How to get a Global Talent Visa to work in the UK: application guide

This is a step-by-step guide on getting the UK Global Talent Visa. We’ll explain exactly what the visa is and what you need to know to meet the eligibility criteria for the UK Global Talent visa in 2025. Whether you’re in tech, the arts, or science & academis, we’ve got expert advice to help you understand what’s expected and how to get started on the right foot.

What makes this guide different is that it’s packed with practical tips and real client cases. You’ll learn how to prepare your application, what documents to gather, and how to avoid common mistakes. By the end, you’ll feel more confident about your chances and know exactly what steps to take next.

If you need personalised guidance and dedicated support, you can work with our team by purchasing a full UK Global Talent visa package. Alternatively, you can get an in-depth evaluation of your case during our 60-min Global Talent consultation.

What is a UK Global Talent Visa? Overview

The UK Global Talent visa is for top-tier professionals and rising stars in fields like tech, arts, and academia, letting you live and work in the UK while contributing your expertise. It’s ideal for those with a proven talent or great potential. Formerly known as the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa, the UK Global Talent visa now has no annual cap and simpler requirements, making it easier for exceptional individuals to move to the UK. By the way, the UK is one of the best countries with talent visas worldwide.

The process can take you anything from two to six months. The UK Global Talent Visa is issued for either 3 or 5 years (if you are a Talent – for 3 years, if you are a Promise – for 5 years). It is extendable and you can apply for a permanent residence permit after it (ILR – Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year on the ILR, you can apply for British citizenship.

As Global Talent visa expert, I am seeing a positive shift in the new immigration white paper published by the UK Government on 12th of May 2025 towards potential UK Global Talent visa applicants. While most routes face tighter restrictions, they’re actually promising to “make it simpler and easier” for top talent.

The government is clearly prioritising scientists and creative professionals (specifically design) as well as AI specialists. For professionals in these fields, this means potentially faster processing and fewer hurdles in the upcoming months.

Our advice? If you’re in scientific research or design, now’s the time to consider the Global Talent route – the door’s opening wider.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

How is the UK Global Talent Visa different from Work Visa (Skilled Worker)?

When considering a work permit abroad, most people think of a standard work visa. In the UK, this is the Skilled Worker visa. Generally, getting a Skilled Worker visa can be easier since the employer handles most of the paperwork. You can apply for jobs from overseas, interview, and secure a position with a UK company.

However, there are some key differences:

• Eligibility: not all companies or professions qualify. The UK government maintains a list of approved employers with visa sponsorship licence.
• Employer preferences: even if a company has a visa sponsorship licence, they might not hire foreign workers due to higher costs or internal policies.
• Job flexibility: the Skilled Worker visa ties you to a specific employer, you are generally not allowed to do consulting work or set up your own company while being on a Skilled Worker visa. Changing jobs means you’ll need to find a new employer who can sponsor you again.
• Requirements: you must pass an English test, provide proof of income, and maintain a certain amount of money in your bank account.

In contrast, the Global Talent visa only requires proof of your exceptional talent. It offers much more flexibility—you can work, freelance, switch jobs, or start your own business without needing to prove English proficiency or meet specific income levels.

The Global Talent visa has just two restrictions: you can’t work as a doctor or a professional sportsman, and you can’t claim public funds like benefits or pensions. Otherwise, you have the freedom to live and work as you wish.

Under what field can you apply for a UK Global Talent Visa? Eligibility

You are eligible for applying if you have been actively building your career and sharing knowledge in one of the three areas:

• arts and culture
• digital technology
• academia or research

It would be quite hard to list every single profession that is eligible for the Global Talent visa – there are many examples of this visa obtained by marketers, HRs and other related job titles rather than specifically arts and tech specialists and scientists. To give you a rough idea of who can apply under this visa route, here are some of the occupations:

Nailing your self-presentation for this visa is crucial. You need to thoroughly research the application and endorsement requirements, and EP Advisory were the ones who made the process so much easier for me.

Max Kharchenko

Chief Product Owner, our client and a Global Talent visa holder

Exceptional Promise or Exceptional Talent for UK Global Talent Visa: What is the difference?

The visa is divided into two categories: “Exceptional Promise” and “Exceptional Talent”.

