Global Talent visa
Prospective Employees, Current Employees, Recruiting Managers and Administrators
Last updated 31 May 2024
These pages provide guidance and information to assist perspective employees, current employees and recruiting managers / administrators on the Global Talent visa route.
Overview of the Global Talent route
The Global Talent visa route replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) and Tier 1 (Exceptional Promise) visas in early 2020 for leaders or potential leaders in the fields of academic or research, arts and culture or digital technology.
The Global Talent visa is a non-sponsored route and provides many benefits including greater flexibility to move freely between organisations, no language or minimum salary requirements and is a route to settlement after 3 years (for the main applicant only) or after 5 years if endorsed as 'Exceptional Promise'.
The application is a two-stage process:
- Stage 1: Endorsement application
A Global Talent visa application can only be submitted if the individual has been successfully endorsed. The endorsement is proof for the Home Office that the visa applicant is a leader or potential leader in their field of expertise.
- Stage 2: Visa application and Home Office final immigration decision
There are different routes to apply for a Global Talent visa. Please see below further information on each route;
Academic or research appointments
This route is for individuals responsible for academic, research or innovation leadership and development. Senior leadership roles such as Dean, Head of Department or Research Institute Director or roles such as Professor or Senior Lecturer which require independence in initiating, planning and managing a project without supervision may be eligible for the academic or research appointment fast-track route.
For this route, the individual will require a statement of guarantee from the Director of Human Resources to support their application. The statement of guarantee will confirm that certain recruitment processes have taken place and the level of the role.
Usually, an individual would consider this route if they had a job offer from the University which is at Lecturer level or above or can clearly evidence their role responsibilities meet the criteria.
To request a Statement of Guarantee letter to support the endorsement application, please contact:
- New starters: Recruitment and Resourcing Team contact
- Existing member of staff switching to the Global Talent route: HR Services Team contact
To find more information on applying under the Academic or Research Appointments fast-track route, please visit the UKVI webpage.
Individual Fellowships
The Individual Fellowships route is a fast-track route for individuals who have been awarded a fellowship approved by The Royal Society, British Academy or Royal Academy of Engineering.
To check which fellowships are eligible please see below.
During the endorsement application process, the individual will need to provide a copy of their fellowship award letter.
To find more information on applying under the Individual Fellowships fast-track route, please visit the UKVI webpage.
Endorsed Funders
The Endorsed Funders route is a route for individuals whose role is being funded by a UKRI approved grant.
The grant must have been awarded by an organisation on the list of endorsed funders, which is below.
The individual applying for endorsement must:
- have at least 1 year left on their employment contract
- spend at least half of their time working on the grant
- be working on a grant worth at least £30,000 that covers a minimum period of 2 years
In addition, the individual must also:
- be named on the research grant application or;
- have their job title on the research grant application and show that they were recruited in a fair process
During the endorsement process, the applicant must provide evidence of their grant or award and a statement of guarantee from the Director of Human Resources.
To request a statement of guarantee letter to support the endorsement application, please contact:
- New starters: Recruitment and Resourcing Team contact
- Existing member of staff switching to the Global Talent route: HR Services Team contact.
To find more information on applying under the Endorsed Funders fast-track route and full details of the documents required, please visit the UKVI webpage.
Eligible Award
The applicant must hold an eligible award on the Global Talent eligible prize list below.
Peer review
If an individual is not eligible under any of the fast track routes, they may be eligible through the standard route which will require the individual to submit an application for full peer review by The Royal Society, The British Academy or Royal Academy of Engineering. The individual will not need to have a job offer to apply for a Global Talent visa via this route.
For the Peer Review route, individuals can choose to be considered under two options and would need to meet specific criteria to be eligible;
- Exception Talent (leader)
- Exceptional Promise (potential leader)
For more information on applying under the Peer Review standard route and the full criteria for eligibility and documents required, please visit the UKVI webpage.
Visa application - Stage 2
If the individual receives an endorsement from a UKRI approved funder, the application will be considered by the Home Office.
Dependents can apply for visas at the same time or can wait until the main applicant has entered the UK to work.
Individuals must apply for stage 2 within three months of gaining the endorsement or the immigration application will be refused, and they will need to re-apply for endorsement.
Please note that there are application fees attached to each stage and individuals will also be required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and may require a tuberculosis (TB) test. Further information is available on the UKVI website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum salary?
There is no minimum salary for the Global Talent visa.
I am unsure if the role is suitable for endorsement?
For advice on which Global Talent visa route you are eligible to apply for, please contact a Home Office approved Immigration Adviser (see link below).
How long does the endorsement stage take?
This is dependent on the route you choose, for the fast-track routes, decisions can be as quick as one week and up to 3 weeks. For the standard peer review route, the endorsement stage 1 application process can take up to 8 weeks. Following successful endorsement, stage 2 of the application process can take up to 3 weeks if you’re applying from outside the UK, and up to 8 weeks if you’re applying from within the UK.
How do I know which route to apply for?
It is advisable that you look at all the endorsement routes before making your application and seeing which one is most suitable and you meet the criteria for. The UKVI website and endorsing bodies have detailed information on all routes to assist you with making a decision. The Recruitment and Resourcing Team can advise on questions relating to the application process of the Global Talent route but cannot advise on the best option for an individual. If you are in any doubt regarding your eligibility and the content of your visa application, it is recommended that you seek independent legal advice as any rejection of your application could result in the loss of the visa application fees. Please see the link below to assist with locating a Home Office approved Immigration Adviser.