Global Talent

The Global Talent (Tech Nation) visa is the perfect way to bring skilled people from outside the UK into the UK tech sector, and, despite the current pandemic. it remains in high demand.

Specialists at Ward Hadaway provide you with advice about the eligibility criteria for this elite visa and the process for applying. Whether you are thinking of applying for a visa yourself, or you are a company looking to bring staff into the country, this is your perfect opportunity to find out more.

What is the Global Talent (Tech Nation) visa?      

Previously known as the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa, the re-branded Global Talent visa is a unique scheme that offers flexibility and manoeuvrability within the UK Digital Industry for highly skilled individuals. Unlike other UK work visas, the Global Talent visa is exempted from criteria such as sponsorship, maintenance and English language and allows visa holders to apply for indefinite leave to remain in as little as just three years.

Immigration expert Flora Mewies introduces you to the Global Talent visa for research professionals.

Immigration solicitors Flora Mewies and Natalie Payne talk you through the Tech Nation Global Talent visa.

This visa is for highly skilled migrants who are recognised leaders (those with “Exceptional Talent”) or an emerging leader (those with “Exceptional Promise”) in one of the following fields:

• Science and medicine
• Engineering
• Humanities
• Digital technology
• Arts and culture
• Research

It was previously known as the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa.

The visa application process has two stages:

Stage 1: you must be endorsed as having exceptional talent or promise; and

Stage 2: you make your visa application.

Unlike other visas, you do not need a job offer to be eligible for this visa.

The Global Talent visa is quite special because it allows the holder to:

• set up their own company and be a director and shareholder
• work for an employer without restriction or sponsorship
• be self-employed
• carry out voluntary work

The current application fees for each stage are:

Stage 1: £524

Stage 2: £192

If you are from one of the following countries, the Stage 2 Visa application fee will be automatically reduced by £55:

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey.

This fee reduction does not apply to dependant visa applications.

You will also have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for the duration of your visa and a fee of £19.20 to enrol your biometric information.

If you obtain the Global Talent visa and you are outside the UK, you can bring certain family members known as “dependants” with you. These are your:

• spouse or partner
• children under the age of 18; and
• children over 18 who are already in the UK.

It costs an extra £716 per dependant to add them to your Stage 2 visa application.

If you are already in the UK with your dependants and you switch to the Global Talent visa, they will be able to remain with you.  Whether or not they need to apply for new visas will depend on the circumstances and it is recommended that you contact us to discuss this further.

You can apply for a visa for 1 to 5 years and this can be extended as many times as you like.

Yes, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK once you have held the Global Talent visa for:

• 3 years if last endorsed under the exceptional talent criteria for any endorsing body
• 3 years if last endorsed under the exceptional promise criteria for the endorsing bodies for science, engineering, humanities and medicine
• 3 years if last endorsed under the UKRI endorsed funder fast track criteria
• 5 years if last endorsed under the exceptional promise criteria for Arts Council England or Tech Nation

Time spent as a Representative of an Overseas Business can also be included as part of the 3 or 5 years continuous period for settlement applications made on or after 9 November 2022.

The qualification period for ILR will be counted back immediately from either:

• the date of application for ILR
• the date of decision
• any date up to 28 days after the date of application

There are other eligibility requirements for ILR which you should be mindful of – read more about settlement in the UK here.  Please contact us to discuss these to ensure that you do not fall foul of these whilst holding your Global Talent visa.

There are six Endorsing Bodies who assess applications in different fields of expertise.  Each Endorsing Body has criteria that you must fulfil in order to receive endorsement.

Read below for more details of its endorsement criteria.

• Digital technology – Tech Nation
• Arts and culture – Arts Council England
• Science and medicine – The Royal Society
• Engineering – The Royal Academy of Engineering
• Humanities – The British Academy
• Higher education and research applicants – UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). An applicant must have received a successful grant application from an endorsed funder approved by UKRI. More information about this route can be found on UKRI’s website here, or alternatively you can contact us for further information.

Please contact us if you are unclear which Endorsing Body you should apply to.

You make your endorsement application online by submitting the Home Office form here.

If you are a digital technology applicant, you will also have to apply online through Tech Nation here.

Yes, in certain circumstances.  If you are applying for endorsement by Tech Nation, The British Academy, The Royal Society or The Royal Academy of Engineering and you meet their specific requirements for fast tracking.

The Home Office advises that endorsement decisions should be made within 8 weeks.