Promise is suitable for those who are at the beginning of their professional or creative journey and have under 5 years of experience. In simple terms, there is no need to be the world’s biggest star in your field, and overall our stats indicate that Promise is indeed easier to get than Talent. However don’t be the requirements too high, you still need to show quite a few achievements to be endorsed under this visa category. We’ll get to that in a second.

Talent is a category where demonstrating outstanding professional achievements is vital. Generally those who apply under this category need to have worked in their professional field for over 5 years. The benefit of this category is that you only get granted a visa for 3 years, after which you can apply to ILR. That’s one of the quickest ways of getting a permanent residency and citizenship in the UK! While in the case of Promise, you will need to wait for 2 years longer before applying for your ILR, and only get your citizenship after living in the country for a total of 5 years.

Another thing to note is that even if you applied for an endorsement under Promise but the endorsing body believes that you have achieved enough to be a Talent, you’ll be granted a Talent. So overall applying under Promise is a somewhat safer option if your experience in the field doesn’t massively exceed 5 years in total so far. Here’s a quote by our client to help you get a better understanding of it.

I was applying to Tech Nation for the Global Talent visa endorsement as a performance marketer for tech startups. Even though he worked in marketing for nearly 9 years, only the past 4.5 of them have been specifically within the area of performance marketing and digital technology, while the first few years was mainly just writing copies for marketing comics. So when choosing between the Talent and Promise categories, Promise was more suitable for me – and way more realistic in terms of requirements!

Luma Manina

Our employee and a Global Talent visa client

Of course, every story is unique, and Global Talent is a relatively new UK visa category, so the rules change from time to time.

I am applying for the Global Talent Visa in the UK. Where do I start?

Let’s start with the good news: for the Global Talent Visa, knowledge of English is optional, and you don’t need to go through any interviews or exams. In fact, we’ve seen cases where arts professionals have been granted the visa with just an A2/B1 level of English! Additionally, no proof of income is required.

The Global Talent Visa is obtained in two stages:

1. Stage 1: Endorsement
   This stage involves applying for an endorsement from a recognized body, such as Tech Nation for digital technology or the Arts Council for the arts. Importantly, Stage 1 is not an immigration stage, meaning it does not affect your immigration history or status. You will receive a Unique Application Number (UAN) after submitting the endorsement application, which you’ll need when applying to the endorsing body.
2. Stage 2: Visa Application
   After receiving your endorsement, you can apply for the actual visa in Stage 2. This is when your immigration status is assessed, and if successful, you’ll be granted the Global Talent Visa, allowing you to live and work in the UK without restrictions.

In summary, Stage 1 focuses on endorsement based on your talent, without affecting your immigration status, and Stage 2 is where the immigration process begins.

How to apply for UK’s Global Talent Visa endorsement?

When applying for the Stage 1 endorsement of the Global Talent Visa, it’s essential to first complete the Stage 1 application on the UK government website. This process will provide you with a Unique Application Number (UAN), which is mandatory for submitting your application to the endorsing body.

The endorsing body requires this number to identify and track your application to their evaluation process. You will receive a Unique Application Number (UAN) after submitting the endorsement application.

Here’s the correct link to apply for Stage 1 and get your unique application number: Global Talent Endorsement Application.

Once you receive the UAN, you can use it to submit your endorsement request via the relevant endorsing body. There are six endorsing bodies currently in the UK assessing your talent. Read our full guide on how to get an endorsement for the UK Global Talent Visa.

What are the six endorsing bodies for the UK Global Talent Visa?

• Tech Nation
• Arts Council England
• British Academy
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• Royal Society
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

After receiving the endorsement, you can proceed with applying for the visa itself (Stage 2). You’ll use the endorsement and your UAN to complete this stage, and if successful, you will be granted the Global Talent visa, allowing you to work in the UK without restrictions. The main purpose of Stage 2 is for the immigration officers to run the entry clearance checks on you (to ensure you’re not a criminal), stamp the visa in your passport and issue a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which you will pick up upon moving to the UK (this will change from December 2024 when all permits will be electronic and not physical).

As Global Talent visa consultants, we’ve noticed a big shift for digital tech applicants recently. The bar’s been raised like ten times higher in the past few months.

