Global Talent Visa to the UK

Citizens of the United Kingdom live in a prosperous nation with a strong economy. It is hard to overestimate the contribution of the British to world science, culture and art. Great Britain has a rich history. This wonderful country is a marvellous combination of centuries of tradition and innovation.

Millions of people around the world dream of visiting the British Isles in person. Some of them are attracted not by the local attractions, but by the opportunity to share knowledge and unique experiences with like-minded people. After such socialising, the thought of staying in the country arises. How does a high calibre professional move to the UK? Which immigration categories are best suited for relocation? Why are more and more overseas professionals opting for the UK Talent Visa? What features differentiate it from other immigration routes to England? What should you pay special attention to when applying for a Global Talent visa? In our article you will find answers to all these questions.

Ideal for talented employees — Global Talent Visa

If you have achieved significant success in your business and plan to further develop your professional skills in the UK, you should consider the Talent Visa. In this unique status, you get the opportunity to move without huge expenses to fully realise your ideas, achieve new successes and get deserved recognition in the professional community.

There is still a widespread misconception about the talent visa, according to which this immigration category is suitable only for IT specialists, as they have some kind of advantage over other candidates. This is not the case at all. And our quick guide to getting a UK Global Talent Visa is designed to convince you of this. But before we get into the details of the process, let’s find out what other visa categories allow you to work in Britain on a permanent basis?

Visas to work in the United Kingdom

All immigration categories that allow you to go to the UK for permanent work can be roughly divided into two groups:

1. Business visas, which currently includes the category of ‘Founder Innovator’. Suitable for those enterprising foreigners who have an idea for a business in the UK and the funds to successfully realise it.
2. Work visas, which allow a skilled foreign worker to move to Britain and take up permanent employment. The group includes a fairly wide range of categories from skilled worker visas to graduate visas. This immigration route significantly restricts the overseas professional. It implies that the English employer is responsible for the specialist invited from abroad.

Thus, compared to the above immigration categories, the talent visa has more options.

Main advantages of the talent visa

The key difference between the Global Talent Visa and other work and business visas is the freedom to choose where to work. A talented professional in the UK is not tied to their company or to a single local employer for the duration of their residence permit. Talent visa will limit you only by the fact that for renewal you will need to work in the direction where you managed to get recognition. But this is a very conditional restriction, because you will continue to do what you love to do!

You can do this at your own convenience, alternating between work and the rest you need to maintain your potential. The main thing is that when you apply for an extension, you must demonstrate that you have been remunerated for your professional skills.

Another important feature of the Global Talent visa is the absence of a number of requirements for the applicant. In order to move to the UK, a gifted foreign specialist will not even need to learn English or document his or her income. Also, no one will prohibit you from travelling to the UK together with your family: your spouse and minor children.

After a few years of residence in the United Kingdom you will be able to apply for an indefinite residence permit, and after another year of permanent residence in the country you will be able to obtain a second citizenship and a new British passport.

Who can apply for a talent visa?

The UK immigration authorities identify 3 groups of talent eligible to apply for a Global Talent visa:

1. Scientists whose activities are related to research, basic science and technology.
2. Artists and cultural workers.
3. IT specialists of various fields.

Please note that an applicant for this immigration category does not have to be, for example, a self-painter. The applicant can be a well-known curator or the owner of a private gallery. Similarly, it is not necessary to be a programmer if you have a talent for marketing in the IT field.

You will agree that such an opportunity gives a chance to reveal a large number of creative people in the United Kingdom. After all, creativity is a very broad concept. It is not limited only to such obvious arts as music, theatre, cinema, painting or sculpture. Therefore, the talent visa can be called one of the most accessible in the UK.

What categories of foreign talent can apply for the Global Talent Visa?

Art and culture	IT technologies	Science and scientific research
Architect; Artist; Designer; Producer; Musician; Dancer; Theatre personality; Photographer; A representative of the film industry; Writer.	Digital Security Specialist; Employee of financial and technical companies; A specialist in the field of artificial intelligence; A worker in the computer games industry.	Medical Scientist; Researcher; Engineer; Humanities major.

The basic requirement for obtaining a Global Talent visa to the UK

To move to the British Isles on a talent visa, you need the support of a ‘confirming body’, which is an organisation authorised by the British government that is directly related to your field of interest.

Here are the best-known authorised organisations for different areas of professional activity:

• Royal Society of Medicine (RSM);
• Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE);
• Tech Nation, an IT development organisation;
• British Academy of the Humanities (BA);
• Arts Council England (ACE);
• UK Research and Innovation Organisation (UKRI).

If your profession is related to design, fashion, architecture, mass media, film or television broadcasting, you will need to get approval from organisations such as:

• Union of Producers of Cinema and Television (PACT);
• British Fashion Council (BFC);
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Those overseas professionals who need a recommendation from the Royal Society – the Royal Scientific Society – to obtain a talent visa must:

• Possess a PhD or equivalent experience in experimental work (technical validation or clinical trials also count);
• Be directly involved in this area at a higher education institution, research institute or industry.

