Global Talent Visas

Eligibility 

An applicant applying under the Academic and Research Appointments route must have accepted the offer of a position at an approved HEI or research institute, where they:

1. Have responsibility for academic, research or innovation leadership and development; or
2. Direct or lead an individual or team relating to:
3. A research project or programme of work, or
4. An innovation project or programme of work

To be eligible, one of the above must be the significant function of the role you have been offered, and the majority of entry level postdoctoral research positions are therefore excluded.

 This will mean that it is highly unlikely a Grade 7 Research role could be considered for this route, as it is likely it would be rejected following application. If there are any queries regarding this, your HR Business Partnering Team will be able to advise.

 Individual applicants to this route will need:

• A job offer as an academic or researcher which meets one of the above criteria,
• Have gone through an appropriate recruitment or assessment process, and
• Eligible appointment/recruitment criteria will need to be met
• Have a Statement of Guarantee Route 1Statement of Guarantee Route 1 from the Human Resources Director or equivalent confirming the above

Statement of Guarantee / Recruitment Criteria

The Statement of Guarantee must confirm the following information:

• Confirmation that the job was openly advertised and open competition was held, or where it was not, an explanation as to why for example, the University’s academic promotion process is considered robust and transparent and fulfils requirements
• Confirmation that the applicant has accepted the job offer
• The job title and department in which the role will be held
• That at least 2 satisfactory references were received
• That at least 3 academic representatives from the employing institution were on the interview panel
• That at least 1 expert in the applicant’s field (who can be internal or external to the employing institution) was on the interview panel OR at least 1 relevant expert, independent of the employing institution, was consulted before the job offer was made.

 Further details on applying for endorsment can be found on the Government's Academic or Researcher visa page. 

The Individual Fellowships route is a fast-track endorsement for applicants who have been awarded an individual fellowship on the list approved by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.

An individual can apply under this route if they can evidence they are:

• A leader in their field = ‘Exceptional Talent’
• A potential leader in their field = ‘Exceptional Promise’

Eligibility

 The applicant must currently hold a relevant Fellowship or have held a relevant Fellowship within the last 12 months.

Application Process

1. Apply for endorsement: 

• You need to provide a copy of your fellowship award letter.
• Once you have the letter, you can apply for endorsement.
• To complete the form, you need to check which endorsing body approves your discipline.
• You will usually get a decision on your application within one week.

2. Apply for the Global Talent visa:

 You can apply for the Global Talent visa at the same time as you apply for endorsement, or after you have the endorsement confirmed. Further details on applying under this route for endorsement and the visa can be found on the Government's page for Individual Fellowships. 

The Endorsed Funders route is for researchers and specialists whose name or job title is specified in a successful grant application from an endorsed funder approved by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Application Process

 To apply for endorsement, you must provide:

• A copy of the grant award letter(s) that support your work. The letter must confirm that:

• The grant or award is worth a minimum of £30,000. 
• The grant or award covers a minimum period of two years.

• A Statement of Guarantee Route 3 from the Director of Human Resources or equivalent from an eligible research organisation. This letter should be on headed paper and dated and confirm in detail that: 

• The employing or hosting organisation is on the list of eligible organisations available on GOV.UK. 
• The applicant is essential to the execution of a grant or award from an endorsed funder, and the grant and the applicant’s role meets the eligibility criteria set out in Appendix Global Talent of the Immigration Rules.

If you are not eligible for another route, you may be able to obtain endorsement by having your application peer reviewed. You can apply for endorsement with or without a job offer as either a:

• Leader in your field (called ‘exceptional talent’)
• Potential leader in your field (called ‘exceptional promise’)

 Peer review is conducted by the:

• Royal Society, for science and medicine
• British Academy, for humanities
• Royal Academy of Engineering

Eligibility

 An applicant applying under the Peer Review route must:

• Be an active researcher in a relevant field, typically in a university, research institute or in industry
• Have a PhD or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research)
• Meet one or more of the following qualifying criteria

In addition, an applicant must meet one or more of the following:

• Be a member of your national academy or a foreign member of an academy of another country; or
• Have been awarded a prestigious internationally recognised prize; or
• Provide a letter of recommendation from a senior member of a reputable UK organisation concerned with research in your field. This letter must be in addition to the mandatory letter detailed below under the heading ‘Application content and documentation for standard endorsement through peer review’.

There are other criteria you must also meet, depending on if you’re applying through exceptional promise or exceptional talent:

Further details on applying under this route can be found on the Government's Peer Review visa page.