Just to give you the context, Tech Nation, the endorsing body for the tech field, initially said it’d shut its doors by March 31, 2023. But guess what? It didn’t close up after all and kept taking applications (probably because they couldn’t find a replacement in time). Our guess is, many people rushed to apply before the supposed shutdown. So, from April 2023, we’ve been hit with more rejections than ever before, and we’ve had to fight them all with appeals. Other endorsing bodies also upped their game, but not as drastically as Tech Nation.

Our advice? Get ready way more seriously and thoroughly than you might’ve thought just a bit back.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

Global Talent visa through Tech Nation UK

We at EP Advisory get tens of enquiries from tech applicants every day. As you can see above, the Tech Nation Global Talent visa is open not only for technical professionals but also for those working in this sector with non-technical backgrounds (business). For instance, if your role is in growth marketing, sales, or product management at a tech company, you might be eligible to apply!

Specifically, some “Venture Capital partners and Senior analysts” have successfully gained endorsements through us. This reference indicates that individuals working in venture capital, including partners and senior analysts, can be considered for the Global Talent Visa in the UK under certain conditions, likely related to their contributions to the tech sector or their specific expertise in digital business environments.

We have written several articles on the recent changes to the Tech Nation’s guidelines (here is the link) and the main rejections reasons for you to strengthen your Tech Nation Global Talent visa case (click here to read).

Tech Nation – Eligible disciplines

Eligible: Technical applicants (e.g., programmers) from non-technical organizations.
Eligible: Non-technical applicants (e.g., business roles) from technical organizations.
Ineligible: Non-technical applicants from non-technical organizations.

Tech Nation – Rules for employers and own start-ups

• Importance of working for a product-led digital business.
• Examples of eligible companies: Amazon, Spotify, smaller tech start-ups.
• Exception for niche technical expertise, like AI in heavy industries.

Tech Nation – Which documents you need to submit

When applying for Tech Nation UK Global Talent visa endorsement, you would normally need to upload 15 documents: 3 Letters of Recommendation (LORs), 1 CV, 1 Personal Statement, and 10 Evidence pieces (3 A4 pages each).

Tech Nation – Rules for referees of your Letters of Recommendations

When it comes to selecting your referees, try choosing those who:

• are or were your direct bosses who can confirm your achievements/experience written in your CV;
• have strong experience working for tech companies (avoid people who have background of working for consulting, outsourcing companies, agencies and other non-tech businesses, e.g. PepsiCo, Bosch, etc.);
• have a good LinkedIn profile (all sections filled, recent activity, etc.);
• have a Global Talent visa already;
• are based outside your country of origin or not the same nationality as you.

We recommend for you to include here as many potential referees as possible.

For Tech Nation, there is no requirement to have a UK-based referees. So they can be from your home country or elsewhere in the world. We have successful cases when all 3 referees were from the applicant’s home country.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

Tech Nation – What are the evidence pieces?

10 Evidence pieces go towards Mandatory criteria and Optional criteria. Each evidence piece should be no longer than 3 x A4 pages. There are 4 optional criteria, and you need to satisfy at least 2 of them to get the endorsement.

4 optional criteria for Talent applicants:

4 optional criteria for Promise applicants:

Optional Criteria 1 (OC1): a proven track record for innovation as a founder or senior executive of a product-led digital technology company or as an employee working on a new digital field or concept.

• In our experience at EP Advisory, this criteria is quite commonly used. As an applicant, you need to show innovation (e.g. new product feature, new product development, new market, new marketing strategy, etc). You can, for instance, attach press releases about those innovations.
• Example: Yuri, Front End Developer, created a price match feature for a booking platform; this innovation received some media attention.

Optional Criteria 2 (OC2): proof of recognition beyond the applicant’s occupation that contributes to the advancement of the field.

• This is hard to prove but still possible. As an applicant, you need lots of evidence of speaking at conferences, media recognition, courses developed by you, or your participation in official mentorship programmes. We would recommend at least 5 articles in the media, podcasts, YouTube videos (not your own channel, but elsewhere), conference speaking, panel discussions, judge appearances, etc.

Mentorship has to be part of an organised/structured programme with selection process, you cannot mentor one start-up or a group of people and include this as evidence for activities beyond occupation.

