Global Talent applicants can be endorsed as a recognised leader (exceptional talent), or an emerging leader (exceptional promise) in the fields of science, humanities, engineering, medicine, the arts and digital technology by a designated competent body in their field.
Each endorsing body has its own set of criteria for a Global Talent endorsement, but in all cases you will need to be in the position to demonstrate a substantial body of work and support from experts in your field.
Once you have been endorsed, you will be able to apply for a Global Talent visa. Global Talent visa applicants can choose how much leave, up to a maximum of 5 years at a time, they wish to be granted in a single application. You can apply for further extensions and can combine time you spent in other visa routes to obtain settlement, giving you the flexibility to apply for a shorter period as a Global Talent migrant and avoid unnecessary visa application costs.
Alternatively, if you have been awarded a qualifying Prestigious Prize, you will be able to make a single visa application without needing to obtain an endorsement from one of the Global Talent endorsing bodies.
If your visa application is successful, you will be allowed to do any type of work, including self-employment, but you will not be able to work as a professional sportsperson or coach. The Global Talent visa is also an accelerated route to settlement, which means that after 3 years with this visa or in combination with other eligible visas, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
You may apply to switch into the Global Talent route from within the UK, provided you do not currently hold, and were not last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a private household, or under any other category outside the Immigration Rules.
If your current or most recent leave falls under one of these categories, you will need to leave the UK and apply for a Global Talent visa from overseas, usually from your country of residence.
If you wish to remain in the UK for longer than you originally planned, or if you are not yet eligible to apply for settlement (for example, because of excessive absences), you may apply to extend your stay on the Global Talent route. There is no maximum time limit on how long you can stay in the UK under this category.
To qualify for an extension, you must have earned money in the UK during your most recent grant of leave. Those earnings must relate to the field for which you were originally endorsed (if your visa was granted on the basis of an endorsement) or to the subject area of your prize (if your visa was granted on the basis of a Prestigious Prize listed in Appendix Global Talent). You will also need to provide evidence of these earnings from an independent and verifiable source.
If you continue to meet the requirements for the Global Talent route and can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of English language and life in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for settlement (ILR).
You can usually apply for ILR after a continuous period of 3 years in the UK if:
If you were last endorsed under the exceptional promise criteria by Arts Council England or Tech Nation, you will need to spend a continuous period of 5 years in the UK before being eligible to apply for settlement.
The relevant continuous residence period can include time spent in any of the following categories: Global Talent, Innovator, Tier 1 (excluding Graduate Entrepreneur), Skilled Worker, T2 Minister of Religion, T2 Sportsperson, Scale-up, or Representative of an Overseas Business. To qualify, you must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the qualifying period.
If you were endorsed in science, engineering, humanities or medicine and carried out overseas research directly related to your grant of leave, those absences will be disregarded when applying for settlement. The same treatment applies to partners of Global Talent migrants.
At Distinct Law we have assisted applicants with their endorsement and visa applications and we like to be transparent from the outset regarding your chances of success. We will liaise with you to obtain enough information on your background and qualifications so that we can carry out a preliminary assessment before proceeding with the endorsement application. We will guide you through the requirements of individual endorsing bodies and we will help you put together a robust case for an endorsement. We can assist with initial applications, extensions, switching or settlement applications.
Our services include the following:
Stage 1: The endorsement application is the first step and typically takes several weeks to complete. The duration can vary depending on the endorsing body you apply to and their internal processes. Some endorsing bodies may have faster turnaround times than others based on certain criteria. Generally, it’s advisable to allow at least 4-8 weeks for the endorsement process, although it can sometimes be quicker.
Stage 2: Once you’ve received your endorsement, you can proceed with the visa application. You have 3 months from receiving your endorsement letter to submit your visa application. The processing time for the visa application also depends on factors such as the country from which you are applying and whether you are applying online or if you have to attend a biometrics appointment.
For applications made from outside the UK: The processing time is typically around 3 weeks for a decision to be made.
For applications made from within the UK: The processing time is usually around 8 weeks for a decision to be made.
In most cases you can pay extra to have your visa application expedited.
No, the Global Talent endorsement application is not a visa application itself. It is a separate process that evaluates whether an individual meets the criteria set by the designated competent bodies in their respective fields. Individuals can apply for other visas concurrently with their endorsement application. For example, if someone is already in the UK under a different visa category and wishes to apply for Global Talent endorsement, they can do so while still holding their current visa. They can also submit a visa application in another category while they await a decision from the endorsing body.
