Global Talent Visa Endorsement

Your endorsement shows that you are a leader or a potential leader in your field.

These fields include arts and culture, science, technology, engineering, medicine, the humanities, and more.

You should consider applying for your endorsement to be the first stage of your overall visa application.

You usually won’t be able to apply for a visa until you have received the correct endorsement.

Page Contents

• What is Global Talent Visa Endorsement?
• Requirements for Global Talent Endorsement Application
• Endorsing Bodies: Who Can Endorse a Global Talent Visa
• How to Apply for an Endorsement for the Global Talent Visa?
• Required Documents for Global Talent Visa Endorsement
• Fees and Application Processing Times for the Global Talent Visa Endorsement
• How can London Immigration Lawyers Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Digital Technology Endorsement

The digital technology endorsement application process is available to individuals with exceptional talent or promise as technical applicants. This means that you have expertise in using the latest technologies to build, use, and deploy technological infrastructure.

Business applicants with proof of commercial investment, leadership, or product expertise in building technological products can also apply.

Three letters of recommendation are required from well-established individuals with an intimate knowledge of your work over a period of 12 months or more. The information inside the letter should include:

• How the individual knows you
• Your achievements in your field
• The reasons the writer thinks you have exceptional talent or promise
• The contribution they expect you to make to the UK economy

To show you have exceptional talent, you’ll need to provide evidence of at least two of the following:

• A track record as an innovative tech founder or senior executive, or as an employee working in an emergent field
• Recognition that your work contributes to the advancement of your field
• You have made significant technical, commercial, or entrepreneurial contributions
• Your academic contributions have shown exceptional quality

Showing exceptional promise requires you to be in the early stages of your career. You must also show two of the above, needed for exceptionally talented individuals.

However, the Home Office is a little bit more lenient. For example, you can demonstrate innovation as a founder without a longstanding track record of such contributions.

All applicants should provide evidence of any commercially successful businesses they’ve been involved in. You should also show evidence of share ownership or businesses that have been dissolved in the last five years for which you were a founder or senior executive.

Science, Engineering, Humanities, Social Science and Medicine Fields Endorsement

This endorsement application category has the simplest criteria. You need to show that you are an active researcher in the fields of science, engineering, the humanities, social science, or medicine. This work needs to have been for an industry, government, or academic research institution.

Fast Track Endorsement

There are three pathways to this endorsement. Firstly, they can hold or have held a peer-reviewed research fellowship or award. The award or position needs to be on the list published by the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Academy.

They may also have been appointed to an eligible academic or research position approved by the UK Higher Education Institution, or to a position on the list published by the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the British Academy.

They’ll also need to provide a job description demonstrating that the position requires a PhD or equivalent experience.

A statement of guarantee from the institution’s director of human resources is also needed, showing the following:

• The job was properly advertised
• An open competition for the position was held, or there is a legitimate reason it was not
• The role requires a PhD or equivalent experience
• You will be performing research or innovation as your primary function
• You provided at least two references
• Three or more academic, research or innovation representatives sat on your interview panel
• At least one expert in your field was on the panel or at least one external expert was consulted

Another pathway is to come to the UK to be hosted or employed by a UK-based research organisation. The institution must be named on the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) published list.

While in this position, you must do work that provides critical contributions supported by a substantial research grant or an award from one of the endorsed funders. The grant or award must be worth at least £30,000 over at least two years, or fund the work as a one-off, awarded through an open competition.

Finally, the funding can be an institutional, renewable award based on periodic peer review.

If you will be directly, independently, or under the direct supervision of a Principal Investigator, conducting a research or innovation project, you must:

• Hold a relevant PhD or equivalent research experience
• Actively participate in a relevant field in a university, research institute or industry
• Have your name listed as the principal or co-investigator, or you will hold a similar position approved by UKRI
• Contribute to the research through your excellence

Alternatively, you can make a critical contribution to research by demonstrating excellence or by developing new technologies and methodologies. In this case, you must hold a UK bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) or the equivalent research expertise, and have research experience in a university, research institute or industry.

The third pathway also requires a letter from the institution’s director of human resources, with many of the same requirements as the second pathway. The letter must also confirm that at least 1 year remains on your employment contract and that you are essential to the execution of the grant or award (and at that at least 50% of your time is spent working on it).

Full Peer Review Endorsement

Peer review endorsement applies to those working in the science, engineering, humanities, social science, or medicine fields. Exceptional talent will require you to be an active researcher and to have a PhD or equivalent research experience. You can also access this endorsement type through exceptional promise, which shows you are at an early stage in your career.

Both types of full peer review endorsement applications require a letter of personal recommendation. This must have been provided by an eminent person in your field who is based in the UK. Make sure that the letter includes:

• How does the person know you
• Your achievements in your field
• Why does the person think you have exceptional talent and promise
• The contributions they would expect you to make to British research and society

A further letter from an eminent person is required if you are applying on the basis of your exceptional talent. Make sure it includes the above, as well as confirmation that they are a senior member of a UK organisation related to your field.

The statement should also confirm that they are providing an objective assessment of your capabilities, regardless of any personal relationship they may have with you.

You will make your endorsement application to one of the recognised endorsing bodies. These endorsing bodies are:

• Arts Council England: arts and culture, plus fashion, film, television, and architecture
• Tech Nation: digital technology fields for both technologists and businesspeople
• The Royal Society: natural and medical sciences
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• British Academy: humanities and social sciences
• UKRI: science, research and innovation

Please note that Arts Council England has a range of sub-organisations. Your case will be linked to whichever one is relevant.

Examples of these sub-organisations include the British Fashion Council, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT).

Understanding which endorsing body your application will be sent to can be challenging.

Contact London Immigration Lawyers at 0204 502 8582 for help understanding which is appropriate for your case.

To make your endorsement application, you should:

1. Choose the right endorsing body for your field.
2. Prepare your documentation.
3. Complete the online form on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.
4. Submit your application and documentation and pay the endorsement application fee.
5. Wait for your application to be processed.

The exact documentation you need will depend on the endorsement type you are seeking and the endorsing body to which you are applying. However, the following documentation is needed in most cases.

• Curriculum vitae (CV) detailing your career and professional milestones
• At least three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement of how your expertise or potential to contribute to your field in the UK
• Supporting documentation showing your achievements

As with most UK visa applications, your documentation needs to be in English or Welsh. Any foreign-language documentation will need to be certified.

The total fee for the Global Talent visa is £766. However, £205 of that total is just for the visa application itself. Meanwhile, your endorsement application alone costs £561.

Once you have submitted your endorsement application, you can usually expect it to be processed within five to eight weeks. This can extend to 12 weeks in the busiest periods. The exact processing time you can expect will largely depend on the endorsing body through which you are applying.

Once you submit the visa application itself, you can expect a decision in three weeks if you are outside the UK, or eight weeks if you are inside the UK.