Tier 1 Exceptional Talent

Global Talent Visa

Guidance for current and prospective staff

2 Version 15, October 2023

Contents

Overview of the Global Talent Visa ......................................................................................................... 3

Applying for an Endorsement (stage 1) .................................................................................................. 4

Path 1 – Appointed to a Senior Academic or Research position ............................................................ 5

Steps to apply ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Path 2 – Awarded an eligible Individual Fellowship ............................................................................... 8

Steps to apply ...................................................................................................................................... 8

Path 3 – Job title or name listed on eligible grant/award ..................................................................... 10

Steps to apply .................................................................................................................................... 10

Path 4 – ‘Standard’ Peer Review path .................................................................................................. 13

Steps to apply .................................................................................................................................... 13

Applying for the visa (stage 2) .............................................................................................................. 17

How much does the application cost? (all paths) ............................................................................. 18

Immigration Health Surcharge .......................................................................................................... 18

Tuberculosis Testing.......................................................................................................................... 18

What documents will I need to provide with stage 2? ..................................................................... 18

On your first day of work ...................................................................................................................... 19

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals .................................................................................................................... 19

Non-EEA nationals............................................................................................................................. 19

Extension applications .......................................................................................................................... 20

Dependants ........................................................................................................................................... 20

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)/Settlement ....................................................................................... 20

3 Version 15, October 2023

Overview of the Global Talent Visa

The Global Talent Visa route replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa route on 20

February

2020. Those holding Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visas issued before 20

February 2020 are not

required to do anything to preserve their visa status - all their existing terms, conditions and validity

remain intact.

From 1 January 2021, this route is accessible by new arrivals of EU/EEA & Swiss nationals.

The Global Talent Visa is available for people who are internationally recognised as leaders or

potential leaders in the fields of science and the arts, and who require a visa to work in the UK. The

visa comes with many benefits over its counterpart, the Skilled Worker Visa:

• Greater flexibility in your employment. With a Global Talent Visa you can freely move

between institutions, locations, jobs/roles. By contrast, a Skilled Worker Visa ‘ties’ you to a

particular employer and job role, requiring you in most cases to apply for a new visa if you

move jobs.

• A low cost, flat-rate visa (typically half the cost of a 5 year Skilled Worker Visa).

• Greater flexibility to undertake collaborations within the UK.

• Your choice in visa length (from one year to five years) with the option to retain this visa

category indefinitely.

• An application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)/ settlement can be made after 3 years,

which will exempt you from the requirement to hold a visa to work in the UK.

• No cap on visa numbers.

Applying for a Global Talent visa is a two-stage process:

For the first stage, you must apply to be endorsed by one of the endorsing bodies who have been

given authority by the Home Office to determine who meets the visa criteria:

• The Royal Society

• The British Academy

• The Royal Academy of Engineering

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

• Arts Council England

In all cases, the endorsement cost is non-refundable.

After gaining an endorsement, you are then able to proceed to the second stage, which is the visa

application itself. If you gain an endorsement, you are guaranteed a Global Talent visa (subject to

normal immigration checks).

4 Version 15, October 2023

Applying for an Endorsement (stage 1)

It is possible to apply for the endorsement from either inside or outside the UK, regardless of your

visa status. However, for the visa application (stage 2), there are certain restrictions on where and

how this can be submitted. Further guidance on this can be found in the ‘Applying for the visa’

section of this guidance.

Notes:

See Awarded an eligible individual Fellowship

See Name or job title listed on eligible grant application

There are four potential paths through which an endorsement for Global Talent can be gained.

Each path has specific application criteria and eligibility. Please see the following guidance for each

path:

1. Appointed to senior academic or research position

2. Awarded an eligible individual Fellowship

3. Name or job title listed on eligible grant application

4. ‘Standard’ peer review path

5 Version 15, October 2023

Path 1 – Appointed to a Senior Academic or Research

position

Any individual appointed to a role with responsibility for “academic or research leadership or

development”, or “directing or leading a programme of research” at the University will be

automatically eligible for a Global Talent Visa.

In practice, the following roles at the University will be able to access this route: Professor, Associate

Professor, Reader, Head of Department, Director of Research and Principal Research positions.

Please note that postdoctoral research positions (i.e. Research Associate, Research Assistant) are not

eligible to access this route.

Steps to apply

1) Upon acceptance of a job offer for a senior academic or research position at the University,

your department may make you aware of this path to a visa. If not, please contact the

Immigration Compliance Team in the first instance.

2) The Immigration Team will provide a letter for you, which will form the basis of your

application for an endorsement for Global Talent. A signed copy of this letter will be provided

to you by email. You will not need to submit the original.

