Visitor Hosting

Please note that the following guidance is for OxCIN researchers only

centre Visitor Hosting Guidance

All external individuals coming to OxCIN (both visiting students and staff) need to be approved by the Centre admin team, and visits over 3 months need additional approval from the Centre directorate prior to the visit taking place. Please use the OxCIN visitor hosting request form below for both purposes.

Note that you always need to inform your departmental HR team about a visitor, and OxCIN approval does not replace departmental approval.

Why do we need to be informed?

We need to be informed about all visitors (even short-term) to make sure we have the resources to host the proposed work and that the visit complies with visa rules and university policy. This also enables us to keep records of individuals that will be in the building for security and health/safety purposes. We can help you and your visitor navigate and speed up HR processes such as requesting their access card, and provide any additional material you might need (e.g. letters of support).

WhAT LEVEL OF approval DO I neeD?

Approval by the Centre admin is needed for any visitor that will be visiting OxCIN for more than one day. Approval is not needed for visitors who are only attending a meeting or a talk for a short time period within a given day, as long as they are accompanied by the host at all times, but we always appreciate being notified of their name so that we know to expect them at reception.

Additional approval by the Centre directorate is needed for visitors who would be working with you for more than three months. This is because our space and resources are limited. 

Please note, visitors staying less than a year will not be provided individual desk space.

How do I apply for oxcin approval?

For all visitors, please email admin@oxcin.ox.ac.uk and attach the below OxCIN visitor hosting request form. For visits over 2 weeks, please include a CV of the visitor.

For visits over three months, please submit approval form to us well ahead of any deadlines, preferably two months (ideally more). If any letters of support are needed, please indicate this at the time of OxCIN form submission.

OxCIN Visitor Hosting Request Form [Requires SSO]

What is the next step?

After OxCIN approval has been confirmed, you and your visitor will need to go through the relevant departmental procedure. Please contact your department HR team for more information on this process, including timelines. Centre admin can help liaise with HR where necessary.

If your visitor is an undergraduate student or a member of staff at their home institution, they will usually be given an Academic Visitor Agreement (AVA). This is arranged by your department's HR team. 

If your visitor is a graduate student staying for more than one term, they may need to apply for Registered Student status. Depending on your department, this may be arranged through the department's Graduate Studies team or the HR team. There are usually tuition fees associated with Recognised Student visits. 

Depending on the specifics of the visit, completing the departmental paperwork can take several weeks to months, especially if the visitor needs a visa, so it is best to start the process as soon as possible.

Feel free to email admin@oxcin.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions. We are happy to help you navigate the paperwork!