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Visitor visa checks

In this section:

  1. Overview and visa tool
  2. Standard visitor visa (up to six months)
  3. Permitted paid engagement
  4. Visit to study
  5. Science and academia
  6. Supporting international visitors
  7. Electronic Travel Authorisation
  8. Visitor visa checks

The department host should check the visitor's visa on their arrival in the department.

ATAS certificate

If the visitor will be carrying out research in a STEM subject and they are not an exempt nationality, a copy of the ATAS certificate must be obtained by the department.

Visa check

The original passport and entry visa must be seen and checked. You don't need to take a copy but you should check that:

  • the documents are genuine and haven't been altered
  • photographs and dates of birth are consistent with the person's appearance
  • the visa expiry date is in the future
  • if the person doesn't have an entry visa, check their passport and keep a record of the date they arrived in the UK
  • if the visitor is coming on a permitted paid engagement, check that their paid work will be completed within 30 days of arrival.

Example visitor documents

Not every nationality needs a visitor visa and the passport may contain an ink stamp or a handwritten note from an immigration officer. Visa vignettes are stickers in the visitor's passport and are usually valid for six months.

Academic visitors coming for over six months will either be given an entry visa vignette and/or an eVisa.

Further support

Should you have any questions or queries you can contact the team at hr-compliance@york.ac.uk.

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Electronic Travel Authorisation