All about UK's Global Talent Visa

You can apply for a Global Talent visa to work in the UK if you’re a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

You must also be at least 18 years old.

Before you apply for a visa
You can usually only apply for a Global Talent visa if you have successfully applied for an endorsement to prove that you are a leader or potential leader.

You can apply for the visa without an endorsement if you’ve won an eligible award. Find out which awards are eligible.

Find out what you can do with a Global Talent visa and how to apply for an endorsement if you work in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

If you’re not eligible for a Global Talent visa, there are other ways to work in the UK - for example a Skilled Worker visa.

How long you can stay
You can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time.

If you want to stay longer in the UK
There’s no limit to how long you can stay in the UK in total, but you will need to renew (‘extend’) your visa when it expires. Each extension can last from 1 to 5 years - you choose how long you want the extension to be.

You may be able to get indefinite leave to remain so you can settle in the UK after 3 or 5 years, depending on which field you work in and how you apply. This gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.

How to apply
You must apply online.

How you apply 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

How long it takes
As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK
• You may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Fees
It costs £716 to apply.

If you’re applying based on an endorsement, you’ll pay the £716 in two parts:

• £524 when you apply for the endorsement
• £192 when you apply for the visa itself
• If you’re applying based on an eligible award, you’ll pay the full £716 when you apply for the visa.

If you’re including your partner or children in your application, they’ll each need to pay £716.

Healthcare surcharge
You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application - this is usually £1,035 per year for each person applying.