3) Once you have the letter, you can apply for endorsement online:

https://visas-

immigration.service.gov.uk/product/global-talent-endorsement

a) On the application form, you will first be asked to enter your personal details. Once you

complete those sections, the form will ask you about your application. Please see the

following guidance on some of the questions which may not be clear:

This question is asking if you

want to apply for the visa

(stage 2) at the same time

as the endorsement

application (stage 1).

You do not need to do so;

this is only really beneficial

to you if you are currently in

the UK and your current visa

is about to expire. Please

contact the

HR Immigration

Compliance Team if you

need further advice on this

issue.

6 Version 15, October 2023

Select ‘Exceptional talent’.

Enter your field of talent as

listed on gov.uk. If your

particular field is not listed,

please select the closest

option.

Select the most appropriate

endorsing body, again with

reference to the above

webpage.

Tick the boxes and enter the

employer name as shown,

and enter the appropriate

job title (the one which you

have been offered) in the

required box.

7 Version 15, October 2023

b) After you submit the application, you should send the HR letter, along with the details

of your role, to the Home Office using the email address on the short ‘checklist’ you are

provided.

c) The Home Office will forward the application to the Royal Society/British

Academy/Royal Academy of Engineering (as appropriate). Within 14 days of this

referral, you will receive your Global Talent endorsement confirmation via email.

d) You can then apply for stage 2, which is the visa application itself. You must do so

within 3 months of receipt of the endorsement confirmation. Please see the ‘

Applying

for the visa’ section of this guidance.

8 Version 15, October 2023

Path 2 – Awarded an eligible Individual Fellowship

Any individual awarded a specific Individual Fellowship on the list approved by the British Academy,

Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society is automatically eligible to obtain a Global

Talent visa. Please note that the list is divided in to ‘Exceptional Talent’ and ‘Exceptional Promise’

eligible fellowships.

Steps to apply

1) You are eligible for this path as soon as you are awarded an Individual Fellowship from the

above list. You can be a current or prospective employee/visitor at the University.

2) You will require a copy of your Fellowship award letter. You will not need to submit the

original.

3) Once you have the letter, you can apply for endorsement online:

https://visas-

immigration.service.gov.uk/product/global-talent-endorsement

a) On the application form, you will first be asked to enter your personal details. Once you

complete those sections, the form will ask you about your application. Please see the

following guidance on some of the questions which may not be clear:

This question is asking if you

want to apply for the visa

(stage 2) at the same time

as the endorsement

application (stage 1).

You do not need to do so;

this is only really beneficial

to you if you are currently in

the UK and your current visa

is about to expire. Please

contact the

HR Immigration

Compliance Team if you

need further advice on this

issue.

Select either ‘Exceptional

talent’ or ‘Exceptional

promise’ depending upon

which category your

Fellowship falls under (as

per the above link to

eligible fellowships).

9 Version 15, October 2023

Enter your field of talent as

listed on gov.uk. If your

particular field is not listed,

please select the closest

option.

Select the most appropriate

endorsing body, again with

reference to the above

webpage.

Tick the boxes as shown and

enter the name of your

Fellowship as listed on the

eligible fellowships list.

b) After you submit the application, you should send the Fellowship award letter (no other

documents required) to the Home Office using the email address on the short

‘checklist’ you are provided.

c) The Home Office will forward the application to the Royal Society/British

Academy/Royal Academy of Engineering (as applicable). Within 14 days of this referral,

you will receive your Global Talent endorsement confirmation via email.

d) You can then apply for stage 2, which is the visa application itself. You must do so

within 3 months of receipt of the endorsement confirmation. Please see the ‘

Applying

for the visa’ section of this guidance.

10 Version 15, October 2023

Path 3 – Job title or name listed on eligible grant/award

This path is open to any non-UK Research Assistant/Research Associate/Senior Research Associate or

specialist technician at the University who meet the following criteria:

• Holds, or has been offered, at the point of applying for endorsement, a contract of

employment/ hosting agreement of at least one year in length; and

• Hosted/employed at University of Cambridge and will provide critical contributions to work

supported by a research grant or award which lasts at least 2 years in total and is worth at

least £30,000 from a funder approved by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); and

• Name or job title (as above) is listed on the eligible grant/award; and

• Spending at least 50% of working time on the eligible grant/award (not 50% FTE – part time

working is allowed and there are no minimum salary requirements). Principal Investigators

and Co-Investigators may be able to aggregate time spent on multiple eligible grants.

Steps to apply

1) To be eligible for this path, you can be a current or prospective employee/visitor at the

University. You must meet the eligibility requirements as set out above.

