Are you looking for a UK visa program that will allow you immigrate and work permanently in the United Kingdom (UK) without any job offer or sponsorship? One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to apply for the UK Global Talent Visa Program. The only criteria you must meet is that you must have extra-ordinary talents in some specific fields. The talent or skill must have been successfully endorsed by an approved body. In this article, you will learn all about the UK Global Talent Visa Program, how it works, and how to apply for the program.
What is the UK Global Talent Visa Program?
The UK Global Talent Visa is a UK immigration work visa category for individuals with extraordinary talents and individuals who are leaders or potential leaders in one of the following fields:
- Academics or Research (Science, Engineering, Architecture, Humanities and Medicine)
- Arts and Culture
- Digital Technology
With this visa, you can work and live in the UK for up to 5 years. Actually, there is no limit to how long you can stay in the UK, but you will need to renew your visa when it expires after 5 years. Each visa renewal or extension can last up to 5 years.
Also, after the first 3 to 5 years, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which is a form of UK permanent residence for those who wish to remain in the UK without any imposed restriction. For more details, you can check out this guides: Check if You Can Get Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Note that applicants must be up to 18 years old and must not be a citizen of countries under the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Approved Awards Categories and Endorsement Bodies
Before you apply for a Global talent visa, you need to have been successfully endorsed by an approved body, to prove that you are a leader or a potential leader. You don’t need to be sponsored by any UK employer.
But if you have won an eligible award, you can apply for the Global Talent visa without an endorsement. Some categories of eligible awards or prizes include:
- Architecture awards
- Arts and Culture awards
- Digital Technology awards
- Fashion Design Industry awards
- Film and Television awards
- Science, Engineering, Humanities and Medicine awards
For more details about these eligible awards, check out this guide: Global Talent Eligible Prize Lists.
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Some of the approved endorsement bodies for the Global Talent visa include:
- The Royal Society for Science and Medicine
- The British Academy of Engineering
- Tech Nation, for Digital Technology
- The British Academy for Humanities
- Arts Council England
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
- British Fashion Council
How to Apply for the Global Talent Visa
Note that all applications are done online. How you apply depends on your location as at when you are applying for the visa. You can apply from outside UK. If you are already inside UK, you can apply for extending of your current Global Talent visa, or you switch from your current visa to a Global talent visa (if and only if you meet the visa requirements).
For more details, requirements and application guides, check out these guides:
NOTE:
During the application, you will need to prove your identity, and will also be required to provide some other documents. You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment for this. When you start the application, you will find out if you need one.
Once you have submitted your application (after proving your identity and providing other needed documents), you will get a decision on your visa (whether approved or denied) within 3 weeks, if you applied from outside UK, and within 8 weeks if you applied from inside UK. If you wish to get your visa decision faster, you will pay an extra fee.
It costs £623 to apply. If you are applying based on endorsement, you first pay £456 for the endorsement, and then pay the remaining £167 when during the visa application proper. If you have eligible award and apply, you will pay the full £623 during the application. If our partners or children are included in the application, each of them will also pay £623.
You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge during application. It usually costs £624 per year for each of the visa applicants. Before you apply, you can first calculate your immigration health surcharge. You can also check out the Documents you will need to Apply for the UK Global Talent Visa.
See:
- How to Relocate to USA without a Job Offer/Sponsorship
- All About the UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa – How to Apply
Conclusion
You have now learnt all about the UK Youth Mobility Visa program, the quotas for participating countries, required documents for the visa application, and the step by step guide on how to apply for the visa. You can now go ahead and apply for one if your country is eligible for the visa application.