The number and types of supporting documents that you must provide with your Global Talent endorsement application will depend on which Endorsing Body you are applying to, whether you are applying under the Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise criteria and your own professional experience.

Putting together the right supporting documents for the Global Talent endorsement can be very challenging, however our specialist Immigration Team has a wealth of experience in making successful applications on behalf of our clients. For more information about the services we can offer in helping you obtain endorsement, please contact us.

Exceptional Promise is for those applicants who can demonstrate potential to become a leading talent in their field and contribute as a future leader in either their industry or academia.

Typically applicants applying for Exceptional Promise are at an earlier stage of their career but have already made some significant achievements and contributions.  For example, Tech Nation suggests that Exceptional Promise applicants typically have 5 years or less experience at the time of applying.

Exceptional Talent is for those applicants who can demonstrate that they are already established as a recognised leader in their field.  They should have a significant track record of achievements.

If your endorsement application is unsuccessful you can challenge this by applying for an endorsement review for free online.  You have 28 days from the date that the Home Office sends you the refusal email to submit the review.

If you have new evidence to submit, it is recommended that you re-apply.

Our Immigration Team regularly helps applicants submit endorsement reviews and get the decision reversed as well as submit fresh applications. To find out more about how we can help you with this process, please contact us.

Each endorsing body has different criteria, please see more in the next section of content:

• Digital technology – Tech Nation
• Arts and culture (including fashion, architecture and film and television) – Arts Council England
• Science and medicine – The Royal Society
• Engineering – The Royal Academy of Engineering
• Humanities – The British Academy

Please contact us if you are unsure which Endorsing Body you should apply to or want further information about the route for Higher education and research applicants through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Once you have been endorsed, you will need to submit your stage 2 application (see below).

Tech Nation assesses candidates applying for endorsement in the field of digital technology and accepts applications from both business and technical applicants.

You must demonstrate one of the following:

1. You have proven technical expertise with the latest technologies in building, using, deploying or exploiting a technology stack and building technical infrastructure (if you are a technical applicant); or
2. 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).

In addition you will need to provide:

• a CV with career and publication history included; and
• three dated letters of recommendation from three different well-established individuals acknowledged as experts in the digital technology field, with detailed knowledge of your work over a period of 12 months or more supporting your Global Talent application, which include all of the following:
  • how the author knows you
  • your achievements in your field
  • how the author considers that you show exceptional talent or promise; and the contribution you would make to the UK digital economy

You must also demonstrate that you meet the Mandatory Criteria and any two Optional Criteria.

The Arts Council assesses candidates applying for endorsement whose discipline is within literature, dance, music, theatre, visual arts and combined arts.

It is also the Endorsing Body for fashion, architecture and film and television applicants.

Over the following responses, we have broken down the eligibility criteria for each discipline.

You must demonstrate all of the following:

1. That you have been professionally engaged in producing work of outstanding quality that has been published (other than exclusively in newspapers  or magazines), performed, presented, distributed or exhibited internationally;
2. Recent (within the last five years) and regular activity of being engaged professionally as a practitioner in your field; and
3. A substantial track record in at least two countries (if applying under Exceptional Talent criteria) or a developing track record in one or more countries (if applying under Exceptional Promise criteria).

You must also provide three letters of recommendation of which:

• Two must be from well-established arts and culture organisations that you have worked with, who are acknowledged as experts in your field, and at least one of the organisations must be based in the UK
• The third must be from another well-established arts and culture organisation, or an individual that you have worked with who has recognised expertise in your field

In addition you must also meet at least two of the following three criteria:

Applications from those in the fashion industry will be reviewed by the British Fashion Council.

An applicant for endorsement in the field of fashion design must:

• Have a leading design role in the fashion business; and
• Show regular professional engagement in the fashion design industry in the last 5 years; and
• If evidencing exceptional talent, show professional engagement in producing outstanding work that has been sold or exhibited internationally through catwalk or other exhibitions and a substantial track record in at least 2 countries; and
• If evidencing exceptional promise, show a developing track record in at least 1 country and professional engagement in producing outstanding work that has been recognised by leading industry players.

You must provide three letters of recommendation from established organisations with nationally or internationally recognised expertise in fashion and at least one letter must be from an organisation based in the UK (if applying under Exceptional Talent criteria).

