UK Global Talent Visa- Documents Required, Suitability & Eligibility and Application Process

The UK Global Talent Visa category is for talented and promising foreign individuals aged 18 or over in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, social science, humanities, digital technology, and arts and culture (including television and film, fashion design, and architecture) wishing to come to or stay in the UK to work. Applicants will be leaders or potential leaders in their field, as determined by a recognised endorsing body. 

For most people, there is a two-stage Global Talent application process. The first stage is an application for endorsement by a Home Office-recognised endorsing body, and the second stage is applying for entry clearance or permission to stay on this route.

A person can apply for endorsement before applying for entry clearance or permission to stay, or they can make both applications (endorsement application and Global Talent visa application from outside the UK or application to switch to this visa from inside the UK) at the same time. The applicant needs an endorsement to prove that they are a leader or potential leader in their field of academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.

Alternatively, a person who has received an eligible prestigious prize is considered to be demonstrating exceptional talent in their field and is therefore not required to apply for an endorsement. They can bypass the endorsement stage of the Global Talent route and go directly to the visa stage. 

A dependent partner and children can apply to join or stay with the main applicant under this route.

The Global Talent route is a route to settlement.

Validity requirements for application for entry clearance or permission on the Global Talent Route

A person applying as a Global Talent seeking entry clearance to the UK can apply online as well as at a Visa Application Centre, while those applying for permission to stay here must apply online on the gov.uk website. Applicants outside the UK need to use the form “Global Talent visa – stage 2” and applicants inside the UK need to use the form “Global Talent permission to stay – stage 2”.

EEA nationals with a chipped passport need to use "Global Talent using the UK Immigration: ID Check app" (when available); or "Global Talent visa – stage 2” form when applying from outside and "Global Talent permission to stay – stage 2” form when applying from inside the UK. 

A Global Talent application seeking entry clearance or permission to stay in the UK as a global talent must satisfy all the following criteria:

• The applicant must have paid any required fee and immigration health charge; and

• The applicant must have enrolled in biometrics (their fingerprints and facial photograph) when required; and

• The applicant must have submitted a passport or other valid document to establish their identity and nationality; and

• The applicant must have been given an endorsement letter by a Home Office-approved endorsing body or have been awarded an eligible prestigious award; and

• If the applicant is making their first application on the Global Talent route using an endorsement letter, they must apply within 3 months after the date on the endorsement letter; and

• The endorsement or prize awarded to the applicant must not have been withdrawn or suspended by the relevant organisation.

• The applicant must be 18 or over when they apply.

• If the applicant has, in the last 12 months prior to the date of application, received an award from an International Scholarship agency or Government covering fees as well as living costs for study in the UK, they must submit written consent to the application from that agency or Government.

• The person applying for permission to stay as a Global talent must, on the date of application, be in the UK.

• The person applying to switch (permission to stay) to the Global Talent route must not currently have, or have last been granted, permission on any of the following:

          (a) UK Visitor visa; or

          (b) Short-term Student visa; or

          (c) Parent of a Child Student; or

          (d) Seasonal Worker visa; or

          (e) Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or

          (f) Outside the Immigration Rules.

Someone with permission on any of the categories mentioned above in the UK will have to leave the UK and apply for the visa from overseas.  

• The person who is applying for permission to stay and currently has, or last had, permission as a student, must satisfy one of the conditions below when they apply:

  (a) They must have completed the course of study for which they were assigned CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) or a course to which Appendix Student – Paragraph ST 27.3 applies; or

  (b) They must have completed at least 24 months of study on their course if the course was leading to a PhD award 

Any application that does not satisfy all the validity criteria as a Global Talent for the purpose of a Global Talent visa may be rejected as invalid and not considered.

Suitability Requirements

A Global talent application must not fall for refusal under Immigration Rules - Part Suitability.

The applicant seeking permission to stay must not be:

(a) In breach of UK immigration laws, except that where the “Exceptions for overstayers” in Part Suitability applies; or

(b) On immigration bail. 

Eligibility Requirements

A person wishing to enter the UK on the Global Talent route must apply for and obtain entry clearance to the UK as a Global Talent before arriving in the UK. They must also provide a TB test certificate (if Appendix Tuberculosis applies). There are no language or minimum income eligibility requirements for the UK Global Talent visa. 

Points requirement for the Global Talent route

An applicant seeking entry clearance to the UK or permission to stay here must be awarded 70 points. They can earn 70 points in the following ways.

The applicant will earn 70 points if they are making an initial application based on having been awarded an eligible prestigious prize and therefore not relying on an endorsement.

The applicant will earn 70 points if they are making an initial application on the Global Talent route and relying on an endorsement where they:

• Have been given a letter of endorsement by a Home Office-approved endorsing body; and

• Have applied within 3 months after the date on the endorsement letter; and

• The endorsing body has not withdrawn the endorsement.

Documents they need

The applicant applying for a Global Talent visa will need to provide a valid passport or other document showing their identity and nationality.

If they have had an award or scholarship to study in the UK in the last 12 months, they will also need written consent to apply from the agency or government that granted it.

If the applicant has won an eligible prestigious award, the Home Office will look at information that is publicly available (such as the prize organisation’s website) to confirm that the applicant has actually won the award. The Home Office will ask the applicant for evidence of their win if they cannot find this.

If any documents are not in English or Welsh, the applicant will need to provide a certified translation of those documents.

Applying for the Global Talent Route as the winner of an eligible prestigious prize

A person can apply for the Global Talent visa without an endorsement if they have won an eligible prestigious prize. The prize must be named on the Global Talent Eligible Prestigious Prize Lists, and the applicant must be the named winner of that prize.

