On 20th February, The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a new visa for proficient and talented professionals. The Global Talent Visa has replaced the existing Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa. The government means to simplify the post-Brexit immigration system with this new visa scheme.

What is the processing time involved in Global Talent Visa?

It normally takes 4 weeks to 8 weeks to apply for the UK\'s Global Talent Visa. This process can be broadly categorised into two stages:

In the first stage of the process, it includes endorsement, which takes between 2 weeks to 4 weeks. This stage is all about the \'Endorsement Application\'.

In the 2nd Stage, if your endorsement application has been approved then you may apply for a visa on GOV.UK. The Home Office will consider Immigration aspects and grounds for refusal in this stage and make their ultimate decision, whether to provide you with a visa or not.

Remember that in order to fulfil eligibility criteria for entry through Global Talent visa, applicants have to get clearance from one of six endorsing bodies assigned by the Home Office. You must have to receive approval from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the British Academy, the Royal Society of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for support in the fields of engineering, social sciences, humanities, science, medicine, and other academic and research roles.

Your application will be given to Arts Council England or Tech Nation for permission in non-academic fields such as arts and technology, or digital culture. When the approval is given, the Home Office must take the final ruling on the application made by the applicant.

UKRI will review applications from any academic or research discipline. For the other three routes, the applicant has to opt for the suitable endorsing body based on their field of research.

Best Immigration Solicitors in London say that the British Academy reviews applications from the humanities and social sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering covers engineering, and the Royal Society covers the natural and medical sciences.

You can find the full list of eligible disciplines and subdisciplines per endorsing body in the Home Office Guidance.

What are the advantages of Global Talent Visa?

• Permission to change roles and employ organisations without permission from the Home Office,
• No need to give any English language Test exam to prove your knowledge of English.
• Enter self-employment set up a spin-out company
• Earn additional income from other sources which may or may not relate to the field of research in which the applicant was endorsed.

The cost involved in Global Talent Visa

Applicants who are applying under Global Talent Visa category with their dependents will have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (NHS Surcharge) in addition to the appropriate visa application fees when submitting their visa application(s).

The Main Applicant would have to pay £456 in stage one of their endorsement application and £152 for their stage 2 Visa application plus £400 for Immigration Health Surcharge. If he/she/them is bringing their dependents with them then they additionally have to pay £608 for all of them.

If the main applicant is from Turkey or Macedonia, then £456 will be paid with the Stage 1 Endorsement Application and £97 will be paid later with the Stage 2 Visa application plus £400 for immigration health surcharge. If the candidate is bringing their dependents, then they will additionally have to pay £608 for all of them.

Please note that, if your endorsement application is refused, the £456 endorsement fee is not refunded by the Home Office.