- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
The visa
What the Global Talent visa is and what it gives you
The Global Talent visa is a UK visa for people recognised as leaders (exceptional talent) or emerging leaders (exceptional promise) in digital technology, academia and research, or arts and culture. You get it in two steps. Stage 1 is endorsement by a Home Office approved endorsing body, unless you hold an eligible prestigious prize. Stage 2 is the visa application to the Home Office. We work only on Stage 1, the endorsement, because that is where your track record is judged.
The basics
Stage 1 is where an endorsing body judges your track record
The Global Talent route is for people in science, engineering, humanities, social science, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture who can show exceptional talent or exceptional promise. Stage 1 is the endorsement application. You submit it online to the Home Office, which passes it to the relevant endorsing body. The endorsement fee is £561.
- Digital technology
- Academia and research (science, engineering, humanities, social science and medicine)
- Arts and culture
Who decides
Six endorsing bodies cover different fields
Your field decides your endorsing body, not your job title. For research, the published disciplines list decides which endorsing body covers your area. Some subjects, such as computer science and some engineering areas, appear on more than one list.
Reading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callPrize route
Holders of certain prestigious prizes can skip Stage 1
A person who has won a prize listed in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes is treated as showing exceptional talent and does not need an endorsement. In arts and culture, this applies to Exceptional Talent applicants. The design industry is an exception: design applicants must apply for an endorsement as well as the visa.
Read the official guidanceTwo categories
Exceptional Talent is for leaders, Exceptional Promise for potential leaders
Exceptional Talent is for people already recognised as leaders in their field. Exceptional Promise is for people early in their career who are recognised as future leaders. Each endorsing body sets out the difference in its own way.
What you send
Most applications combine a CV, a statement, evidence and letters
The exact contents depend on the endorsing body and the route. Fast-track research routes rely on route documents, such as an HR statement of guarantee, instead of a full evidence bundle. The endorsing bodies cannot review your documents before you submit.
Timing
Decisions take from 14 working days to 8 weeks or more, depending on the route
Fast-track research routes are the quickest. Peer review and the Tech Nation and Arts Council England routes take longer.
After Stage 1
If you are endorsed, the visa is a separate application
Stage 2 is a separate application to the Home Office after endorsement. If you are refused, you can ask for a free review within 28 days, but you cannot add new evidence.
Read the official guidance What happens at Stage 2Costs
The visa costs £766, plus the healthcare surcharge
With an endorsement you pay £561 when you apply for the endorsement and £205 when you apply for the visa. If you hold an eligible prize, you pay the full £766 at the visa stage. Each partner or child pays £766 too. Most applicants also pay the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year for each adult and £776 for each child under 18. These are the GOV.UK figures, checked on 12 October 2026.
Fees on GOV.UK See the full cost guideHow to apply
You apply online, and the Home Office passes your application on
You apply for endorsement online on GOV.UK, not to the endorsing body. The Home Office sends your application to the endorsing body for your field, which decides whether to endorse you. Our step-by-step guide sets out the documents, letters and decision time for each endorsing body.
Read the official guidance How to apply for endorsement, step by stepRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
Global Talent endorsement requirements: what each endorsing body asks for
Each endorsing body sets its own Stage 1 tests, so the requirements for a software founder, a researcher and a theatre director are very different.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement documents: a checklist for each endorsing body
Each endorsing body has its own document rules, from page limits to who can write your letters.
Read related guideHow long does a Global Talent endorsement take? Decision times by endorsing body
Stage 1 decisions range from 14 working days on fast-track research routes to up to 8 weeks for peer review, usually 5 to 8 weeks for Tech Nation, and longer for the arts.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. If you work outside the UK, assessors may not know your local awards, media or companies, so your evidence should show their scale and standing in plain terms, such as audience size, revenue or how selective an award is.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
Do I need a job offer?
No. You do not need a job offer to get the Global Talent visa, and no employer needs to sponsor you. For endorsement, Tech Nation and research peer review do not need one, but some fast-track research routes are tied to a UK post or grant.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. Your partner and children can come with you as your dependants, if they are eligible.
When can I settle in the UK?
Under the current rules, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years if you are endorsed as a leader or work in academia or research, or after 5 years if you are endorsed as a potential leader in digital technology or arts and culture. Settlement is a separate Home Office application.
Can I send my application straight to the endorsing body?
No. You apply online, and the Home Office passes your application to the endorsing body.
Will an endorsing body check my documents before I apply?
No. The endorsing bodies do not review documents before submission or advise on your chances.
What is the difference between Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise?
Talent is for people already recognised as leaders in their field. Promise is for early-career people recognised as future leaders.
How much does the Global Talent visa cost?
£766 in total for the main applicant: £561 at the endorsement stage and £205 at the visa stage, plus the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year. GOV.UK figures, checked on 12 October 2026.
Is Stage 2 part of the endorsement?
No. Stage 2 is a separate application to the Home Office.
Stage 1 planning
Not sure which endorsing body covers your work?
We can review your background against the published criteria, help you choose an endorsing body and route, and plan your evidence and letters.
Which field is your work in?