Please note that prizes other than those on the list are not eligible.

Please note that other prizes awarded by the same institutions are not eligible. 

Applying for an endorsement

Those who have not won an eligible award will be required to apply for an endorsement before applying for the UK Global Talent visa to prove they are a leader or potential leader in their field.

The Home Office will send their application to be reviewed by an endorsing body (UK organisation) with expertise in their field.

How a person applies for an endorsement depends on whether they:

• have an eligible academic or research job 

• have an individual fellowship 

• have a research grant approved by UKRI (UK Research and Innovation)

• are having their application peer reviewed 

They will usually get a decision on their application for endorsement within:

• 2 weeks, if they have an eligible job offer as an academic or researcher, individual fellowship, or research grant approved by UKRI - this is called ‘fast track’ endorsement

• 5 weeks, if they are getting their application peer reviewed

If an endorsement application is refused

The applicant can request a review within 28 days after they get the decision if they do not think their application for endorsement was judged correctly.

The same endorsing body that looked at their original endorsement application will review.

There’s no fee for requesting a review.

The applicant cannot provide new evidence as part of the review.

If their current permission to stay in the UK is about to expire, making an application for an endorsement review will not extend it.

The applicant will get an email within 28 days if their review has been successful.

If their endorsement application is still refused for the same reasons as before, the applicant will get an email and will be required to pay the fee again if they make a new application

They cannot request another review.

If their endorsement application is refused for new reasons, they will get a letter. They can ask for another review based on the new reasons only. 

Applying for a UK Global Talent visa (entry clearance) from overseas 

The applicant can apply online on gov.uk using the specified application form for this visa. They must apply from outside the UK before they travel to the UK. They may also be able to apply at a VAC (Visa Application Centre) that they can travel to that accepts Global Talent visa applications.

They can apply for entry clearance from any country as long as they have been given permission to live in that country for at least 6 months. 

Those with an eligible prestigious prize can apply directly for the Global Talent visa from overseas immediately after winning the award. 

Those who have not won an eligible prestigious prize will be required to apply for and get an endorsement from a Home Office-approved organisation first to prove that they are a leader or potential leader in their field. They can apply for the Global Talent visa at the same time as they apply for endorsement or after receiving the endorsement.

The applicant who has first applied for an endorsement and received it can apply for this visa within 3 months of receiving their endorsement letter if, on the date of visa application, the endorsing organisation has not withdrawn its approval.

The applicant will need to pay £766 to apply.

Those applying based on an endorsement will pay the £766 in two parts:

• £561 for endorsement application 

• £205 for the visa application itself

Those applying based on an eligible prestigious prize will have to pay the full £766 at the time of their visa application.

They will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 each year they will be in the UK. 

As part of their online application for entry clearance, they will need to prove their identity. They can do so by using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, where they scan their identity document, or by booking an appointment at a VAC (Visa Application Centre) in their country. 

If a person has booked an appointment at a VAC, on the date of the appointment, they will have their biometrics (their fingerprints and facial photograph) taken at the VAC. The applicant should allow time to attend their VAC appointment, as the visa application centre could be in another country.

Switching from another UK visa to a UK Global Talent visa 

An application for permission to stay must be made online on gov.uk. The applicant must apply from inside the UK before their current visa expires and within 3 months of getting an endorsement (if they have not won an eligible prestigious award). 

If the applicant’s current permission to stay in the UK on another route is about to expire, applying for the Global Talent visa will extend it until they have been given a decision by the Home Office on their application for permission to stay on this route.

One cannot apply for the visa if the endorsing organisation has withdrawn its approval. 

Those with an eligible prestigious prize can apply directly for permission to stay on this route. 

Those who have not won an eligible prestigious prize will be required to apply for and get an endorsement from a Home Office-approved organisation first to prove that they are a leader or potential leader in their field.

The applicant will need to pay £766 to apply.

Those applying based on an endorsement will pay the £766 in two parts:

• £561 for endorsement application 

• £205 for the visa application itself

Those applying based on an eligible prestigious prize will have to pay the full £766 at the time of their visa application.

They will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year they will be in the UK. 

They will need to prove their identity as part of their application for permission to stay. They can prove it either by using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, where they scan their identity document, or by booking an appointment at a UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services) service point in the UK. 

If a person has booked an appointment at a UKVCAS, on the date of the appointment, they will have their biometrics (fingerprints and facial photograph) taken there. 

They can also submit supporting documents proving their eligibility. They can:

• Upload their documents into the UKVCAS online service; or 

• Have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment 

Getting a Decision

Once a person has applied online, proved their identity, and submitted the supporting documents, they will usually get a decision on their application for a Global Talent Visa within 3 weeks, if they are outside the UK, and within 8 weeks, if they are inside the UK.

The applicant may be granted permission to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time if the decision maker is satisfied that the applicant meets all the criteria for entry clearance or permission to stay on the Global Talent route.

Applying for partner and children

An individual’s partner and children may be able to apply to join them or stay in the UK as their ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

The principal applicant will be required to submit evidence of their relationship to their dependant at the time of application. 

A successful partner or child visa as dependants will usually end on the same date as the main applicant. A child whose parents' visas expire on different dates will have their visa ended on the earlier date.

How can Visa and Migration help?

We have experience and expertise in assisting talented and promising individuals in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, social science, humanities, digital technology, and arts and culture (including television and film, fashion design, and architecture), who wish to work in the UK.  Our immigration experts provide you with the right immigration options and guide you through the complex Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance.

We are always approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our clients’ requirements. We are a highly dedicated team providing clear, appropriate, and reliable immigration advice to clients. We are known for providing professional and friendly service.