In addition you must also meet at least two of the following four criteria:

Applications from those in the architecture industry will be reviewed by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

An applicant for endorsement in the field of Architecture must:

• Be professionally engaged in producing outstanding presented, published or internationally exhibited work
• Show regular professional engagement in their field in the last 5 years
• Show either a substantial track record in at least 2 countries if evidencing exceptional talent or show a developing track record in at least 1 country if evidencing exceptional promise

You must meet at least two of the following three criteria:

Applications from those in the film and television industry will be reviewed by the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT).

Please note that PACT will only endorse for Exceptional Talent and not Exceptional Promise.

An applicant must provide three letters of recommendation of which:

• two must be from well-established organisations acknowledged as experts in the film and television industry, at least one of these must be from an organisation based in the UK; and
• one must be from another well-established organisation or from an individual with recognised expertise in the film or television industry.

In addition you must meet one of the following four criteria:

Exceptional Talent

1. The applicant has won, or within the last 10 years, has received a nomination for at least one of the following awards:
   • an Academy Award;
   • a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award (Film, Television, Television Crafts, Cymru, Scotland and Games only);
   • a Golden Globe; or
   • an Emmy Award.
2. The applicant has, within the last 10 years, made a significant and direct contribution to winning or being nominated for one of the awards mentioned in criteria 1 above.
3. The applicant has, within the last 15 years achieved a minimum of two nominations for one of the awards mentioned in criteria 1 above.
4. The applicant has demonstrated notable industry recognition by providing evidence of both of the following:
   • international distribution sales and recognition, and
   • having achieved one of the following combination of awards named on the PACT notable industry recognition awards list:

• • • won a minimum of two;
    • won one, and, within the last six years before the date of application, have been nominated for one other for at least two different productions;
    • within the last six years before the date of application have been nominated for at least two different productions; or
    • within the last three years before the date of application, made a significant and direct contribution to winning or being nominated for three of the awards listed in the Notable Industry Recognition Awards for at least two different productions.

Applications from those in the science, engineering, humanities and medicine industries will be reviewed by The British Academy, The Royal Society or The Royal Academy of Engineering depending on your specialism.  Please contact us to discuss which Endorsing Body you should apply to.

You must be an active researcher in an academic, industry or research institution to be able to make an application for endorsement in one of these fields.

If you are applying for endorsement on the fast track, you must provide evidence of one of the following:

1. That you hold, or have held in the 5 years before the date of application, a peer reviewed research fellowship or award named on the list published by your Endorsing Body.
2. That you have been appointed to an academic or research position at an approved UK Higher Education Institution or research institute named on the list published by your Endorsing body.
3. That you are working on a research grant issued by an endorsed funder approved by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

There are various evidential requirements which must be satisfied, dependent upon which fast track criteria you are applying under. Please contact us to discuss what evidential requirements you will have to satisfy as part of your application.

If you are applying for a full peer review consideration you must meet each of the following criteria below:

If you are applying for a full peer review consideration you must meet each of the following criteria below:

• a CV outlining your career and publication history; and
• a letter of recommendation written in support of your application from an eminent person resident in the UK which includes the following:
  • how the author knows you; and
  • your achievements in the relevant field; and
  • how the author considers that you show exceptional talent or promise;
  • how you would benefit from living in the UK; and
  • the contribution you would make to UK research excellence and wider society

For exceptional talent, evidence in relation to at least one of the qualifying eligibility criteria listed above.

Like the stage 1 application, you will need to make your Global Talent visa application online via the Gov.uk website.

Once you have made your application you will need to give your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) at a visa application centre in order to obtain a biometric residence permit (BRP). If you are applying from outside the UK, you will have a set period of time from the date you have stated you will enter the UK to collect your BRP.

To apply outside the UK you should apply here.

To apply within the UK you should apply here.

For further information please contact us.

Yes, you can switch to this visa if you meet the visa eligibility criteria,  are already in the UK and do not hold one of the following visas:

• a visit visa
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa
• immigration bail
• visa granted outside the immigration rules

You will need to provide a current passport with a blank page when you apply for the Global Talent visa. If you are applying within the UK we strongly advise against international travel whilst awaiting a decision on your visa application, as this could lead to your application being withdrawn.

Where you are applying for the Global Talent visa outside the UK, you should usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

Where you are applying for the Global Talent visa within the UK, the Home Office aim to provide you with a decision within 8 weeks.