When we feel there is not enough of evidence for OC2, but the client has some media recognition or training, we would use those documents for mandatory criteria.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

Optional Criteria 3 (OC3): significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the field made as a founder, senior executive or employee of a product-led digital technology company.

• This is also quite common. You need to show quantifying achievements related to your field (revenue generated, app downloads, fundraising, team growth, articles (non-scientific) about their research or themselves/their career/their stories).

Optional Criteria 4 (OC4): exceptional ability in the field demonstrated by academic contributions, through research published or endorsed by an expert.

• We at EP Advisory only had a couple of people applying with OC4. Those were people with patents, trademarks, IP property, and scientific articles published. Your application really has to have some weight to satisfy this criteria.

Visa holders’ experiences of the Global Talent application process

Recent research commissioned by the UK Home Office, conducted by Ipsos, looked into the effectiveness of the Global Talent Visa program. It included an online survey completed by 4,025 successful visa holders, 10 case study interviews, and 25 in-depth interviews.

Global Talent Visa Application and Endorsement Satisfaction

The high level of satisfaction with the overall process was reflected in visa holders’ views about the 2 main stages of the application process: endorsement (91% satisfied) and main visa application (87% satisfied). Overall visa application success rate exceeds 90%. Here are some key findings on applicant satisfaction:

• Over 90% of applicants successfully obtain the visa.
• Direct endorsement success is also over 90%.
• The overall visa application process has an 85% success rate.
• Around 90% of applicants found the visa application form easy to complete.

Global Talent Visa Success Rate Overview

In 2023, the success rate for the UK Global Talent Visa rose to around 75%, though exact approval rates are not fully disclosed by the UK Home Office and can vary based on several key factors:

1. Field Expertise and Achievements: High-impact contributions, such as published work, awards, or peer recognition, strongly influence approval chances.
2. Endorsements from Esteemed Bodies: Endorsements from reputable UK organizations, like Arts Council England, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society, and the British Academy, play a crucial role in visa success.
3. Immigration History: A positive immigration record and no previous issues with UK authorities can enhance approval likelihood.
4. Commitment to the UK: Demonstrating how the applicant’s continued work will benefit the UK economically and culturally is essential.

Tech Nation – Examples of our clients getting UK Global Talent visa

Kathrin, Gaming professional: Despite her young age, Kathrin has accomplished a lot in the gaming industry in Germany. She founded and successfully grew her gaming start-up. She founded for it and received multiple awards and grants for the games she developed. Kathrin also became a judge and was featured on national TV.

Alex, Entrepreneur: In addition to successfully setting up and existing multiple start-ups in the USA, Alex has been doing a lot of thought leadership in his field (fintech). From setting up fintech communities to acting as a start-up mentor for world-famous accelerators.

Emil, Product manager: With only 4 years of relevant product management experience, Emil has managed to increase his income by 300% in the past 3 years. He had developed innovative product features that had an impact on the industry and won multiple hackathons in his home country.

Scientists, researchers and academic applications for the UK global talent visa

For science and engineering, there are 4 endorsing bodies that have similar criteria: The Royal Society, The Royal Academy of Engineering, UK Research and Innovation, and The British Academy.

In simple terms, there are 4 different routes to apply for an endorsement with one of these endorsing bodes – from an official academic or research appointment (if you were offered a position at one of UK research organisations) to receiving an individual fellowship or a research grant. All of our clients here at EP Advisory have gone for Route 4 – Peer review.

Route 4 with The Royal Society

Route 4 with The Royal Academy of Engineering

Route 4 with The British Academy

Mandatory Criteria for Route 4 – Peer review

All boxes should be ticked:

• The applicant must be an active researcher in a relevant field, typically within a university, research institute or within industry.
• The applicant must have a PhD or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research).
• The applicant must provide a letter of personal recommendation from an eminent person resident in the UK supporting the Global Talent application.
• Be a member of their professional society/body/association in the field of their research (have an active membership, ideally in EU or the UK).

The applicant must meet 1 or more of the following Qualifying criteria.

