Global Talent Visa Endorsement

What Is the Endorsement for a Global Talent Visa?

A foreign national, who is considered to be a leader (‘exceptional talent’) or a potential leader (‘exceptional promise’) in certain fields, may apply for a Global Talent visa. It will allow them to live and work in the UK without requiring a valid job offer from a UK-based employer, and settle in the country eventually along with their eligible family members.

It is mandatory to apply and receive an endorsement from one of the Home Office-approved bodies in your respective field before you apply for a Global Talent visa, proving that you are a leader or potential leader in your area of expertise.

Only those who have won a prestigious award (e.g., the Nobel prize or the Booker prize) in their respective field, which is considered eligible by the Home Office for the Global Talent visa purpose, can apply for a visa directly without completing the endorsement stage. All others must go through the endorsement route.

Global Talent Visa Endorsing Bodies

The UK Global Talent visa is suitable for foreign nationals who have either already proved their ‘exceptional talent’ or have shown ‘exceptional promise’ in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

We have provided here a full list of endorsing bodies for the purpose of a Global Talent visa application in each of these fields.

Endorsing Bodies: Academia or Research

The academia or research field covers five disciplines: science, medicine, engineering, humanities, and social science. The endorsing bodies in this field are as follows:

• Science and medicine: Royal Society
• Engineering: Royal Academy of Engineering
• Humanities and social science: British Academy
• Research grant approval: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Foreign nationals having academic and research appointments, an individual fellowship, or an approved research grant in any of the abovementioned five disciplines may apply for the Global Talent visa via the endorsement route. Otherwise, you may qualify on the basis of an eligible prize awarded to you or by having your application peer reviewed.

Endorsing Bodies: Arts and Culture

The arts and culture field covers the following fields:

• Combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre or visual arts
• Architecture
• Fashion design
• Film and television, including animation, post production and visual effects

The respective endorsing bodies are:

• Arts Council England for combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre or visual arts
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for architecture
• British Fashion Council for fashion design
• Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (Pact) for film and television

Endorsing Bodies: Digital Technology

Tech Nation is the endorsing body for the digital technology field for the Global Talent visa UK purposes. The suitable technical and business skills include (but are not limited to):

• Technical skills:
  • Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning experts (AI, NLP, ML)
  • CTO or VP engineering having experience managing in-house teams at a growing digital business
  • Cybersecurity experts
  • DevOps or SysOps engineers
  • Experienced back-end developers leading the development of, or contributing significantly to, major new technologies or open source projects
  • Experienced data scientists/data engineers
  • Experienced front-end developers
  • Experienced Mobile App developers
  • Experienced UX/UI designers
  • Experienced video game developers
  • Hardware engineers
  • Principal software engineers/developers
  • Virtual and augmented reality developers
• Business skills:
  • Experience as a commercial/business lead in a digital business
  • C-Suite employees in a digital business
  • Experienced and senior VC or PE analysts with track records of leading investments in digital businesses
  • Experienced in expanding or growing a significant product-led digital technology business
  • Experienced in leading substantial VC investment over £25 millions
  • Experienced Product Manager
  • Performance marketing experts for digital businesses
  • SaaS or enterprise sales leadership for digital services
  • Sector-specific experience  (e.g., payment infrastructure in FinTech, international expansion in EdTech, etc.)
  • Solution sales experts
  • Solution sales skills performed for a growing B2B digital business

Global Talent Visa Endorsement Process

Your application for an endorsement will start on the Home Office website, from where you will be redirected to the respective endorsing body depending on your field of work (e.g., Arts Council England or Tech Nation). In addition to filling out the required application form(s), you will also have to provide supporting documentation as specified by your respective endorsement body.