2) For documentation, you will require:

a) a letter issued by HR Compliance which confirms your eligibility for the route; and

b) written confirmation of the award from the grant/award funder that confirms eligibility

(note: we may be able to include a link to the grant information in the letter at a)

above, in which case you would not need to submit a grant document).

3) Once you have the required letter, you can apply for endorsement online: https://visas-

immigration.service.gov.uk/product/global-talent-endorsement

a) On the application form, you will first be asked to enter your personal details. Once you

complete those sections, the form will ask you about your application. Please see the

following guidance on some of the questions which may not be clear:

This question is asking if you want to

apply for the visa (stage 2) at the same

time as the endorsement application

(stage 1).

You do not need to do so; this is only

really beneficial to you if you are

currently in the UK and your current

visa is about to expire. Please contact

the HR Immigration Compliance Team

if you need further advice on this issue.

11 Version 15, October 2023

Select the option shown.

Enter your field of talent as

listed on gov.uk. If your

particular field is not listed,

please select the closest

option.

Select ‘Yes’ and tick both

boxes.

b) After you submit the application, you should send the HR Director letter and, if

required, the grant award letter (no other documents required) to the Home Office

using the email address on the ‘checklist’ you are provided.

c) The Home Office will forward the application to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Within 14 days of this referral, you will receive your Global Talent endorsement

confirmation via email.

d) You can then apply for stage 2, which is the visa application itself. You must do so

within 3 months of receipt of the endorsement confirmation. Please see the ‘

Applying

for the visa’ section of this guidance.

e) If you currently hold a Tier 4/Student visa, you must not submit the visa (stage 2)

application until:

12 Version 15, October 2023

i) Undergraduate and Masters students: you have completed your course (i.e. the

course end date on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) has passed).

If you meet the criteria for this path, the HR Compliance Team can provide the

letter confirming your eligibility for the route up to 3 months before the course end

date on your CAS. If you are a University of Cambridge student, we will verify this

on our internal system. If you are an external student, you will be asked to provide

a copy of your CAS.

ii) PhD students: you have completed at least 24 months of your current PhD studies.

If you meet the criteria for this path, the HR Compliance Team can provide the

letter confirming your eligibility for the route 21 months after the course start date

on your CAS. If you are a University of Cambridge student, we will verify this on our

internal system. If you are an external student, you will be asked to provide a copy

of your CAS.

13 Version 15, October 2023

Path 4 – ‘Standard’ Peer Review path

If you are not eligible for endorsement via any of the first three paths, you can still seek

endorsement by the Royal Society/British Academy/Royal Academy of Engineering (as appropriate),

and they will undertake a peer-review assessment of your career to determine eligibility for the visa.

Steps to apply

1) To be eligible for this path, you can be a current or prospective employee/visitor at the

University.

2) Peer Review has two categories:

a) Exceptional Talent, for those at an advanced stage in their career and who are leaders

in their field; and

b) Exceptional Promise, for those at an earlier stage in their career, who have the potential

to be a leader in their field.

It is up to you to be realistic in deciding into which category you fit best.

3) You must meet the following requirements:

a) Be an active researcher in a university, a research institute or in industry; and

b) Hold a PhD, or have equivalent research experience which can include industrial or

clinical research, but cannot include time spent carrying out research while studying;

and

c) Be able to produce the required documents for assessment (see 4 below); and

d) Exceptional Promise category only: Be at an early stage of your career.

4) You will require the following documentation to evidence your eligibility:

a) Your most recent CV (3 sides of A4 paper at most); and

b) A letter of personal recommendation from an eminent person resident in the UK who

can support your application. Once completed, the letter should be sent to you for

inclusion in your application pack. There are no issues with you seeing and reading the

letter yourself. The letter should be dated and must include the following:

o How the eminent person knows you;

o Your achievements in the specialist field;

o How in the opinion of the eminent person you exhibit Exceptional

Promise/Talent;

o How you would benefit from living in the UK; and

o How you are likely to contribute to UK research/innovation and to wider society.

c) Where you are seeking endorsement as a person of ‘Exceptional Talent’ (as opposed to

‘Exceptional Promise’, where this is not required), you must also include second letter

which contains an objective assessment of your reputation in your field. The author

14 Version 15, October 2023

must be a senior member of a UK organisation involved in research or innovation in

your field (the more senior/eminent in your field, the better). The letter should include:

o confirmation that the author is a senior member of a reputable UK organisation

concerned with research or innovation in your field; and

o why the author considers that your work shows exceptional talent; and

o how you are likely to contribute to UK research or innovation excellence and to

wider society; and

o confirmation that the author’s assessment is provided in their capacity as an

objective expert in their field and is an objective assessment of your reputation in

the field, notwithstanding any personal knowledge they may have of you or any

direct involvement they may have (or previously have had) in your work.