If you require a quicker decision on your application you can pay for a premium service. The Super Priority Service provides a decision by the end of the next working day after you attended the visa application centre. This costs an extra £1,000.

Unlike other categories of visa, you do not need to evidence your knowledge of the English language for the Global Talent visa by either taking an English Language Test or providing a degree certificate.

The documents you are required to provide will depend on your individual circumstances such as whether you will be applying alone or with your dependants.

In many cases, as a minimum,  an applicant will need to provide a current passport or other valid travel document (with at least one blank page), and may be required to provide a Tuberculosis test depending on the country they have been residing in.

If you would like to know more information about supporting documents, please contact us.

Who was the applicant:

Sanjeev Kumar is an experienced senior digital executive who worked for a globally renowned automotive company in Japan leading their global digital transformation program. Sanjeev obtained a Global Talent endorsement from Tech Nation to come to the UK to start his own tech business. He reached out to us for his stage 2 Global Talent visa after his deep research and assessment. We helped him and his dependants (wife and children) to obtain visas so that they could all relocate to the UK.

 How did we help?

Sanjeev reached out to us with an ask of filing the visa application within a week’s time and with fully guided support because he had strict timelines within which he needed to relocate to the UK and was in need of absolute success but he had limited awareness of the UK visa process.

Achieving short turnaround times without any compromise on the quality of our advice and assistance is one of our strengths, and we quickly and efficiently helped Sanjeev through the stage 2 visa application process, which can be particularly tricky to navigate when applying with dependants.

We understood Sanjeev’s background, expectations, and plan over several online meetings and then proposed the option that suited his circumstances best. We provided clear guidance on the various supporting documents Sanjeev needed to provide with his application and ensured that included all the information and were in the format required by UVKI. This included carrying out a full review of the documents and providing advice on the strict rules around translations and checking the translated copies.

Filling the application form for the first time can be challenging, so we extended step by step support to Sanjeev in relation to his visa application form and the three separate PBS dependant application forms, which included a comprehensive review and answering all questions before submission.

As Sanjeev was applying during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we also gave advice on the status of visa application centres and provided him with updates as the situation changed to help progress his application as quickly as possible.

Due to our high levels of support, all four applications were submitted within just three days of us being instructed.

The result:

We successfully helped Sanjeev secure a Global Talent visa for Sanjeev and his three family members in record time:

1. We submitted the application within 3 working days of being instructed;
2. Sanjeev and his family attended their biometric appointment just 2 days later; and
3. The visas were granted 7 working days later.

Sanjeev will be relocating from Japan to the UK shortly where he will be continuing his exceptional work in the digital technology sector and we will be working together in the future to support his new business venture.

Some kind words:

“I would like to thank Flora from the bottom of my heart in making the complicated UK Global Talent visa application process simple and successful for me and my family. Her approach in taking time to understand my situation and then guiding me in a personalised way was the key to the success of my application. She was extremely accommodating and would always make time in her busy schedule if I needed a quick video call about any queries I had (and I had many honestly!). She was very responsive and proactive which is evidenced by the fact I obtained my visa in such a short time period. I cannot thank her and her team enough.”

Who was the applicant?

The applicant was a senior member of a multi-national IT company living and working in London.  Having obtained endorsement by Tech Nation for the Global Talent visa, he required assistance with the stage 2 visa application to move from a sponsored Tier 2 General visa, to the Global Talent visa.

How did we help?

The applicant was applying for the new visa along with their dependants.  We provided a comprehensive letter of advice setting out the eligibility criteria for the visa and the application process as well as template application forms for completion.  We advised on the required supporting documents, including those specifically required for dependants over the age of 16.  As well as reviewing and amending the application forms and documentation prior to submission, we provided a letter of support as the legal representative.

The application process was unfortunately delayed due to UKVI’s response to the covid19 pandemic and as new processes and procedures were introduced by UKVI after submission of the applications, we guided the applicant through these and advised on the most appropriate steps for their personal circumstances.

The result:

Once the UKVI application process was complete, including enrolling biometric details for the applicants, all of the visas were smoothly and quickly processed and successfully granted.

Some kind words:

“I would like to personally thank Flora and her team for the help and support given through this process, particularly during the excruciating wait for the visa caused by the covid19 pandemic and UKVI delays.  I will be delighted to refer Ward Hadaway to contacts who are in need of help with their visas and look forward to continuing to work together on other matters in the future.”

Who was the applicant?