Endorsement application for the Global talent visa purpose is an online process. You will need an email ID to fill up the specified online application form, i.e., the ‘Apply for Global Talent endorsement – stage 1’ form, on the Home Office website. It is recommended to read and understand the detailed guidance available there before you start filling up the form, especially the following:

• Eligibility criteria
• Which endorsing body applies to your field/discipline
• How to apply
• Required supporting documents (you will need scanned copies for uploading)
• Fees (to be paid online by either a debit or a credit card as part of your application process)
• Processing time (i.e., how long it will take to get a decision on your endorsement application)

Once you have submitted your application, the Home Office will forward the same to the respective endorsing body. The endorsing body will then assess your application thoroughly, and decide whether your application has the merits to meet the eligibility requirements of a Global Talent visa.

The endorsement process is more complex than it appears because both leaders and potential leaders are considered for the Global Talent Visa. If you are already a proven ‘exceptional talent’ with a significant track record of achievements, it may be easier for you to prove your claim to the endorsing body. However, applicants in the ‘exceptional promise’ category must submit a substantive body of evidence to succeed with their endorsement application.

If you are successful in receiving an endorsement, you will get an email from the Home Office with a copy of your endorsement letter. However, getting an endorsement does not mean you will automatically get a visa. You must apply for a Global Talent Visa within three months of receiving your endorsement letter, which means submitting an online visa application and providing the required documents (including your endorsement letter).

Global Talent Visa Endorsement Requirements

Overall, your Global Talent endorsement application must meet all the following requirements:

• You have applied for endorsement under one of the fields/disciplines approved by the Home Office for the Global Talent visa purpose
• You have applied for endorsement by a designated endorsing body in your relevant field
• Your application meets the endorsement requirements for your respective field
• You have paid the endorsement application fees in full

Note that the Home Office cannot, and will not, advise you regarding which endorsing body would be best in your case per your skills and experience. Read the guidance available on the Home Office website and/or consult experienced legal and immigration professionals if needed. Call our UK Global Talent visa advisers on +44 (0)333 414 9244 today if you have any questions regarding the endorsing bodies.

In addition, there are certain field-specific endorsement requirements. Here we have provided a detailed list of the same.

Endorsement Requirements: Academia or Research

If you are applying for endorsement in any of the five disciplines (i.e., science, medicine, engineering, humanities, and social science) in the academia or industrial or clinical research field, you must be an active researcher at the time of your application in an academic, industry or government research institution in your country of residence.

Endorsement Requirements: Arts and Culture

If you are applying for endorsement in the arts and culture field, you must be able to satisfy your respective endorsing body that you have either already been recognised as an exceptional talent in your respective discipline, or you have been recognised as someone with exceptional promise in the said discipline.

In addition, you must:

• Be professionally engaged at the time of your endorsement application in producing outstanding performed, presented, distributed or internationally exhibited work
• Have been professionally engaged regularly in your field during the past five years
• Have a substantial performance track record in at least two countries, if considered as an exceptional talent; or be at an early stage in your arts and culture career and have a developing track record in one or more countries, if you are considered to be having an exceptional promise

Endorsement Requirements: Digital Technology

If you are applying for endorsement in the digital technology field, you will need to convince your respective endorsing body that you have either been recognised as an exceptional talent, or as someone with exceptional promise, in the digital technology field within five years prior to the date of your application.

In addition, you must be able to show that:

• You have proven technical expertise with the latest technologies applicable for this field, in case you are a technical applicant; or
• You have proven commercial, investment or product expertise in building digital products, or leading investments in significant digital product businesses, if you are a business applicant

Supporting Documents for the Global Talent Visa Endorsement

To apply for a UK Global Talent visa endorsement, you must be able to provide documentary evidence proving that you are recognised as a leader or a potential leader in your respective field/discipline. The supporting document requirements will vary depending on your relevant field. ‘Appendix Global Talent’ of the Immigration Rules provides details on what supporting documents you must submit along with your online endorsement application in your relevant field or discipline.

