account within 48 hours of registration. If you do not receive it after this time, please check to make sure your inbox is not full. Please also check your 'spam' folder to make sure that our message has not been filtered out.

If you have still not received this email please follow the forgotten password link on the application form home page. This will generate a new email with a new link to the application form. You will need to reset your password before you can access the application form.

My copy of the submitted application has data missing, or is incorrectly filled in, what should I do?

Please be aware the PDF has a character limit and will sometimes cut off information. If you are sure you have entered it correctly it will still be stored on our electronic system. We will contact you if we need more information.

If you have missed out information or you have incorrectly filled in some parts of the application form please contact us with details of what you need to change.

I have not received a confirmation email with a copy of my submitted ATAS application, what should I do?

If you have not received a confirmation copy of your submitted application please contact us and we will be able to send you a copy.

How long will it take to receive my certificate? Can my application be fast-tracked?

We aim to respond to the vast majority of applications within 20 working days from successful completion. Applying for an ATAS certificate does not automatically mean you will be granted one.

You should not book any travel until you have had a response from us. There is no facility to fast-track your application.  You should ensure you apply as early as possible to allow plenty of time, particularly during busy periods.

I registered with the wrong JACS code, how can I change this now?

Unfortunately there is no facility to change the JACS code you registered with. If you are able please register again with an alternative email address.

If you do not have an alternative email address please complete the application form and submit it. You will then be able to register again using the same email address, this time entering the correct JACS code. Please email us to inform us that you have done this, quoting your ATAS ID number, and we will withdraw the incorrect application.

Why is my application taking longer than 20 working days?

We will not start processing an application until we are satisfied it is correctly filled in. If we have to request more information from you we do not start processing the application until we receive an answer from yourself.
During busy periods we can have a lot of applications to process but we will do our best to process your application as quickly as possible.

Applying for an ATAS certificate does not guarantee that you will be issued one, you should not make any travel arrangements until the result of your ATAS application is known.

If you have not had a response from us after 20 working days please contact us.

Emails sent before 20 working days requesting the status of an application will not be responded to.

How will I receive my certificate? What should I do with it?

If your ATAS application is successful, you will receive a certificate by email to the address that you used to register. You should check your junk folders regularly to ensure the email has not been filtered out.

Once you receive your certificate, you should check that the details on it are correct and match your offer documentation from your HEI. If everything is correct please print out the certificate and include it in your documentation required for a visa or extension of stay application.

Can my ATAS certificate be used for another HEI?

An ATAS certificate is only valid for the specific HEI that you applied for and the course that you applied to study. If you wish to apply for another HEI you should submit another ATAS application.

My visa has expired and I still haven’t received my ATAS certificate, should I apply for my extension without it?

If you have not left sufficient time for your ATAS application to be processed, you can submit your application for an extension of stay to the Home Office and include a letter indicating you will send your ATAS certificate on when you have it.

You should be aware however that applying for an ATAS certificate does not guarantee it will be issued.  Failure to produce a valid ATAS certificate could result in your application for an extension being refused.

How do I unlock my account?

Please go to the application form home page.  Click on the 'Forgotten Password' link and enter the email address you used to register.  This field is case-sensitive so you should enter the address exactly as you entered it to register.  Please only do this once as each time you enter your email address it invalidates the last email to you generated by the system.

You should then receive a new link to allow you to access your ATAS form, (please allow a minimum of 30 minutes for this to arrive). You will need to create a password of your choice.  The password field is also case-sensitive.

When clicking on the link please ensure that the full link is highlighted.  If it isn’t please copy and paste the full link into your web browser. If you still experience difficulties please contact us.

Please note that the link sent out in the email will only give you access to the form the first time your access it.  If you log out and need to return to the form at a later date please log in via our website www.fco.gov.uk/atas.

I'm having difficulties with proceeding to the next stage on my application form

• please make sure you do not enter too much text on any area of the form. Reduce the amount of text you have entered and try to continue.  If you need to submit any additional information at a later date please email us after you have submitted your application, quoting your ATAS applicant ID.
• please also ensure that you enter only text and no symbols such as ' # > <.
• ensure that you have filled in all of the required fields.
• note that pages are locked if they are left inactive for over 9 minutes. this means 9 minutes without saving or clicking the next button.

If you still experience difficulties please contact us.