We have recently assisted a Serbian national with their application for endorsement for the Global Talent visa (formerly known as the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa). This individual established a FinTech start-up in Serbia specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and having gained potential investors in the UK, wanted to relocate here.

How did we help?

We conducted an initial review of the applicant’s profile and identified the most suitable Key and Qualifying Criteria for their application.  We proceeded to advise them on the potential supporting documents that they could submit with their endorsement application which included:

• For Key Criteria 1 – company incorporation documents in both Serbia and the UK and evidence of their potential investment funds;
• For Qualifying Criteria 1 – a letter from their co-founder in Serbia and letters of support from existing customers;
• For Qualifying Criteria 2 – a letter from the UK Department of International Trade and evidence of public speaking events participated in; and
• For Qualifying Criteria 4 – evidence of published journal articles and a letter of support from their research supervisor.

In addition we reviewed and re-drafted the three letters of recommendation to highlight their achievements to date as well as the benefits that they would bring to the tech sector in the UK through their skills, experience and start-up and worked with them to complete their personal statement and CV to ensure consistency across the application.

The result:

As a result, they were successfully endorsed under the Exceptional Talent criteria meaning that they are eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in just three years.  Following receipt of their endorsement, we prepared and submitted their visa application which was granted swiftly.

We provide a range of services to Global Talent visa applicants depending on their situation, needs and field of expertise.

Basic review – Applicable for all endorsing bodies:

• initial correspondence with you regarding eligibility
• review of the draft personal statement, CV, supporting documents and letters of recommendation
• written advice on whether the application meets the eligibility criteria for endorsement and if not, what aspects of the application need to be improved.

Fee estimate*: £850-£2,000

Enhanced review – Applicable to applications for endorsement by Tech Nation, The Royal Institute of British Architects and The Arts Council:

• initial correspondence with you regarding eligibility
• providing you with guidance on the required documentation
• review of the draft personal statement and CV and advice to you on issues and improvements to be made
• advice to you on appropriate authors for the letters of recommendation, review of three draft letters of recommendation, advice to you on whether they meet the eligibility criteria and amending the letters
• advice on potential supporting documents in support of the application
• review of draft supporting documents provided by you and advice on whether these are adequate and meet the eligibility criteria and amending the documents
• advice on additional documents you may be able to provide in support of the application and changes to the documents you have collated to improve your application
• review of and advice to you on the draft application form(s) and amendments to be made
• advice to you on the application process and queries.

Fee estimate*: £2,000 – £6,000

Enhanced review – applications for endorsement by The Royal Society, The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and UK Research and Innovation:

• initial correspondence with you regarding eligibility
• providing you with guidance on the required documentation
• review of the draft personal statement and CV and advice to you on issues and improvements to be made
• advice to you on appropriate authors for the letters of recommendation and review of up to two draft letters of recommendation, advice to you on whether they meet the eligibility criteria and amending the letter(s)
• review of up to three draft supporting documents provided by you and advice on whether these are adequate and meet the eligibility criteria and amending the documents
• advice on alternative documents you may be able to provide in support of the application and changes to the documents you have collated to improve your application
• review of and advice to you on the draft application form and amendments to be made
• advice to you on the application process and queries.

Fee estimate*: £1,750 – £3,000

Stage 2 – visa application

• reviewing and suggesting appropriate amendments to draft Home Office visa application form, and
• advice to you on the application process and queries.

Fee estimate*: £1,000 – £2,000

*:  Our fees are calculated based on the number of hours it will take us to carry out this work. The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case, such as:

• the volume of supporting documents and evidence that we need to consider
• the quality of the draft supporting documents provided by you, the amount of time required to amend these and the number of amended drafts required
• whether face to face meetings with you are required (if you reside in the UK) and the volume of calls and queries from you
• for Global Talent visa applications, whether you are applying under the Exceptional Talent criteria or the Exceptional Promise criteria
• the urgency of your application
• whether you have an adverse immigration or criminal history
• the need to obtain documentation from or liaise with third parties such as accountants or translation companies
• whether you are applying alone or with dependants
• whether you require advice on your current immigration status.

Fees are excluding VAT at the rate of 20%. VAT may or may not be payable on the above fee estimate as this is dependent on the country in which you reside and you will be advised of this before work on your application commences. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees payable to the Home Office and document translation fees. These are not included in the above estimates.

Full details can be found in our comprehensive pricing document, which can be found here, or please contact one of our immigration specialists.