What information/documentation do I need to supply?

This depends under on which of the above criteria applies to you:

Academic or researcher

You need to provide both:

• a job description setting out the duties and responsibilities of the position
• a statement of guarantee from the Director of Human Resources, or equivalent, which confirms all of the following:
• the job was advertised, and an open competition was held, or where it was not, an explanation as to why not; and
• that you have accepted the job offer; and
• the job title and department in which you will be based; and
• you:
• have responsibility for academic, research or innovation leadership and development; or
• will direct or lead an individual or team research project or programme of work; or
• will direct or lead an individual or team innovation project or programme of work; and
• at least two references were received; and
• at least three academic, research or innovation representatives were on the interview panel(s); and
• at least one expert in the applicant’s field was on the interview panel(s), or at least one relevant expert, independent of the employing institution, was consulted before the job offer was made.

Individual fellowship

An applicant under this route must provide written confirmation from an awarding body named on the list published by the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, or the British Academy that they hold, or have held in the last five years, an eligible peer reviewed fellowship or award.

The fellowship needs to be approved by the following:

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

You can apply as either a:

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

Which one you are depends on the fellowship you have.

Research grant approved by UKRI

An applicant applying for endorsement under this section must either:

(a)      Direct independently, or under the supervision of a Principal Investigator, a unique research or innovation project and meet all the following requirements:

(i)                         they must have a PhD qualification or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research); and

(ii)                        they must actively participate in a relevant field in a University, research institute or industry; and

(iii)                      they must have their name or post listed on the grant or award as the Principal or co-investigator, Researcher Co-investigator, Post-doctoral researcher or Research Assistant, or an equivalent position acceptable to UKRI; or

(b)     make critical contributions to research by providing core technical or domain excellence or in developing new technologies and methodologies and meet both the following requirements:

(i)                          they must have a UK bachelor’s degree or equivalent overseas research degree or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research); and

(ii)                        they must have research experience within a University, Research Institute or Industry.

Your grant must have been awarded by an organisation on the list of endorsed funders.

The organisation employing or hosting you must be approved by UKRI. The organisation must be in the UK, but you can do research abroad.

You must also:

• have at least one year left on your employment contract or hosting agreement
• spend at least half of your time working on the grant
• be working on a grant worth at least £30,000 that covers at least two years
• have either a one-off grant or award or a ‘renewable’ award with regular peer review

If you are a principal investigator or co-investigator you can work on more than one grant, as long as in total they make up at least half of your time.

Along with your grant or award you must either:

• lead a unique research or innovation project
• contribute to research in developing new technology or methodology

If you are leading on research or a project:

If you’ll lead a unique research or innovation project either independently or under acceptable supervision, you must:

• have a PhD or equivalent research experience (including clinical and industrial research)
• have actively participated in your relevant field of research within a university, research institution or industrial setting

You must also either:

• be named on the research grant application
• have your job title on the research grant application

If you are contributing to research:

If you will contribute to research in developing new technology or methodology you must have research experience within a university, research institution or industrial setting.

You must also either:

• have a UK bachelor’s degree
• have an equivalent overseas research degree
• have equivalent research experience (including clinical and industrial research)

If you have had a career break:

If you have recently taken time away from actively participating in your relevant field of research, for example a career break or parental leave, and you’ll be returning to your employment, you’ll still be eligible for the Global Talent visa.

The documents you will need are:

·       You must provide a declaration from the Director of Human Resources, or equivalent at the UKRI-approved UK research organisation which confirms all of the following:

a)        that you have accepted the job offer or hosting agreement; and

b)        the job title and department in which you will be based; and

c)        that there is at least one year remaining on your employment contract or hosting agreement; and

d)        that you will provide critical contributions to work supported by a substantial research grant or award from an endorsed funder; and

e)        that you are essential to the execution of the grant or award; and

f)         that at least 50% of the your time will be spent working on the grant or award by the endorsed funder (Principal investigators and co-investigators can aggregate time spent on multiple eligible awards or grants to demonstrate this requirement); and

g)         that a robust recruitment process has been completed where you were not named on the grant application.

·       You must show that the grant or award from an endorsed funder is worth at least £30,000, covers a minimum of two years; and is either funded by a one-off grant or award that has been won in open competition or attributed to a large institutional, renewable award that is subject to periodic peer review, by either:

a)         providing a link to the grant or award on a UKRI-approved database the details on which would be checked by UKRI against the above requirements; or

b)         providing written confirmation of the grant or award from the endorsed funder that the above requirements are met.

Peer review

You need to:

• work in an approved research discipline
• be an active researcher - for example in a university, research institute or business
• have a PhD or equivalent research experience, including industrial or clinical research

You do not need a job offer to apply.

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

Exceptional Talent:

An applicant evidencing exceptional talent under full peer review endorsement must:

a)         show that they have been recognised as a leading talent in the field of science, engineering, humanities, social science, or medicine; and

b)         be an active researcher in a relevant field, typically in a university, research institute, or in industry; and

c)         have a PhD or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research).

Exceptional Promise:

An applicant evidencing exceptional promise under full peer review endorsement must:

a)         show that they have been recognised as having potential to be a leading talent in the field of science, engineering, humanities, social science, or medicine; and

b)         be an active researcher in a relevant field, typically in a university, research institute, or in industry; and

c)         have a PhD or equivalent research experience (including industrial or clinical research); and

d)         be at an early stage in their career.

You must provide:

·       a copy of your current CV

·       a letter of personal recommendation from an eminent person resident in the UK, supporting your Global Talent application which includes all of the following:

          i.   how the author knows you; and

          ii.  your achievements in the relevant field; and

          iii.  how the author considers you show exceptional talent or promise;

          iv.  the contribution you would make to UK research excellence and wider society.

·       If you are applying with exceptional talent, you must provide a second letter from an additional eminent person in your field, which includes all of the following:

          i.   a statement confirming that the author is a senior member of a reputable UK organisation concerned with research or innovation in your field; and

          ii.  how the author considers your work to show exceptional talent; and

          iii.  the contribution you would be expected to make to UK research or innovation excellence and wider society; and

          iv.  a statement confirming that the author’s assessment is provided on the basis of 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.

How long is the Global Talent visa valid?

If your application is successful, you will be granted leave for the period you requested in your application, up to five years. If you wish to stay in the UK for longer, you can apply to renew your visa as many times as you like, provided that you can still meet the eligibility requirements for extending.

Can I extend my Global Talent visa?

If you wish to stay in the UK for longer, you can apply to renew your visa as many times as you like, provided that you can still meet the eligibility requirements for extending.

What should I do if my application is refused?

If your application is refused, we would suggest you seek legal advice from our team. We will be able to review your application, and refusal letter, and provide advice on the merits of asking for a review.

Can the Global Talent visa route lead to settlement?

Global talent is a route to settlement. You may be eligible to apply to settle permanently in the UK after three years if you are applying as a leader, or after five years if you are applying as a potential leader.

Can I bring family members on the Global Talent visa?

You are permitted to bring your partner and/or children to join you in the UK if they’re eligible. If their applications are successful, their visa would normally end on the same date as yours.

Can I switch to another visa category?

You might be eligible to switch to another visa category. We would suggest seeking advice from our team who can confirm your eligibility for other appropriate routes.