General requirements of immigration authorities for applicants for a talent visa

Home Office has general requirements for all applicants for long-term visas:

• The applicant must be of legal age;
• He must be free from tuberculosis and other dangerous infectious diseases (we can provide you with a full list of infections at a personal consultation);
• The applicant must provide a police certificate confirming that he or she has no criminal convictions.

Talent visa categories

The Global Talent visa comes in two categories:

1. Exceptional Promise. It is intended for young, promising professionals who, by the time the application is submitted for approval by the authorised body, have already had some success in their field of activity. In this case, the basis for granting the visa is the high potential of the applicant in the difficult task of achieving new professional heights.
2. Exceptional Talent. This category of visa is awarded to established leaders with significant awards, achievements and recognitions accumulated in the process of working in this field for more than 5 years.

The following are required to prove professional skills: state diplomas, publications in scientific publications and/or in other mass media, portfolio, victories at professional competitions.

Please note that for both Exceptional Promise and Exceptional Talent, in order to obtain a favourable decision from the English public authorities, you will need to prove that your presence and your work will be of clear benefit to the UK.

How much money will it take to apply for a talent visa?

There are 2 stages before a gifted overseas professional is approved for UK residency on the basis of a Global Talent Visa:

1. Obtaining approval from a UK authorised body. The cost of contacting the relevant UK organisation is £524.
2. The second step, which follows strictly after the approval of the applicant’s candidature by the authorised government agency, is to process the application to the Home Office for a talent visa.

The applicant will be required to pay a fee of £192 for processing the application. An Immigration Health Service (IHS) fee of £1,035 for adults and £776 for children per year of stay on the visa is also payable.

Here is an example of the cost of a 5-year Global Talent visa for an adult applicant:

Object of expenditure	Amount (£)
Approval by an authorised government agency of the visa application.	192
Visa fee – apply to the immigration office (in case of refusal the visa fee is non-refundable).	524
Immigration Health Service Charge (IHS) for rectification of UK health services during your 5 year stay in the country.	5 175
TOTAL	5 891

How much will the costs increase if the applicant wants to bring their family with them?

A talent visa applicant can move to the UK with their spouse and children. It would be logical to assume that since close relatives of the talent visa applicant do not receive approval from a ‘confirming authority’, the visa application costs would be lower. However, in practice they remain the same as for the principal applicant, with the difference that the dependency fee is payable after the approval of the approving organisation has been received.

Each dependent will therefore cost the talent an additional £716 of expenses (total visa fee). Add to this amount the medical immigration fee for the entire period of intended stay on the first visa, which is usually between 3 and 5 years.

How long will it take to process a talent visa?

Before you can apply for a visa, you must secure the support of a UK government authorised organisation. This process usually takes between 6 and 8 weeks.

Once the confirming authority approves the applicant’s candidature, the Global Talent visa application is sent to the immigration office.

The British have set different deadlines for reviewing applications:

• 3 weeks to review an application submitted by an overseas talent abroad;
• 8 weeks to consider an application made in the United Kingdom.

Thus, you should lay on the procedure of getting a UK talent visa:

• Between 2.5 and 3 months if your application was made overseas;
• 3 to 4 months if the client is transferring to a talent visa from another immigration category or extending their status while directly in the UK.

Renewal of the talent visa and processing of an indefinite residence permit

If you comply with all the requirements of the UK immigration authorities, you will be allowed to renew your Global Talent visa as many times as you like without any restrictions. One of the key requirements is to work in an occupational field where you have been recognised as a talented professional or a promising newcomer.

Several years of permanent residence in the UK entitles Global Talent Visa holders to apply for permanent residence. However, in this case there are more requirements for applicants for permanent residence.

The British rightly believe that such immigrants must have an excellent command of English speech, a good grasp of British everyday life, and will be able to prove all this in test examinations.

The period of stay in the UK that you will need to apply for indefinite leave to remain depends directly on the type of talent visa you have and the area in which you show your outstanding ability:

• For Exceptional Promise category holders, it is 5 years;
• Exceptional Talent visa holders whose activities are related to science, research and innovation projects must have lived in the country for at least 3 years;
• Artists, cultural workers and IT specialists with Exceptional Talent visas are eligible to apply for permanent residence after 5 years of permanent residence on the shores of United Kingdom.

Visa and scope of the talent	Time of stay in the country
Exceptional Promise Visa	5 years
Exceptional Talent visa in the field of science	3 years
Exceptional Talent visa in research and innovation projects	3 years
Exceptional Talent visa in the field of arts and culture	5 years
Exceptional Talent visa in the field of digital technologies	5 years

Arranging a UK talent visa

Here’s what’s to come:

• First, you need to identify an area of activity in which you can prove your exceptionalism;
• You will then need to choose an organisation to apply to for approval;
• Next, collect all the documents that are submitted to the authorised organisation as proof of your achievements in the professional field;
• Handing over the package of documents to the “confirming authority”;
• Once approved, fill out the online Global Talent visa application form on the government website and submit along with copies of supporting documents.

We have travelled with you all the way from getting acquainted with the Talent Visa to learning the important nuances of the paperwork. Undoubtedly, this task was not easy, but very interesting.

Questions and answers about Global Talent Visa