For example, if you are applying for an endorsement in the digital technology field, you must submit the following documents:

• Your up-to-date resume including details regarding your career and publication history
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals acknowledged as experts in the digital technology field. They must have proven knowledge about your work over a period of 12 months or more
• At least two supporting documents for any two of the following:
  • Substantial track record for innovation as a founder/senior executive of a product-led digital technology company (or as an employee in such a company working on a new digital field, concept or innovation project)
  • Proof of recognition for work beyond your job contributing to the advancement of your respective area of expertise
  • Proof of significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the field as a founder, senior executive, board member or employee of a product-led digital technology company
  • Proof of exceptional ability demonstrated by academic contributions through research published or endorsed by an expert
• Proof of any commercially successful established companies, share ownership or companies dissolved in the past five years where you have been a founder or senior executive

Global Talent Visa Cost Under the Endorsement Route

If you are applying from outside the UK, the endorsement fee is £561. It will be £561 if you are applying from within the UK.

If you are successful in your endorsement application and now applying for a Global Talent visa, you must pay the visa processing fees. If you are applying from outside the UK, the visa processing fee is £205. It will be £205 if you are applying from within the UK.

For each of your dependent family members, the visa processing fee will be £766 when applying from outside the UK, and £766 when applying from within the UK.

In addition, Global Talent visa applicants must also pay an immigration health surcharge of £1035 per year per person.

How Long Does It Take to Get an Endorsement for a Global Talent Visa?

For applicants in the academia or research field, an endorsement decision will take up to two weeks in case of fast track endorsements, or five weeks for standard endorsements. In the arts and culture field, the usual processing time can be up to eight weeks.

If you are applying in the digital technology field, you may get an endorsement decision within five to eight weeks.

What If I Already Have Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Endorsement?

In case you are holding a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa at present, you can extend your visa under the Global Talent route provided:

• Your endorsing body has not withdrawn its original approval, or
• The prestigious prize you won that made you eligible for a Global Talent visa without an endorsement has not been withdrawn

You must also be able to prove that you have earned an income in your field of expertise during your stay in the UK.

Can I Use My Global Talent Visa Endorsement to Settle in the UK?

The Global Talent visa route is a settlement route to the UK. You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after three or five years, depending on your field of work and how you apply.

However, getting successfully endorsed does not automatically get you a Global Talent visa. You must fulfil the other eligibility requirements and be able to get a positive Home Office decision on your Global Talent visa application.

How IAS Can Help You

While you can complete your endorsement and visa applications yourself, we strongly recommend that you seek legal help, given the complexities and legalities involved in the endorsement and subsequent immigration processes.

An experienced and knowledgeable Global Talent Visa legal advisor, particularly one with a track record of helping several people in similar situations, can add immense value to both your endorsement and visa application processes by providing detailed guidance as well as application and document checking services.

If your endorsement application has been refused even after careful preparation and there is sufficient reason to believe that the endorsing body made an error, a Global Talent Visa lawyer can assist you in applying for an endorsement review.

On the other hand, if your Global Talent Visa application has been refused and the decision to refuse your application is unlawful, unreasonable, or procedurally improper, your solicitor can help you apply for judicial review and legally represent you at the hearings.

Our IAS team of specialist UK Global Talent visa lawyers offer dedicated immigration advice services for talented and promising individuals planning to take the Global Talent Visa route. We have a high success rate for all types of UK visa applications and employ only the best OISC-regulated experts whose knowledge of Home Office policies can make your case successful.

At the beginning of your application process, you will receive a comprehensive overview of your case to understand your chances of receiving a positive decision for your endorsement and visa application. Your dedicated Global Talent Visa consultant will provide complete instructions and answer all your queries throughout the application process.

If your application has already been refused and you are considering requesting the Home Office to reconsider their decision or contemplating a judicial review, get in touch with our team. There are legal complexities involved in the process, such as complying with the pre-action protocols before making an application for judicial review, which an experienced lawyer can help you with.

Call us today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to discuss how we can help you.