Qualifying criteria:

• Scientific publications (does the person have Google Scholar and/or ResearchGate account – can Google it). The good minimum of English publications is around 10, ideally, those 10 publications will be in the past 5 years, but if they are older, it is okay too.
• Patents.
• Prizes or awards.
• Funding/grants (have they secured significant funding for their work in the past 10 years? If so, they have a public website available. However, they need to have their name mentioned! Sometimes, the grant went to someone else and they were just supporting the research – this wouldn’t work).
• Media recognition (conference speeches, articles (non-scientific) about their research or themselves/their career/their stories).
• Innovation (we had clients from academia who also work in the industry (oil & gas) and they have created innovative solutions based on their research for large corporations or start-ups).

Science, engineering & research – Examples of our clients getting Global Talent visa

Aiela, Biopolymer specialist: She was based in Russia and specialised in biopolymers. She demonstrated the diverse range of eligible fields and backgrounds, including a PhD from Russia, an active research position, scientific publications, the Biopolymer Society membership, and media recognition.

Igor, Heart surgeon: In addition to PhD (medical), he had industry innovative experience – he developed non-invasive heart treatment methods, showcasing the application of innovation in medical fields.

Alex, Oil & gas scientist and software engineer: Alex is an active researcher in the oil&gas field and has done some significant research in Australia. He is also a holder of a PhD in his field as well as industry experience (software engineering) in the oil & gas field in the UK.

Who is not allowed to apply for the Global Talent visa?

Before diving in, let’s get one thing straight: applying for this visa is a smart move only if you tick all the boxes for your field and have the documents outlined in the guidelines.

Below is some additional information on the disciplines within science, tech and arts that are ineligible for the Global Talent visa.

Science applicants, make sure to check the full list of eligible disciplines. If your PhD isn’t there, unfortunately, it’s better to explore another immigration route, like the Skilled Worker visa or a Student visa for a funded PhD programme.

Tech and digital applicants can refer to these guidelines:

Eligible: Technical applicants (e.g., programmers) from non-technical organizations.
Eligible: Non-technical applicants (e.g., business roles) from technical organizations.
Ineligible: Non-technical applicants from non-technical organizations.

Tech Nation’s examples of off-limits fields include:

• Service Delivery, Process Delivery, Outsourcing, Consultancy (technical or management), ERP Consultancy, Systems Admin and all related fields.
• Corporate roles or experience of managing large corporate teams.
• Junior investors/analysts. Such specialisms must be supported by an investment track record made at a senior level and are not suitable for Global Promise.
• Business skills apply to in-house work within product-led digital technology companies, not tech-enabled or service companies such as agencies, outsourcers, marketing firms etc.

Generally speaking, Tech Nation wants to see applicants from product-led digital technology companies, it could be an online platform or an app but shouldn’t be a consultancy.

Big non-tech corporations are not usually very welcome by the endorsing committee either, but there are some exceptions. For instance, one of our successful clients was an AI specialist working at an oil and gas company. He did get an endorsement because his experience was very niche and highly relevant to the UK’s economy – developing AI in such a complex industry! If you wrap it up properly, especially if you have some research publications and articles on the subject, you can get it.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

For arts & culture applicants, Arts Council provides a comprehensive list of the no-go jobs. Take a look:

Which documents are required?

How to get a Global Talent visa? At the first stage of application, you are required to put together a pack of documents that you submit to the endorsing body in your field. Scroll down if you want to see some notes specifically for your field: technology, arts or academia.

In most cases, 3 references and 10 supporting documents are required. The academia and research application pack slightly differs: science applicants are normally required to provide a CV and 1 letter signed by a member of the science community.

More about the documents required for the Tier 1 Global Talent Visa:

1. A CV that shows you have been active in your professional field for the last 5 years.
   • Start by searching your name in Google. Endorsing bodies do Google search on all potential visa applicants.
   • Update your LinkedIn profile and make sure your skills and expertise in your chosen field is well in case.
   • It’s not necessary that your education is relevant to your chosen field. It will be enough if you are working and growing within the profession.
   • You don’t have to hold a senior position in the company. What matters is your contribution to the business.
2. Personal statement. This is your chance to explain in detail how you qualify for the eligibility criteria and how you would benefit the UK’s economy if you get the Global Talent visa.
3. Three letters of recommendation. Each of the three fields has slightly different requirements. Let’s look at recommendation letters required for arts and culture as an example:
   • The first letter is from an organisation that fits your professional field and is UK-based. This is something that many candidates who have not yet lived in the UK struggle with. But since April 2025 there is also a requirement for you to have a working artistic relationship with this person.
   • The second letter is from an organisation that may be based outside the UK. In this letter, we advise that you write about how the recommending expert met you and what was exactly that they did at the company.
   • The third letter is from an organisation or an individual who has a solid reputation and track record in your professional field (UK or outside).
4. The endorsing bodies may contact you to clarify some details, so make sure to include all your valid contact information.