d) Finally, within the application you will be required to write a personal statement

“outlining your case for qualifying for Global Talent". It should be of about two pages

and no more than 7,000 characters. There are no ‘rules’ concerning the content of the

personal statement. However, a good structure to use is:

o Your achievements to date

o Your current research interests

o Your future aspirations

5) Apply for endorsement online:

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/global-

talent-endorsement

a) On the application form, you will first be asked to enter your personal details. Once you

complete those sections, the form will ask you about your application. Please see the

following guidance on some of the questions which may not be clear:

This question is asking if you

want to apply for the visa

(stage 2) at the same time as

the endorsement application

(stage 1).

You do not need to do so; this

is only really beneficial to you if

you are currently in the UK and

your current visa is about to

expire. Please contact the

Immigration Compliance Team

if you need further advice on

this issue.

15 Version 15, October 2023

Select either ‘Exceptional

talent’ or ‘Exceptional promise’

depending upon which

category you fall under (as per

step 2 above)

Enter ‘academia/research’ into

the field of talent box.

Select the most appropriate

endorsing body, again with

reference to the above

webpage.

The Peer Review path is not

fast-track, so select ‘No’.

Enter your academic field as

listed on gov.uk. If your

particular field is not listed,

please select the closest option.

Note: on the following page,

you should only tick the options

for which you can provide

documentary evidence. You do

not need to tick every box.

16 Version 15, October 2023

b) After you submit the application, you should send the relevant documentation (as per

step 4 above) to the Home Office using the email address on the ‘checklist’ you are

provided.

c) The Home Office will forward the application to the Royal Society/British

Academy/Royal Academy of Engineering (as applicable). Within 4-8 weeks of this

referral, you will receive your Global Talent endorsement confirmation via email.

d) You can then apply for stage 2, which is the visa application itself. You must do so

within 3 months of receipt of the endorsement confirmation. Further guidance on this

can be found in the ‘Applying for the visa’

section of this guidance.

17 Version 15, October 2023

Applying for the visa (stage 2)

If/when your application is endorsed, you will be notified via the email address you provided in your

application form.

You must apply for the Global Talent Visa within three months of notification of endorsement.

How to apply depends on where you are applying from:

I am applying from outside the UK

I am applying from inside the UK

You must apply online:

https://www.gov.uk/global-talent/apply-

from-outside-the-uk

You can apply from any country in the world,

(except Republic of Ireland) even if you are

only temporarily resident there, i.e. as a

visitor.

You must apply online:

https://www.gov.uk/global-talent/switch-to-

this-visa

You can switch into Global Talent from any

visa whilst inside the UK except if you hold:

• A visitor visa/visitor status granted at

the border;

• A short-term study visa;

• A visa issued outside of the

Immigration Rules, i.e. ‘exempt

status’.

For further information on how to apply, please see the published Home Office guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

Important: if you are applying for a visa in the UK (in other words, if you are extending an existing

Global Talent Visa, or you are applying to switch from another visa type) the start date will be the

date the permission to stay is granted, rather than the day after your existing visa expires. You may

wish to factor this in when deciding when to submit your visa application.

Tier 4/Student visa holders

If you are applying under paths 2 or 3, you must not submit the visa (stage 2) application until:

• Undergraduate and Masters students: you have completed your course (i.e. the course end date

on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) has passed).

• PhD students: you have completed at least 24 months of your current PhD studies.

No other path will allow you to apply without already holding a PhD.

18 Version 15, October 2023

How much does the application cost? (all paths)

Please see the gov.uk webpage for current visa costs.

Immigration Health Surcharge

The payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), also known as the NHS surcharge, is

mandatory for all non-UK nationals who are issued a visa of more than 6 months in length (and

applies to all applications submitted in the UK, regardless of length). It is an additional charge, over

and above the visa fee, and must be paid in full at the time of the visa application. Payment of the

IHS will ensure that you have full access to the UK National Health Service (NHS) on the same terms

as a permanent UK resident.

If you include family members in your visa application, the IHS payment page may say you do not

have any dependants. This is because, though you must pay for the IHS with your visa application, it

is a separate system. Your dependants will need to pay the IHS when they submit their own visa

applications.

If a visa application is refused or rejected, the IHS will be automatically refunded; however, there is

no refund if you obtain a visa and then decide not to come to the UK, if you leave the UK earlier than

the end of your visa, or if your visa is cancelled by the Home Office; nor is there any refund if you do

not use the NHS.

