Global Talent
Visa
UK visa route for the brightest and best talent
The Global Talent visa is an unsponsored immigration route designed to attract the best and brightest talent from around the world. A Global Talent visa allows you to live and work in the UK if you are a leader or potential leader in the fields of academia or research, arts and culture or digital technology.
Eligibility
You can apply for a Global Talent visa if you are a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields:
- Academia or research.
- Arts and culture.
- Digital technology.
You must be at least 18 years old and pass all relevant criminality and immigration checks.
There are no language or minimum salary eligibility requirements under the Global Talent route.
Endorsement process
Before applying for a Global Talent visa you must usually obtain an endorsement from a Home Office approved endorsing body to verify your expertise.
You may be able to apply without an endorsement if you have won an eligible award.
Costs
The cost to apply for a Global Talent visa is £716. If you are applying based on an endorsement, you will pay the fee in two parts:
- £524 when you apply for the endorsement.
- £192 when you apply for the visa itself.
If you are applying based on an eligible award, you will pay the full £716 when you apply for the visa.
Applicants will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS is £1,035 per year for adults, or £776 per year for under-18s.
note:
The visa application fee and the IHS must also be paid for any accompanying dependants.
How to apply
You must apply online for a Global Talent visa.
As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents. To do this, you will need to do one of the following:
- Attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) if you’re outside the UK.
- Attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point if you’re inside the UK.
- Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, if you are eligible.
Processing times
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your Global Talent visa application within 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re inside the UK.
You may be able to pay to get a faster decision using the Home Office priority services.
How long you can stay
With a Global Talent visa, you can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time.
There is no limit to how long you can stay in the UK in total, but you must apply to extend your visa each time it expires. Each extension can last from 1 to 5 years – you choose how long you want the extension to be.
You may be able to get indefinite leave to remain so you can settle in the UK after 3 or 5 years, depending on which field you work in and how you apply.
Permitted activities
With a Global Talent visa, you can:
- Choose how long your visa lasts for, up to a maximum of 5 years.
- Be an employee, self-employed and a Director of a company.
- Change or stop doing your job without telling the Home Office.
- Bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they are eligible.
- Travel abroad and return to the UK.
You cannot:
- Apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
- Work as a professional sportsperson.
How we can help
Smith Stone Walters has worked with many highly skilled individuals to secure immigration permission under the UK’s Global Talent route. Our immigration experts can help assess your eligibility for your chosen field, advise on the endorsement process and provide support with your visa application thereafter.
To find out how we can help, please contact us today.
Frequently asked questions
The disciplines each endorsing body consider are listed in this guidance, and you should read this carefully to identify an appropriate endorsing body.
The endorsing bodies do not cover an exhaustive list of disciplines, and it may be that your speciality cannot currently be assessed.
If you are ineligible to be considered by an endorsing body, you should consider whether alternative immigration categories would be more suitable.
If you hold a prize from any of the lists, you can bypass the endorsement stage and go directly to the visa application stage.
You can apply after 3 years if you were endorsed by either:
– the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society or UK Research and Innovation
– Arts Council England or Tech Nation – this must be as a recognised leader (‘exceptional talent’)
Or if you were endorsed by Arts Council England or Tech Nation as an emerging leader (‘exceptional promise’), you can apply after 5 years.
If you did not need an endorsement for your visa because you had won an eligible award, you can apply after 3 years.
Latest Immigration news