The most difficult stage of the process for me was to prepare letters of recommendation from the experts in the field. These people are extremely busy and you have to adjust to their schedules. I had to do the editing at night and on holidays to meet the set deadlines.

Vitaly Markov

Data Engineer

4. Additional pieces of evidence (normally up to 10 files) – anything that demonstrates your exceptional talent or a promise to become a leader in your field. Feel free to show achievements outside your main professional field.
   • Awards or nominations
   • Additional recommendation letters
   • Lectures or articles hosted or written by you
   • Interviews with you or your publications about you (Some blogs might not be accepted – for instance, Medium or VC.ru are not generally accepted as evidence)
   • Exhibitions and portfolios. Mention any exhibitions or publications with your name on them
   • Employment contracts or financial statements
   • Mentoring experience and speaking engagements (especially for digital technology applicants)

Basically, any documents that show you are an expert in your field and that your potential will be useful to the UK.

In some cases (e.g. for science applicants) you may need to send hard copies of the documents at a later stage. For digital technology applicants, e-copies of all documents will suffice.

Consider the case of a young musician applying from India. Her standout card was being selected, along with her band, for a British TV programme focusing on musicians. While they didn’t make it to the final round, the commission was still impressed by the achievement. Adding to this, her music was chosen to be played in public spaces designated by the local City Hall. These two facts illustrated her visibility and recognition in her home country as well as in the UK – a solid foundation for meeting the Exceptional Promise criteria.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

Key facts for each field: technology, arts, and science

Once again, if you’re about to apply for this visa, we recommend you to look for the guidelines issued by the endorsement body in your field and take some time to read them thoroughly. These official resources provide the detailed ins and outs that no article can fully replicate.

Below we have listed the key things that you should know about this visa, based on our experience of applying for our clients in each field.

Prestigious prizes – Arts and Science mainly

Good news! If you’ve been awarded one of these prestigious prizes, you’re in for a smooth ride. You can apply for a Global Talent visa without needing an endorsement.

Tech Nation – Digital Technology

• Impressive Track Record: Make sure to showcase your impact internationally, the importance of your work, and your career history.
• Strong Recommendations: Get strong letters of recommendation and evidence to back your application.
• Benefit to UK: Explain how you can help the digital tech sector in the UK.
• Past Success: Your past successes, achievements, and experiences are important.

Art Council – Arts & Culture

• CV Requirements: A CV is needed to gauge your career stage and visa suitability.
• Supporting Evidence: You need to provide up to 10 pieces of evidence across media recognition, international awards, and proof of appearances.

The Royal Society, The Royal Academy of Engineering or The British Academy – Science and engineering

• Mandatory Criteria: Active researcher in relevant field, Holds PhD or equivalent research experience, Personal recommendation letter from eminent UK resident, Meets at least 1 Qualifying Criteria.
• Four routes for academia and research applicants: Academic and Research Appointments Route, Individual Fellowships Route, Endorsed Funders Route, Peer Review Route.

Global Talent visa fees. How much does it cost to apply for the Global Talent Visa?

Stage 1. Submission of application to the UK endorsing bodies: £561 (2025). Please note that this amount will not be refunded if the application is unsuccessful.

Stage 2. Submission of the approved application for visa obtainment purposes: £205 (2025).

Health surcharge (IHS): £1035 (2024) for each year of basic health insurance, which you have to pay this, when you apply for Stage 2.

It is possible to postpone a part of this sum: you can choose to apply for a shorter period than your endorsement. For instance, your endorsement is valid for 5 years but you only want to stay for 3 years to begin with, then you only pay for 3 years of health surcharge and submit another Stage 2 application a few years later to begin again.

