Immigration Corner | Applying for a Global Talent visa

Dear Mr. Bassie,

I am a leader in my sphere of research and I am told that I may be eligible to obtain a visa to work in the United Kingdom, based on my global standing. Please let me know if this is possible.

RK

Dear RK,

Persons can apply for a Global Talent visa to work in the United Kingdom if they are a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research;

• Arts and culture;

• Digital technology.

The applicant must also be at least 18 years old.

PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR A VISA

Persons can usually only apply for a Global Talent visa if they have successfully applied for an endorsement to prove that they are a leader, or potential leader. They can apply for the visa without an endorsement if they have won an eligible award. Persons should look online and find out which awards are eligible.

Persons should also find out what they can do with a Global Talent visa, and how to apply for an endorsement if they work in one of the following fields:

• Academia or research;

• Arts and culture;

• Digital technology.

If they are not eligible for a Global Talent visa, there are other ways to work in the United Kingdom. For example, persons may be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa.

LENGTH OF STAY

Persons who are successful may be eligible to remain in the United Kingdom and can live and work there for up to five years at a time.

EXTENDING THE STAY IN THE UK

Please note that there is no limit to how long persons can stay in the United Kingdom in total, but they will need to renew (‘extend’) their visa when it expires. Each extension can last from one to five years, and persons choose how long they want the extension to be.

Persons may be able to get indefinite leave to remain so they can settle in the United Kingdom after three or five years, depending on which field they work in and how they apply. This gives those persons the right to live, work and study there for as long as they like and apply for benefits, if they are eligible.

HOW TO APPLY

Persons must apply online, and how they apply will depend on whether they are:

• Outside the United Kingdom and are going to the United Kingdom;

• Inside the United Kingdom and extending their current visa;

• Inside the United Kingdom and switching from a different visa.

As part of the application, persons will need to prove their identity and provide the required documents. They may need to allow extra time if they need an appointment to do this. They will find out if an appointment is needed when they start the application.

THE DECISION

Once persons have applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they will usually get a decision on their visa application within:

• Three weeks, if they are outside the United Kingdom;

• Eight weeks, if they are inside the United Kingdom.

Those persons who need to go to an appointment may be able to pay for a faster decision. How they do this depends on whether they are outside or inside the United Kingdom.

FEES

It costs £608 to apply for a Global Talent visa. Also, when applying based on an endorsement, persons will be required to pay the £608 in two parts:

• £456 when applying for the endorsement; and

• £152 when applying for the visa itself.

Persons who are applying based on an eligible award, will need to pay the full £608 when they apply for the visa. Please note that if including a partner or children in the application, they will each need to pay £608.

HEALTHCARE SURCHARGE

Persons will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application. This is usually £624 per year for each person applying. Persons should check how much they will have to pay before applying.

APPLYING FROM AN ELIGIBLE COUNTRY

The application fee will be automatically reduced by £55 if both of the following apply:

• Persons submit their application on or before February 25, 2022;

• Persons are from an eligible country.

The eligible countries are:

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey.

Please be aware that this reduction only applies to the visa application. If the applicant has a partner and children, they will still need to pay the full application fee.

Good luck.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, deputy global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com