Appointment of External Examiners for Research Awards
External Examiners
Introduction
Please read the University's Criteria for the Selection and Appointment of Examiners for Research Awards alongside this information.
Once an external examiner has been proposed by a student's supervisor, the School Research Office will request from the named academic, the necessary information required to ensure that the proposed examiner meets the criteria laid out in the above policy, through the completion of the External examiner's profile and declaration. This includes providing a full CV and confirmation of their eligibility to work in the UK which is required by the UK Visas and Immigration service.
Once all the paperwork has been received and processed by the School, this will then be forwarded to Registry for presentation and review by University Research Committee.
If approved, the examination team will be contacted to confirm their appointment.
Proof of Eligibility for Employment
We are required, by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) rules, to verify the 'right to work' of any person who undertakes any work at the University of Huddersfield. This is irrespective of the length or nature of the employment or the fact that the individual is already employed in another Higher Education institution. The University is therefore legally required to show evidence that it has checked and retained the relevant documentation of every person appointed to work for the University to establish their right to work in the UK.
We must verify your eligibility to work in the UK by sight of appropriate, original documents or via the Home Office Online Service before you commence your duties as an external examiner. We appreciate this does require additional input from you as an examiner, but the University of Huddersfield is grateful for your willingness to provide the documentation to allow us to undertake our duties to comply with the UKVI rules.
Most UK nationals working as external examiners find it easiest to use their current UK passport as evidence of their entitlement to work in the UK. If you are not a UK national or if you do not have a current UK passport for any other reason a full list of all documentation that can be used to evidence your right to work in the UK is provided below.
Where original documentation must be presented and verified, there are two ways in which this can be done, and your preference should be indicated when completing theExternal examiner's profile and declaration.
British or Irish Nationals Option 1: In person verification of original eligibility to work in the UK documentation by University of Huddersfield staff
If you are unable to complete a remote verification you can complete an in person check. This will have to be undertaken before we can send you a copy of the thesis.
British or Irish Nationals Option 2: Remote verification of original eligibility to work in the UK documentation by University of Huddersfield staff (please note that this option is compulsory for MA/ MSc/ MEnt/ MRes awards)
The verification of the original version of your eligibility to work in the UK documentation may be done remotely. This option will be necessary where you are examining for one of the research awards where an oral examination is not mandatory.
British or Irish Nationals who hold a current passport or passport card can utilise our external provider, YOTI, to complete a fully remote right to work check. You will be sent a verification check link and will be asked to upload a copy of your current passport. When you have completed the verification process, we will review it. The verification check on its own is not a complete right to work check. The next step is the Imposter check where a member of our staff will confirm that your appearance matches that of the photo and biographic details (DOB) on the verification check. The Imposter check can be done via video call or in person, but in either case must be done before your employment starts i.e. before we can send you a copy of the thesis.
Once this has been completed a PDF of the verification check will be created. The member of staff will then be required to add the following statement on the PDF copy:
‘'an Imposter check was undertaken via a video call/in-person (delete as appropriate).
Staff name:
Staff signature:
Staff position:
Date of Imposter check:’’
The right to work check is not complete until an Imposter check has been undertaken and the verification check has been annotated with the above statement by the member of staff present at the check.
Eligibility to Work in the UK Documentation
The Home Office sets out documents you can provide to demonstrate your right to work in the UK in two lists that are provided in the Right to Work Checks Guidance:
- List A contains documents which an individual with a permanent right to work in the UK can provide (such as UK nationals and those with Indefinite leave to remain).
- List B contains documents which may be accepted for individuals with a temporary right to work in the UK.
Only one option needs to be provided from either List A or List B.
EU/EEA Nationals
Freedom of movement between the UK and EU has now ended. If you are a national of the EU, EEA or Switzerland (visa nationals) and have obtained pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme you will need to evidence your right to work using the Home Office Online Checking Service. Note this is dependent on the type of documentation/immigration status you hold. You will have to provide a share code for an online right to work check to be undertaken by a member of our staff.
If you do not have the appropriate documentation to carry out the online check, a manual check in person must be completed.
EU, EEA or Swiss nationals who have not applied under the EU Settlement Scheme will require a visa to work in the UK.
Non-EU / Non-EEA Nationals
Right to work checks can be done via the Home Office Online Checking Service only if you have a BRP card (bio metric residents permit).
External Examiners based Overseas
External Examiners located overseas will not require a right to work check unless they are required to come to the University for a face-to-face viva.
Tier 2/Skilled Worker Visa Holders
Those who hold a Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa can undertake work as an external examiner under the current ‘Supplementary Employment’ rules in the Skilled Worker (formerly Tier 2) guidance. Supplementary employment must be:
- in the same profession and at the same professional level as the work for which your Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned
- be for no more than 20 hours a week and
- be outside of the normal working hours for which the Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned.
You will need to provide a letter from your Sponsor to confirm your current job title, working hours and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code so we can confirm that you are able to use your current Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa to evidence your right to work in UK as an external examiner.
Permitted Paid Engagement Route
The Permitted Paid Engagement route allows employers to invite visitors to undertake a short-term, fee-paid permitted engagement, which falls under a permissible activity.
External examiners and assessors fall under the category of a permissible activity, which allows employers to invite external examiners to visit the UK to examine students for up to a period of one month and to receive payment.
The individual must be highly qualified in their own field of expertise and be formally invited by the University of Huddersfield. The formal invitation must show that the engagement relates to the individual’s expertise and/or qualifications and their main job in their home country.
Further guidance on the Permitted Paid Engagement visa, including further eligibility criteria, can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Please be aware that the University is unable to pay the examination fee where the original eligibility documentation has not been provided, or an online right to work check has not been undertaken.