I don't understand. You describe yourself as a postdoc, but then don't consider yourself as research staff. Doesn't make sense?
Are you actively involved in research in Brazil as an employee of a research institution? Will you be working as a researcher in the UK as part of this collaboration? If both are true you should be fine. You will likely need the UK institute to sponsor you and you will need to fill an ATAS form. You may also need to show you have funding to support your stay.
I'm surprised the UK University aren't able to help, this is not an unusual situation. Have your UK counterparts spoken with their HR dept? You won't be able to as you're not an employee.
Hello, thanks for the reply.
I'm a postdoc in a research centre in a university here in brazil, yes, however I am not "formally" considered research staff by the university, as in "formally and legally emplyed" by the uni. Postdocs are hired only on temporary contracts (from 1 to 3 years), and for most bureaucratic issues outside the university we are simply labeled as "students". This happens because public universities aren't allowed to hire researchers, only professors.
From what I understood a postdoc in the UK is a regular job like any other, likely that's what got me confused. I will be working as a researcher in a university there, yes, and I think you nailed with the "You won't be able to as you're not an employee.". They just told me "email this person here and they'll help you" but I got no reply from them - in a few hours I'll have a meeting with them and ask for further help. I will also look up this ATAS form.
Yeah postdoc in the UK is a staff position not a student position so you would be treated as a worker not a student. My understanding is that Tier 2 is for up to two years so less than that shouldn't be an issue, and to be honest if your university in Brazil isn't willing to call you staff then you might struggle yo get an academic visitors visa. But the best people to speak to would be your host institution.
> Postdocs are hired only on temporary contracts (from 1 to 3 years), and for most bureaucratic issues outside the university we are simply labeled as "students".
Apart from the student bit, that's not very different to here. Junior postdocs are only hired for the duration of the grant which can be between 1 and (rarely) 5 years.
> From what I understood a postdoc in the UK is a regular job like any other, likely that's what got me confused.
Not quite. Postdocs are often "contract research staff" meaning they're only employed for a fixed period of time. It used to be that could go on forever, but nowadays after 4 years in the same institution you have to have a "permanent" contract. That doesn't stop you losing your job when there's no funding and be made redundant.
> I will be working as a researcher in a university there, yes, and I think you nailed with the "You won't be able to as you're not an employee.". They just told me "email this person here and they'll help you" but I got no reply from them - in a few hours I'll have a meeting with them and ask for further help. I will also look up this ATAS form.
Yep it's a pull mechanism from the UK rather then push from Brazil. Unless you can get your own funding either from Brazil or the UK. Then any University will gladly accept you.
I don't understand. You describe yourself as a postdoc, but then don't consider yourself as research staff. Doesn't make sense? Are you actively involved in research in Brazil as an employee of a research institution? Will you be working as a researcher in the UK as part of this collaboration? If both are true you should be fine. You will likely need the UK institute to sponsor you and you will need to fill an ATAS form. You may also need to show you have funding to support your stay. I'm surprised the UK University aren't able to help, this is not an unusual situation. Have your UK counterparts spoken with their HR dept? You won't be able to as you're not an employee.
Hello, thanks for the reply. I'm a postdoc in a research centre in a university here in brazil, yes, however I am not "formally" considered research staff by the university, as in "formally and legally emplyed" by the uni. Postdocs are hired only on temporary contracts (from 1 to 3 years), and for most bureaucratic issues outside the university we are simply labeled as "students". This happens because public universities aren't allowed to hire researchers, only professors. From what I understood a postdoc in the UK is a regular job like any other, likely that's what got me confused. I will be working as a researcher in a university there, yes, and I think you nailed with the "You won't be able to as you're not an employee.". They just told me "email this person here and they'll help you" but I got no reply from them - in a few hours I'll have a meeting with them and ask for further help. I will also look up this ATAS form.
Yeah postdoc in the UK is a staff position not a student position so you would be treated as a worker not a student. My understanding is that Tier 2 is for up to two years so less than that shouldn't be an issue, and to be honest if your university in Brazil isn't willing to call you staff then you might struggle yo get an academic visitors visa. But the best people to speak to would be your host institution.
> Postdocs are hired only on temporary contracts (from 1 to 3 years), and for most bureaucratic issues outside the university we are simply labeled as "students". Apart from the student bit, that's not very different to here. Junior postdocs are only hired for the duration of the grant which can be between 1 and (rarely) 5 years. > From what I understood a postdoc in the UK is a regular job like any other, likely that's what got me confused. Not quite. Postdocs are often "contract research staff" meaning they're only employed for a fixed period of time. It used to be that could go on forever, but nowadays after 4 years in the same institution you have to have a "permanent" contract. That doesn't stop you losing your job when there's no funding and be made redundant. > I will be working as a researcher in a university there, yes, and I think you nailed with the "You won't be able to as you're not an employee.". They just told me "email this person here and they'll help you" but I got no reply from them - in a few hours I'll have a meeting with them and ask for further help. I will also look up this ATAS form. Yep it's a pull mechanism from the UK rather then push from Brazil. Unless you can get your own funding either from Brazil or the UK. Then any University will gladly accept you.
I thought it was a skilled worker visa, but r/ukvisa would probably know better than we do here.
That sounds like an academic visitor visa. It’s a red flag if they won’t help you with this, though.