Global Talent Visa: Key Facts from GOV.UK

Who can apply

You can apply if you are a leader or potential leader in one of three fields, and you must be at least 18 years old.

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

Prize or endorsement

If you are the named winner of a prize on the eligible prestigious prizes list, you can apply for the visa directly. Other prizes from the same institutions do not qualify.

Everyone else first applies for an endorsement to prove they are a leader or potential leader in their field.

Fees

The application costs £766 in total. If you apply based on an endorsement, it is paid in two parts:

• £561 when you apply for the endorsement
• £205 when you apply for the visa itself
• Partners and children included in the application each pay £766
• The healthcare surcharge is usually £1,035 per person per year

Decision times

Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, a visa decision usually takes 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside the UK. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

The earliest you can apply for the visa is 3 months before you travel.

How long you can stay

You choose how long your visa is for, up to 5 years at a time, and can extend as many times as you like if you meet the requirements. Each extension can last from 1 to 5 years.

You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 or 5 years, depending on your field and how you applied.

What you can and cannot do

With a Global Talent visa you can:

• 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 as dependants, if they are eligible
• Travel abroad and return to the UK
• There are no language or minimum salary requirements
• You cannot apply for most public funds or work as a sportsperson