The Global Talent Visa, unlike other immigration categories, comes with considerable advantages. It allows you to work in the UK on a flexible basis with lesser costs and fewer restrictions compared to other routes.
The Global Talent Visa is issued for up to 5 years. Both Talent and Promise candidates can choose the visa duration themselves.
With a Start-up Visa, you can stay for 2 years, with an Innovator Visa — for 3 years, with a Sole Representative Visa — for 3 years (can be extended for another 2 years), with a Business Visitor Visa — for a period from 6 months to 10 years.
Per Business Visitor visa requirements, even if you have a longer-term visa for 2, 5 or 10 years, each visit to the UK cannot be longer than 6 months. Additionally, with the Global Talent Visa, extension is possible an unlimited number of times, and you can apply while in the UK.
Global Talent is an unsponsored immigration route which means you have flexibility to change positions or companies, enter self-employment and earn money from other sources without asking permission or notifying the Home Office. Innovator, Sole Representative or Business Visitors visas do not offer such a freedom.
The Global Talent route does not require any language certificates or exams. Unlike Startup and Innovator visas with a condition of no lower than an Upper Intermediate English level (B2). A Sole Representative category demands a Beginner English level (A1).
Startup, Innovator, Global Talent categories all require endorsements in order to push the visa application further. Unlike the other two routes, Global Talent offers the fast-endorsement route, with the endorsing bodies returning a decision to the Home Office within 14 working days.
The Global Talent visa route does not require a fixed level of personal funds. Normally, you won’t be asked to provide any evidence of your finances for the application.
Investments are not a must-have for a Global Talent Visa. This characteristic makes it more appealing than an Innovator Visa with the requirement of £50.000.
The Global Talent immigration category allows you to travel anywhere in the world for research purposes. That without it counting the maximum time period for absences from the UK (in case of IRL).
With the Global Talent Visa you can apply for ILR in three years (if you're an Exceptional Talent) or in five years (if you're an Exceptional Promise). Talent candidates can obtain a UK passport after five years, Promise candidates – after 6 years spent in the UK.
The standard fee for a five-year Global Talent visa is £623 compared to £1,013 for a five-year Innovator visa and £625 per year for a Sole Representative visa. The fee excludes the UK Immigration Health Surcharge. The Global Talent category is also exempt from employer sponsorship costs.
Family members (dependants) can travel with the Global Talent visa holder
or join them later in the UK on a dependant visa.
A dependant is any of the following:
You can switch to a Global Talent visa if you are already in the UK on a different type of visa. There is a wide variety of visas you can switch from, namely Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 5, Startup and Innovator visas. To switch to the Global Talent visa route you must have either:
