Global Talent Visa UK

The Global Talent visa allows individuals recognised as leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology to live and work in the UK without requiring a job offer or sponsorship.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate exceptional talent or promise in one of the eligible fields. Eligibility can be established through endorsement by an approved UK body or by winning a prestigious prize recognised by the Home Office.

The following are the steps to apply for a Global Talent visa UK:

• Check eligibility: Determine if you qualify based on your achievements.
• Obtain endorsement: Apply to an approved endorsing body unless you have an eligible prize.
• Apply for the visa: Submit your visa application online within 3 months of receiving your endorsement.

Endorsement decision: Typically within 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the route.

Visa decision: Usually within 3 weeks if applying from outside the UK, or 8 weeks if applying from within the UK.

Yes, you can bring your partner and children under 18 as dependants. They can work and study in the UK but are not eligible for public funds.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission (‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’) to be in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant when you apply.

Yes, if you're already in the UK on a different visa, you may switch to the Global Talent visa, provided you meet the eligibility criteria. However, if you are in the UK on certain visa categories, such as visit visas, you are not eligible to switch to the Global Talent visa from inside the UK. 

To switch to a Global Talent visa, you must be in the UK.

If you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize, you can apply for the visa directly. If you’ve not won an eligible prestigious prize, you’ll need to get an endorsement first to prove that you’re a leader or potential leader in your field.

If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also have either: 

• completed the course you were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

You must apply to switch to the Global Talent visa within 3 months of getting an endorsement. You cannot apply to switch to a Global Talent visa if the organisation that endorsed you has withdrawn its approval.

You cannot apply to switch to the Global Talent visa from within the UK if you’re currently in the UK in one of the following circumstances:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a seasonal worker visa
• on a domestic worker in a private household visa
• on immigration bail
• you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

You must leave the UK and apply for a Global Talent visa from abroad if you’re in one of these categories.

You can choose a visa duration between 1 and 5 years. There is no limit to the number of times you can extend your Global Talent visa, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Yes, you may be eligible to apply for ILR as a Global Talent migrant after 3 or 5 years, depending on your field of speciality for which you have been endorsed and whether you're considered a leader or potential leader.

You must apply for a Global Talent visa online.

How you apply for the Global Talent visa depends on whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

The way you apply for a Global Talent visa depends on your circumstances. 

• If you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize, you can apply for the visa directly.
• If you’ve not won an eligible prestigious prize, you’ll need to get an endorsement first to prove that you’re a leader or potential leader in your field.

You can apply for the Global Talent visa without an endorsement if you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize. To be eligible for this route:

• the prize must be named on the list - other prizes awarded by the same institutions are not eligible
• you must be the named winner of the prize

If you have not won a prize which is named on the list, you’ll need to apply for an endorsement instead. You can apply for an endorsement if you work in one of the following fields:

• academia or research
• arts and culture
• digital technology

If you are not eligible to apply for ILR yet, you can apply for an extension of your Global Talent visa. You should apply before your current visa expires.

You can usually apply to extend your stay in the UK if either:

• you applied for the Global Talent visa based on an endorsement, and the organisation that endorsed you has not withdrawn its approval
• you applied for a Global Talent visa based on an eligible prestigious prize you won, and the prize has not been withdrawn

You must be able to show that you earned money in your expert field during your time in the UK by sending evidence with your application, for example, payslips. 

Applicants who currently have a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa can extend under the Global Talent category.

You can challenge the refusal of your Global Talent visa by filing an Administrative Review (AR) of the Home Office refusal decision of your Global Talent visa application. 

If you applied for the Global Talent visa from outside the UK, you should file the Administrative Review (AR) within 28 days of the refusal decision. If you applied for the Global Talent visa from inside the UK, you should apply for the Administrative Review (AR) within 14 days of the refusal decision. 

Yes, you can submit your Global Talent visa application through a Priority or Super Priority Service for a faster decision on your application. 

A person applying for a Global Talent visa from outside the UK can use the Priority Service to get a decision on the application within 5 working days. 

A person applying for a Global Talent visa from inside the UK can apply either through a Priority Service (decision within 5 working days) or Super Priority Service (decision within 24 hours). 

The processing time for the Global Talent visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your Global Talent visa. 

The processing times for Global Talent visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Priority Service: An application for a Global Talent visa submitted through Priority Service takes up to 5 working days.

Super Priority Service: An application for a Global Talent visa submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.