Global Talent Visa 2021: Eligibility

Step 1: Global Talent Visa UK starts with the endorsement. The visa applicant has to apply for THE endorsement with the relevant ‘endorsing body.’ Step 2: During this stage, it is a must for the applicant to obtain endorsement from one of the ‘endorsing bodies. The applicant can be endorsed as:

• An emerging leader (exceptional promise)
• A leader (exceptional talent)

Or

• Under UK Research and Innovation ‘endorsed funder’ option

Step 3: The endorsing body will then examine the application to determine whether the candidate deserves an endorsement or not. Then the endorsing body is going to advise the Home Office on granting the endorsement. Step 4: A Global Talent Visa applicant can apply for both the Endorsement (Stage 1) and the main visa (Stage 2) simultaneously, but that involves too much risk. Your visa application will be rejected immediately if your endorsement application is rejected by the Home Office. This means you may lose both the fees. Step 5: It is always wise to proceed for Stage 2 after successfully completing Stage 1.

Step 1: After securing an endorsement, it is time to apply for the Global Talent Visa. During the 2nd stage, the UK Home Office examines the different immigration aspects of the applicant. Step 2: Global Talent Visa application from a foreign worker will be passed through a strict process of evaluation to understand whether the requirements fit the immigration rule or not. Step 3: We will strongly advise the skilled migrant applicants to attach a copy of the Endorsement Letter with their Global Talent Visa application form.

There are 4 endorsement options that the Global Talent category supports. These are:

• Individual Fellowship: This fast-track endorsement. It is granted to the applicants if they have been awarded an individual fellowship by the Royal Academy of Engineering or the Royal Society or the British Academy. The applicant has to fulfill the eligibility criteria of holding the fellowship at the time of application or anytime within 12 months before the date of application.
• Senior Appointments: This fast-track endorsement scheme is applicable to applicants who are working as a reader, professor, associate professor, or equivalent senior position (like Senior Group Leader) at a UK Higher education institute. Here, the endorsement procedure is managed by the Royal Society, British Council, and Royal Academy of Engineering.
• Endorsed Funder: This endorsement option is crafted for scholars and researchers. The applicants’ names or job titles should be mentioned in a successful grant application by a UKRI approved endorsed funder. The applicants must be hosted or appointed by the institutes listed in Annex 2 of the Global Talent Immigration Rules.
• Peer Review: This Global Talent scheme is a standard endorsement option for applicants who are willing to apply for full peer review done by the Royal Society, British Academy or Royal Academy of Engineering.

Key benefits that UK Global Talent Visa comes with are:

• You don’t have to pass an English language test like IELTS
• If your family members including spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner and dependent children (provided they are aged below 18 years) meet certain Global Talent Visa eligibility criteria, you can bring them to the UK
• No proof of employment is required
• You can be self-employed or start a business in the UK
• Eligible ‘dependant’ can also seek employment during your stay in the UK
• Freedom to change/switch jobs, organizations, and places with any prior permission from the Home Office
• No rule to meet the minimum salary requirement criteria while applying for this visa
• You are allowed to travel to and from the UK as many times as you want
• Your visa can be renewed as many times as you like
• You are allowed to stay and work in the UK up to 5 years at a stretch
• The Global Talent Visa holders are allowed to apply for Permanent Residency, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), after completing 3 years in the UK as a leader.

The Global Talent Visa is basically a renaming of Tier 1 Exceptional Talent/Promise Visa with a few extensions to the rules. Here are few points where Global Talent Visa differs from its predecessor Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa:

• The Global Talent Visa is not a part of the Point Based System (PBS) category while Tier 1 Exceptional Visa was a typical example under the PBS category.
• ‘Designated Competent Bodies’ granting endorsement for Tier 1 visa has been renamed as ‘Endorsing Bodies’ although their function remains the same. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has been the only addition to this list.
• Global Talent Visa applicants in the fields of medicine, science, humanities, and engineering are eligible for automatic endorsement if they:
• Hold a specific fellowship or held one within 12 months before the application date
• Are appointed as researchers/senior academics at a UK higher education institute
• They are students with a grant/award of £30,000 or more for at least 2 years
• Applicants, endorsed in the above-mentioned fields, can apply for permanent settlement in the UK after completing 3 years of their stay in the UK including the granted leave period (if any).
• Unlike the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa, there is no restriction on the number of Global Talent migrants.

India is the country which is known to the world being the hub of skilled professionals and exceptional talents. Global Talent Visa route can help thousands of Indian academics, researchers, specialists and scholars to migrate to the UK in various ways. Here are just a few of them :

• Indian students are fascinated with the idea of completing their higher education in developed countries of the world. The UK Global Talent Visa can be one of the best ways to make this dream come true.
• Most of the Indian techies and scholars prefer the UK as their dream destination to settle down. This UK Visa allows such talented people to apply for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ (ILR) for a permanent residence only after completing 3 years in the UK.
• Global Talent Visa not just allows the eligible applicants to settle down in the UK but also lets their family members and dependents come to the UK. This is surely a good option for Indian students and professionals to settle abroad along with family.
• With the Global Talent Visa, it is not necessary to migrate to the UK only after securing employment. It is also possible to migrate to the UK without a job

A Global Talent Visa holder can take their spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, and dependant children (below the age of 18) to the UK.

The earliest timeline to apply for the Global Talent Visa is 3 months before your travel to the UK.

Applicants can apply for the Global Talent Visa and endorsement at the same time or after obtaining the endorsement.
If an applicant fails to secure an endorsement, his/her visa application will be rejected automatically. This means losing money for both. So, it is better to apply for the visa after obtaining the endorsement.

UK Global Talent Visa is valid for up to 5 years. It enables the visa holder to stay and work in the UK for a maximum period of 5 years.

Yes, they do need to get endorsed. You can not get the Global Talent Visa to the UK without having an endorsement from any of the six ‘endorse bodies’ accredited by the Home Office.

Before Brexit, immigration rules of the EU allowed all Europeans to work and settle in any European country. This caused an influx of low-skilled migrants to the UK. With the Global Talent Visa, the UK reduced unwanted migration drastically. It is now encouraging skilled workers from non-European countries to work and settle in the UK.

Yes, it is possible for the following visa holders to switch from a current visa to Global Talent Visa via the:

• Tier 1 Visa
• Tier 2 Visa
• Tier 5 Visa (Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange)
• Innovator Visa
• A start-up visa

Distinguished Talent Visa (Subclass 124) and Temporary Skills Shortage/TSS Visa (Subclass 482) in Australia are somewhat similar to Global Talent Visa. All of them are meant for skilled individuals and offer scope to settle abroad with family.