For further guidance, including information on who needs to pay the IHS and how much it costs,

please see the UKVI webpages: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application

Tuberculosis Testing

Individuals applying to enter the UK for more than 6 months from a listed country must provide a

valid medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner approved by the Secretary of State,

confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and that such

TB is not present in the individual.

More information on Tuberculosis screening can be found in a joint Public Health England and Home

Office leaflet (pdf download).

What documents will I need to provide with stage 2?

• In all cases you will be required to submit your valid passport.

• As part of the application you will be required to give consent for the Endorsing Body to

contact the Home Office and share the outcome of your endorsement. Therefore you do not

need to submit the email you received confirming the endorsement was granted.

• If TB testing is required (as above), you will require a copy of the test outcome.

• For dependants – you will be directed on the application form as to which documents you will

need to provide.

19 Version 15, October 2023

On your first day of work

Your departmental administrator will contact you in advance of your arrival to make arrangements

for your first day. Under UK legislation, as an employer we are required to check that you hold

permission to live and work in the UK before you start work. Depending on your nationality, the

documentation required will be as follows:

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

Your visa status will be granted as a ‘digital status’, linked to your passport, which will facilitate your

entry into the UK. You must not enter the UK before the start date on your digital status. If you do,

you will be classed as a Visitor will be unable to start work until you have left the UK and re-

entered during the validity period on your digital status.

To prove your right to work, before employment commences, you will be required to undergo an

‘online right to work check’, facilitated via your recruiting department. They will ask you to provide a

‘share code’ in the first instance, which you can generate via this UK government weblink:

https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work

Non-EEA nationals

If you have recently entered the UK and have an entry clearance vignette in your passport

If your application to come to the UK from overseas is granted, the visa you initially receive inside

your passport will be valid for 90 days. This is known as an entry clearance vignette and will facilitate

your entry into the UK. You must enter the UK within the validity period of your vignette; if you do

not, you will need to re-apply for your visa or, if you have been able to enter the UK, leave and re-

enter when your vignette is valid.

Within ten days of your arrival in the UK, you are required to collect your Biometric Residence

Permit (BRP) from a UK Post Office. The BRP will state the full length of leave you have been granted

and will supersede the entry vignette. Full details of how you arrange collection of your BRP will be

provided to you by UKVI at the point your application is approved. For further guidance, please see

the UKVI webpages

To prove your right to work, before employment commences, you will be required to undergo an

‘online right to work check’, facilitated via your recruiting department. They will ask you to provide a

‘share code’ in the first instance, which you can generate via this UK government weblink:

https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work

If you were already in the UK and applied to extend or switch into Global Talent

Your BRP will be delivered to the address you used in your visa application.

To prove your right to work, you will be asked by your department to provide a ‘share code’ in the

first instance, which you can generate via this UK government weblink:

https://www.gov.uk/prove-

right-to-work.

20 Version 15, October 2023

Extension applications

If/when you are applying for an extension of your Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa or Global Talent

visa, you only need to make a single application and you do not need to obtain a new endorsement.

You will need to pay the full Global Talent visa fee in a single payment.

To be approved you must meet the following criteria:

• The endorsing body that originally endorsed your stage 1 endorsement application has not

advised the Home Office that this has been withdrawn; and

• During your most recent period of leave as a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) or Global Talent visa

holder, you have earned money in the UK as a result of employment or self-employment in

your field of expertise. This is the field for which the endorsing body endorsed you. For

practical purposes, you will need to provide: (a) a copy of your employment contract with

University of Cambridge and (b) a letter from your department stating that, during your

most recent period of permission, you have earned money in the UK in your field of

expertise.

• Apply online here: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/global-talent

Dependants

Your dependants can apply at the same time as you to enter the UK. Alternatively, they can wait

until you have entered the UK and started work before they apply. Dependants are not involved in

any way with the first stage (endorsement).

A dependant visa provides the right to work in the UK and/or study at any private or State-funded

school, Further Education College or University.

We have comprehensive guidance concerning dependants available at

https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/hr-services/visas-immigration/working-uk/dependant-visas

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)/Settlement

You are eligible to apply for settlement after 3 years holding either a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa

or Global Talent visa, regardless of the path under which you were endorsed. Dependants must be

resident for 5 years but, at the point you apply for ILR, they can apply to extend their dependant visa

to allow them to accrue the full 5 years.

The University has comprehensive guidance on making an ILR application on its webpages at

https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/hr-services/visas-immigration/working-uk/indefinite-leave-

remainsettlement