For instance, if you are applying for a 3-year visa, £561 + £205 + £1035*3 = £3,871.

If you’re including your partner or children in your application, they’ll each need to pay £716 plus the health surcharge (per dependant per year).

The Global Talent visa fees are one of the key reasons for doubts when considering applying for this immigration route. You can and will pay over thirty 4,000 in one go, that’s over four thousand Euros! However, the vast majority of rejections so far have happened at the first stage of the application process. So even if you are not granted an endorsement, it’s just the £524 you may be losing, and not the entire visa fee with the healthcare surcharge.

Healthcare surcharge changes in 2024

• The UK Parliament approved a law increasing the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees, which will go into effect on February 6, 2024.
• The annual IHS fees for adult applicants will increase to £1,035 per person – a 46% increase from the current £624.

What are the reasons for the Global Talent visa refusal?

There are a few typical reasons the Global Talent visa may be rejected:

• Incomplete set of documents. If the endorsing body does not see the required minimum of the documents, they may refuse without any explanation.
• Inaccuracies in the documents or incorrect document identification.
• Not enough information is provided.
• Not enough evidence of your talent or contribution (Significant Contribution).
• There is not a strong enough link to the UK. It may seem to the experts that your plans can be implemented in any country and you do not need to be in the UK at all.

You can apply for a visa refusal review. You can re-apply for the Global Talent visa within 28 days of getting a decision.

In 2023, Tech Nation issued more refusals than ever before. When justifying their decision, they often say that they’re looking for applicants that are the top 1% of the cohort. They also notice and downgrade your application if your letters of support were written in the same style or signed on the same date. If you’ve received a refusal, please remember that it’s not about you personally – the bar has been raised for everyone! It’s definitely worth submitting an appeal as we’ve seen some really positive outcomes of that.

Elizaveta Morjan

EP Advisory's CEO

How long will it take to get a UK Global Talent visa?

• Surprisingly, the most time-consuming part of the process is usually the prep work. Even though it might seem like a couple of weeks’ task, writing all the recommendation letters and the personal statement tends to take around 2–3 months based on our clients’ and friends’ experience.
• Stage 1 (with an endorsement body) takes up to 8 weeks.
• Take into account the expiry date of your approval from the endorsing bodies. If you are successful at the first stage, you will receive a letter with a deadline of 3 months. During this period you will have to apply for the next stage of the UK Talent visa.
• Stage 2 (with the Home Office) usually takes 3 weeks if you apply from outside the country or 8 weeks if you switch to this visa route within the country. However, the UK government recently announced that the period of consideration of outside-the-country applications had been temporarily extended from 3 to 6 weeks.

In total, your application might take anything from under 2 month in an absolutely perfect scenario to as long as half a year if the circumstances aren’t that ideal. Plan your application in advance – this will save you a lot of effort and last-minute stress!

How can EP Advisory help you obtain UK Global Talent Visa?

We work closely with our legal partners at Sterling Law to maintain the excellent success rate for our clients (93%). We take over document writing whilst Sterling Law check everything from the legal perspective, put their stamp of approval and submit the application for you.

There are three types of services depending on how much support you need:

• 60-min consultation: Get personalised guidance with a 60-minute consultation from our expert career consultant. We’ll assess your case, offer feedback on your chances, and help you plan evidence collection. We’ll dive into your CV, LinkedIn, and more to ensure ways to enhance your application. Expect advice on awards, mentorship, and outside achievements too.
• PRO package: Experience a range of services in one package – an assessment of your case, consultation, and hands-on document support. You’ll craft your CV, LinkedIn, and an outstanding personal statement. Our expert letters of support (3-5 as required) will be signed by your referees. We guide you through evidence preparation and offer a document review before submission. Count on us for a draft of your Stage 1 application too.
• FULL SUPPORT package: Dive into comprehensive assistance – from start to finish. Begin with our assessment and consultation. Let us create your CV, LinkedIn, personal statement, and reference letters. We’ll handcraft all evidence pieces, assemble your documents, and submit your applications for both stages. In case of a refusal, our legal team’s expertise will guide you toward turning it around.

Read more about our services here. If you’re interested in the Global Talent visa, try our short test and find out if you are eligible.

FAQs about Global Talent Visa in the UK (ex Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa)