Section 1: Before a Fellow travels to the UK
Who is my main point of contact?
What does ‘Provisionally Selected’ mean?
If a fellow has a disability, do they need to disclose it to the CSC?
What documents does the Host organisation need to return at the provisional selection stage?
When do I need to return documents to the CSC?
Is the Host Organisation required to carry out any checks on the Fellow?
What is the next stage?
When will the Fellow receive the Confirmation of Award letter?
What type of visa do Fellows need to apply for?
Do Fellows need health insurance?
Section 2: Booking travel to the UK
How will the Fellows arrange their travel to the UK?
How will Hosts know when Fellows are travelling?
Why do Fellows need to arrive to the UK at least one day prior to the programme start date?
What should the Host do if the Fellow cannot arrive in the UK before the programme start date?
Section 3: Preparing for a Fellowship in the UK
What stipend and allowances do the Fellows receive?
When and how will Fellows receive their stipend and allowances?
What fees does the Host receive?
How does a Fellow find accommodation in the UK?
Can a Fellow bring family to the UK?
How can Fellows and Hosts plan for a successful fellowship?
Does the Host need to conduct DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Checks?
Section 4: Whilst on award in the UK
What happens when a Fellow arrives in the UK?
Why do Hosts need to perform immigration checks?
How does the Host perform immigration checks?
Can the Host change the details of the programme?
What else does the Host need to report to the CSC?
Can Fellows travel outside of the UK?
Who do Fellows and Host Organisations contact if they have any welfare concerns?
Section 5: After the Fellowship
In what circumstances can a fellowship be terminated?
What documents does the CSC require from Fellows and Hosts at the end of their award?
What will Fellows receive on completion of their award?
What documents do Fellows need to send to CSC as evidence of their departure from the UK?
How can Professional Fellows engage in the CSC alumni network and evaluation post-award?
About Commonwealth Scholarships
Commonwealth Scholarships are awarded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC). These awards are managed by the Secretariat of the CSC which is based at The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).
Host Organisations and Fellows should read through all these notes carefully and refer to the relevant section at each stage of the process. The guidance notes are updated for each round of the Scheme so you should make sure you read the relevant version.
Section 1: Before a Fellow travels to the UK
Who is my main point of contact?
Each Fellow is assigned a Programme Officer at the CSC Secretariat. The Programme Officer will be the main point of contact before and during the award for Fellows and Hosts, however, Fellows and Host Organisations will receive correspondence from other members of the Secretariat at different stages of the process. The details for your Programme Officer will be given at the end of this document.
What does ‘Provisionally Selected’ mean?
The CSC Secretariat has issued a ‘provisional selection’ email to the Fellow which includes a health and disability form and a visa information form. These documents need to be returned as soon as possible (by email) along with any missing documentation (where specified). ‘Provisional selection’ does not mean that the Fellow has actually been offered a Fellowship.
If a Fellow has a disability, do they need to disclose it to the CSC?
We strongly encourage fellows to tell us about any disability, health condition, impairment or issue that may affect the fellowship. The CSC actively welcomes applications from candidates with disabilities and offers support to help you excel. For information on disability-related support, see the CSC disability support statement.
What documents does the Host organisation need to return at the provisional selection stage?
The Host needs to return the signed Programme Provider Host Declaration, UK Work Locations form and detailed programme of fellowship. The CSC is unable to proceed until the Host has returned all the required documentation.
When do I need to return documents to the CSC?
Fellows and Host organisations will receive documents from the CSC throughout the process; it is very important to complete and return them in accordance with the timescales set by the CSC. Failure to return documentation in a timely manner will mean that the CSC cannot proceed to the next stage and is likely to lead to a delay in the fellow’s arrival.
Is the Host Organisation required to carry out any checks on the Fellow?
The Host must verify the identity and qualifications of the selected Fellows (the CSC does not carry out background or qualification checks on applicants) and confirm that the Fellows have the appropriate qualifications and sufficient experience to undertake the programme. The Host must verify the selected Fellows home employment and confirm that they are in good standing within their profession and with their current employer. The Host must also assess the Fellow’s English language ability prior to the award to ensure that they will be able to follow the programme of activities in the UK.
What is the next stage?
Once the CSC has received the required documentation from both the Fellow and the Host, the CSC can issue the formal Notification of Award to the Fellow. The CSC will use the dates that the Host organisation has confirmed in the detailed programme of fellowship. It will not be possible to change these at a later date as this will cause problems with issuing the supporting documentation for the visa.
The Fellow will need to complete and return the award acceptance form (by email). The Fellow will also need to read, sign and return the client care letter and start to familiarise themselves with the visa guidance.
When will the Fellow receive the Confirmation of Award letter?
Once all the documents have been received from both the Fellow and the Host organisation, the CSC can confirm the award. The Fellow will receive a Confirmation of Award and a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), along with detailed visa instructions. The Host Organisation will receive a copy of the letter for their information. The CSC cannot produce the Confirmation of Award and the CoS if we have not received all completed documents from the Fellows and the Host organisation. Therefore, any delays in receiving documents will delay the Fellows’ arrival.
What type of visa do Fellows need to apply for?
Most Commonwealth Professional Fellows will need to obtain a visa to come to the UK under the (Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange) category. The ACU, which provides the CSC Secretariat, acts as the Temporary Work – GAE visa sponsor on behalf of the CSC and will assign the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the Fellow’s visa and advise Fellows on making a visa application. Fellows should not make any application without prior guidance but will need to make their visa application as soon as possible after receiving the CoS, as visa applications take several weeks to process.
Fellows must apply for their visa using an online application system and are asked to pay the visa fee using a credit or debit card. Fellows will be reimbursed for the cost of one standard visa application on arrival in the UK, which is £298. Provisionally selected fellows should consider how they will make payment for their visa application. If a Fellow is unable to make credit or debit card payment this will lead to delays in submitting their visa application and could impact their arrival to the UK. They should contact their Host organisation and Programme Officer for guidance at the earliest opportunity.
Fellows should refer to the visa guidance for detailed information on how to make a visa application.
Do Fellows need health insurance?
Yes. Fellows coming to the UK for less than 6 months do not have the option of paying the immigration health surcharge as part of their immigration application, and are required to pay for any care they get on National Health Service (NHS) at the point that they use it (with the exception of some services that are free).
Fellows must therefore take out health insurance to cover the full period that they will be in the UK. Fellows are advised to arrange this as soon as their award is confirmed as they will not be able to book their travel until they have details of their cover. Fellows will need to provide details of their health insurance to their Programme Officer before they can book a flight. The CSC is concerned to ensure that Fellows do not find themselves personally liable for a medical bill should they require treatment whilst in the UK.
The CSC is not able to assist Fellows with finding health insurance providers and is not able to cover this cost. The cost of health insurance must be met by the Fellow.
Section 2: Booking travel to the UK
How will the Fellows arrange their travel to the UK?
Once the Fellow’s visa has been issued they will be able to book their return flight to the UK through Diversity Travel, our designated travel provider, using Diversity Travel’s online travel booking portal. Fellows should send a copy of their visa and health insurance details to their Programme Officer as soon as they receive it and fill out their details on the online travel booking portal.
- Fellows are asked to specify dates on the travel booking They must discuss any preferences for dates with their Host before they submit their travel form and note the CSC travel policy for Professional Fellowships detailed below.
- On the booking portal Fellows should input their home town as their departure point and input the location of their Host Organisation in the UK as their final destination
- Our travel provider will send Fellows one flight option only. Fellows must check the itinerary and send their confirmation to the travel provider to allow them to finalise their booking. Fellows must respond as soon as possible.
CSC travel policy for Professional Fellows:
- Fellows must arrive in the UK at least one day prior to the scheduled start date of the programme.
- Fellows cannot depart the UK before their programme end date but must return home within five days of the end of award.
- The flight must be booked from the nearest major airport to the fellow’s home town to the nearest major airport to the Host organisation’s location. Depending on their location Fellows will be required to travel to the nearest major airport in their home country at their own cost. Please note that this cost will not be reimbursed.
- If required, our travel provider will book a train or coach from the Fellow’s nearest major UK airport to the Host organisation’s location.
- Flights and rail/ coach bookings will not be reimbursed if not booked via the CSC nominated travel provider.
- All flights are booked on the most economical route – direct and indirect flights will be considered when finding an appropriate economical route, and this will depend on date, location and route.
- All flights are booked with a reputable airline – our designated travel provider will not give preference to Fellows’ preferred airlines.
- The CSC travel provider may book a flight for fellows four days either side of the specified dates in order to find the best fare available within CSC travel policy, please be flexible. If we are unable to find a suitable flight on your specified date, our travel provider may suggest another date within CSC’s travel policy.
- The CSC will not be able to make any changes to the flight after it has been booked and any changes will need to be approved by the CSC and paid for by the
- Fellows should contact their Host to inform them of the exact date they are travelling once the flight is
How will Hosts know when Fellows are travelling?
Hosts should be aware that Diversity Travel is only able to liaise with the Fellow and will not respond to or accommodate any requests sent to them by the Host. The Host should liaise directly with the Fellow before they submit their travel booking to agree on any preferences for arrival date and to confirm the date the Fellow will arrive to the UK. Hosts should be aware that the CSC cannot guarantee that cohorts of fellows will be booked on the same flight. Hosts should also be aware of CSC travel policy detailed above.
Why do Fellows need to arrive to the UK at least one day prior to the programme start date?
It is a requirement for Hosts to obtain, check and copy each Fellow’s passport and visa before they commence their fellowship and for this to be returned to the CSC within 24 hours. To enable you to complete these immigration checks we expect Fellows to arrive to the UK at least one day prior to the programme start date as given on the Notification of Award and Certificate of Sponsorship. This ensures that immigration checks can be carried out prior to the commencement of the programme.
What should the Host do if the Fellow cannot arrive in the UK before the programme start date?
The Host must immediately notify the CSC if a Fellow is delayed and is unlikely to arrive in the UK to start the programme on the expected start date. This includes delays due to visa processing and missed flights. It also includes where a Fellow withdraws from their award for any reason. This is very important as a Fellow not reporting to the Host on their first day of award must be recorded by the CSC.
If a Fellow’s arrival is delayed and their programme start date has already passed, they must be prepared to travel immediately on the next available flight within CSC policy. The CSC will not be able to amend the programme start or end dates under any circumstances.
Section 3: Preparing for a Fellowship in the UK
What stipend and allowances do the Fellows receive?
The CSC Secretariat will be responsible for the payment of agreed stipend and allowances to the Fellow. Fellows receive a stipend which is only payable during the tenure of the award.
Fellows based in London (i.e. within the M25), will receive £2,553 stipend per month (pro rata) and Fellows outside London will receive £2,057 per month (pro rata) (at 2023/2024 rates).
These payments are to cover costs incurred in the UK whilst on award, such as cost of accommodation, daily travel within the host town/city, food and other incidental living costs. They are not intended to be used for costs in the Fellows’ home country either during or after the end of an award. Fellows should not be asked to make any payments other than basic costs to their Host organisation.
The Commission does not pay a study travel grant to Fellows, but incidental travel can be paid for out the £800 ‘host fee’ if desired; hosts were encouraged to bid for anticipated travel costs in their Fellowship application.
When and how will Fellows receive their stipend and allowances?
The CSC Secretariat will arrange to pay Fellows by means of a cash card, which will be loaded with the stipend and allowances. The cash card will be sent to the Fellows with separate instructions sent by email, on how to activate the card. Fellows should ensure that they read the cash card instructions carefully as the CSC cannot add any funds to the cash card until the Fellows have activated their card. The card must be activated before they arrive in the UK.
Fellows will receive their arrival allowance on their cash card when their flight has been booked. They will receive their stipend when they arrive in the UK and notify the CSC of their arrival. Fellows will be notified by email when their cash card is loaded with their stipend.
Fellows are advised to carry with them sufficient UK currency (around £200) to meet any expenses that they may incur immediately when they arrive, in case there is a problem with accessing the funds on their cash card.
What fees does the Host receive?
The Notification of Award letter (which is sent to the Fellow and copied to the Host), will detail the amount of fees (‘short course’ and ‘other’) the CSC has agreed to pay. These costs are also confirmed in the provisional selection email sent to Hosts with the results of their application.
The invoice for the Host Organisation fee (£800 per award) and these other fees should be sent to CSC Secretariat no later than two weeks before the end of the award or two weeks before the end of the Government financial year, whichever is earliest. Please note that all invoices will be paid by the CSC and remittance advice will be sent to the email address if included on the invoice to inform you when the invoice has been paid.
It will not be possible to pay invoices for any amounts other than those specified by the CSC in the Notification of Award so if you have any concerns about the amounts, please do raise this with the Programme Officer straight away. Please note that invoices must be payable by the ‘Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’ and should include full bank account details as payment is made by BACS. They should not have VAT added. Please also include the name and/or CSC reference of the Fellows as this will speed up processing times.
How does a Fellow find accommodation in the UK?
Fellows should contact their Host for information and assistance on securing accommodation for the tenure of their fellowship. The CSC Secretariat is not able to assist Fellows or Host organisations with finding accommodation. It is recommended that the Host addresses the question of accommodation for the Fellow as soon as practicable, but does not commit any funds for this until the Fellow’s award has been confirmed. When arranging accommodation the Host should take into account the stipend and allowances that are paid to the Fellow after their arrival in the UK (rates are detailed above). No additional funding is available for accommodation and this must be paid for out of the Fellow’s monthly stipend. Fellows should be aware that it can be difficult to secure accommodation for short periods and costs and services provided will vary greatly. Finding short term accommodation to include additional family members can also be more prohibitive and expensive.
Can a Fellow bring family to the UK?
The CSC advises that Fellows do not bring family members with them to the UK as the award is for a short and intensive period, family allowances are not payable, and the cost of visas, childcare, and accommodation is high in the UK. Please note that the CSC Secretariat is not able to assist Fellows in applying for visas for family members.
How can Fellows and Hosts plan for a successful fellowship?
Before taking up the fellowship the CSC recommends that Fellows spend some time with their home employer and Host Organisations to finalise the objectives for the fellowship. It is also important for Fellows to work out an ‘action plan’ for how they will disseminate the knowledge and skills learnt during the Fellowship upon their return home. Ideas to consider from previous Fellows include maintaining a blog to share experiences whilst on award, sending weekly email updates to their home organisation, planning presentations to colleagues and contacts upon their return home and submitting reports to their employers and interested partner organisations. Fellows, their Host, and their employer should agree on methods which are most suitable for them.
Does the Host need to conduct DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks?
The CSC Secretariat does not undertake any checks on Fellows in their home country; if such checks are required by the nature of the Fellow’s placement, then the CSC Secretariat requires the Host organisation to undertake these.
If a Host is required to conduct a DBS check, they must forward a copy of this to the CSC.
Section 4: Whilst on award in the UK
What happens when a Fellow arrives in the UK?
The Host may wish to make arrangements for airport pickup depending upon the location of the Fellowship and ease of transportation links as some Fellows may be inexperienced travellers coming to the UK for the first-time. Fellows should liaise with their Host for specific advice and guidance.
The Host must carry out the immigration checks at least one day prior to the Fellow commencing the programme. For further information on this, see below.
The Host should provide an induction for the Fellows upon their arrival in the UK to ensure that they are able to settle quickly into the organisation as well as life in the UK in order to gain maximum benefit from their fellowship. Fellows are advised to make it clear to Hosts if they have any particular concerns or if they would welcome any particular support.
Why do Hosts need to perform immigration checks?
The ACU (acting on behalf of the CSC Secretariat) is the Temporary Worker Visa Sponsor for the Fellows and therefore has certain record keeping, monitoring and reporting duties. The assistance of the Host organisation is required in order to fulfil these. The Host must read the Programme Provider Host Agreement for detailed information regarding this.
How does the Host perform immigration checks?
The Host must see a Fellow’s original travel documents (passport and stamped visa) and take certified copies before a fellow commences their fellowship. They must also provide the Fellow’s residential address(es) and contact details whilst in the UK to the CSC. For further guidance on how the immigration checks should be completed, the Host should read the UK government guidance on Checking a job applicant’s right to work.
Hosts must use the forms contained within the Programme Provider Host Agreement to complete these checks and return the forms to the CSC Senior Welfare and Immigration Officer within 24 hours of the Fellow’s start date in the UK as per their CoS.
Can the Host change the details of the programme?
The Host must contact the CSC Programme Officer to get permission before making any changes to the dates of the Fellowship and/or the programme of activities in the UK. The Host must also inform the CSC if there are any changes to the work location of if any of the components of the programme are rescheduled.
The CSC cannot agree to support an extension to a Fellowship under any circumstances.
What else does the Host need to report to the CSC?
Hosts must notify the CSC immediately if there are any changes via the change of circumstance form. This includes any late arrivals and/or early departures, absences from work (including authorised absences) and any other changes to the Fellow’s contact details and address, or other circumstances.
It is very important that the CSC has a record of any changes to a Fellow’s circumstances for immigration reasons. The Host must read the Programme Provider Host Agreement for detailed information regarding this.
Can Fellows travel outside of the UK?
The CSC expects Fellows to spend their time in the UK. Requests for any travel outside the UK will need to be referred to the Programme Officer and Host in advance for permission and will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. Stipend will normally need to be suspended while a Fellow is outside the UK and it will not be possible to add any period of suspension to the end of the award. If permission is given for travel outside the UK, then it will be the Fellow’s own responsibility to ensure that their UK visa will permit them to leave and return to the UK during the award.
Who do Fellows and Host Organisations contact if they have any welfare concerns?
It is expected that the Host organisation will look after the Fellow’s immediate welfare concerns. However, in the case of serious problems, the Host Organisation should inform the CSC’s Senior Welfare and Immigration Officer who will offer assistance where possible.
If a Fellow has any concerns about their programme of activities or institution where they are based, they should raise this immediately with their Programme Officer. The Programme Officer and Senior Welfare and Immigration Officer will provide advice and guidance to the Fellow in these circumstances.
Section 5: After the Fellowship
In what circumstances can a fellowship be terminated?
A Fellowship may be terminated at any time for reasons of unsatisfactory conduct, any breach of visa conditions, progress, attendance, or ill health, or if a Host organisation decides it is unable to proceed with the Fellowship for any reason before or during the award. If either the Fellow or the Host Organisation should experience any problems during the award, these should be raised with the CSC Secretariat before any action is taken.
What documents does the CSC require from Fellows and Hosts at the end of their award?
Fellows and Hosts must provide a report to the CSC at the end of the award. Hosts should take time to evaluate what has been achieved through the programme and what the planned implementation will be upon the Fellow’s return home. The report should include details of any practical problems arising during the award; the performance of the Fellow; planned outcomes and future collaborative work with the Fellow and their employer etc.
It is very important that these reports are received as they inform future policy for the Scheme and provide important feedback needed for the Scheme to continue.
What will Fellows receive on completion of their award?
Fellows will be issued with a certificate to confirm that they have held a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship after their return home, provided that they have satisfied the requirement to provide evidence of their departure from the UK (see below).
What documents do Fellows need to send to CSC as evidence of their departure from the UK?
Fellows must send CSC a copy of the passport page showing the entry stamp to their home or another country or a copy of their used boarding pass and checked baggage tags as soon as they return home. Fellows will not receive their certificate until confirmation of their UK departure has been received.
How can Professional Fellows engage with the CSC alumni network and evaluation post-award?
The Commission encourages all Scholars and Fellows to stay engaged with the CSC community as active alumni. Following their time in the UK, fellows will receive news and updates from the CSC alumni network, and will be invited to attend events and activities in their home country. Further information about the CSC alumni network and how to stay engaged can be found the CSC’s alumni web pages. We also welcome feedback from Host organisations either during or post award on any successful outcomes from the Fellowship as we would like to potentially feature these in our publications or on our website.
The Commission carries out on-going evaluation of all our Programmes including the Professional Fellowships in order to provide important feedback on the outcomes of our work to our funding bodies. Our evaluation team will make contact with Fellows and Hosts after the end of an award as part of this process and would be very grateful for assistance in this regard.
If the Fellowship(s) should generate any publicity at any time, it would be very helpful to let the CSC Secretariat have a copy or a Web link as we are keen to feature articles arising from the Fellowships in our own publicity materials. We always welcome text and photos from Fellows and Hosts detailing successful outcomes from a Fellowship that we can use as case studies on our website.
Contact details
Jordan Dalton
Programme Officer
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
Woburn House
20-24 Tavistock Square London, WC1H 9HF
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7380 6753
Email: professional.fellowships@cscuk.org.uk
Sanja Potnar
Programme Officer
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
Woburn House
20-24 Tavistock Square London, WC1H 9HF
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7380 6704
Email: professional.fellowships@cscuk.org.uk
For matters relating to Immigration and welfare, the contact details are:
Jim Dale
Senior Welfare and Immigration Officer
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
Woburn House
20-24 Tavistock Square London, WC1H 9HF
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7380 6783
Email: immigration@cscuk.org.uk
