UK for Creatives: How Artists and Designers Can Qualify for the Global Talent Visa

Eligibility under the Global Talent route

The Global Talent visa route is for professional artists and art practitioners whom the world recognizes as exceptionally talented (world leaders) or promising (potentially world leaders). This includes a variety of fields, such as dance, music, literature, theatre, visual arts, and combined arts (including museums and galleries).

Also included under this visa route are talented professionals offering their services in the film, animation, television, post-production, architecture, visual effects industries, work in fashion design, and architectural design.

Eligibility under the global talent visa UK Route

Applicants can apply for the UK global talent visa endorsement using exceptional promise if they are at an early stage in their careers and under the exceptional talent self-exception otherwise. The category for applying is dependent on the specific situation of the individual around the associated period of his professional achievements, career, and evidence he can obtain in support of his application.

The visa application is divided into two stages. Applicants would need to be first endorsed by Arts Council England. It is an endorsing body with expertise in the field of arts and culture. Arts Council England will assess whether a Global Talent Visa applicant meets the requirement of being an exceptional talent or promising individual in their artistic or cultural field (stage 1). Once the UK global talent visa endorsement application is successful, applicants may then make an application for a Global Talent visa to the Home Office (stage 2).

Exceptional Talent applicants who have received a prestigious prize listed in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes holders are not required to go through an endorsement process and may directly apply for the Global Talent visa. Such prizes include, but are not limited to, the Brit Awards, a Pritzker Prize, or the Academy Awards.

If given permission under the Global Talent route, it allows applicants to live and work in the United Kingdom for five years in one go. After three or five years, applicants can apply for an extension of stay, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settlement, provided they continue to meet the requirements of the Global Talent Visa visa route.

Endorsement for Applicants of arts, Design and culture applicants (stage 1)

Arts Council England is the formal endorsement body that assesses applicants in disciplines and subdisciplines that fall into its remit, or that of its external assessors. Therefore, it is not for everybody, the list of supported disciplines relating to this is published in the Art Council England’s guidance.

While endorsement for arts and culture applicants will still be done by Arts Council England, external assessors would use their knowledge and expertise to assess applications based on certain areas of cultural practice for those selected to be assessed on their behalf. For instance, The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (Pact) will evaluate applications from those working in TV and film, the BFC (British Fashion Council) from fashion designers, and RIBA (The Royal Institute of British Architects) from architectural designers and architects.

If you want to qualify for the Arts and Culture endorsement, you can show that you:

Involved with professional productions and outstanding works: presented, distributed, performed, or internationally exhibited; and
are engaged in regular professional activities related to his/her field for at least five years; and
either has a considerable track record in several countries (if applying under exceptional talent) or a developing track record in one or multiple countries (if applying under exceptional promise).

The following documentation needs to be provided to support the application for endorsement:

three letters of support
an artistic CV or résumé.
10 individual pieces of physical supporting evidence

It is essential to note that the Covid-19 pandemic substantially affected the ability of arts and culture sector artists to work because of event cancellations and travel restrictions. Nonetheless, Arts Council England would expect to see evidence of the applicant’s past work within the last five years that demonstrates the applicant to have been actively sought after and working.

Arts Council England utilizes its knowledge and expertise to undertake a detailed assessment of the documentary evidence of an applicant’s international appearances and the formal recognition they have gotten for their work. During the assessment, the official endorsing body will ascertain if the evidence tendered is appropriate to recognize talent or promise in the arts and culture sector and whether the applicant is a current or future leader within that field.

The endorsement application is done online. With respect to timings and costs, endorsement applications take usually around eight weeks for a decision and currently come with an application fee of £524. There is no fast-track option.

Application under the Global Talent Visa (Stage 2)

Applicants can make an application for a Global Talent visa to the Home Office (stage 2) once the endorsement application has been approved (stage 1). It is possible to make applications for both stage 1 and stage 2 concurrently. However, conditional upon refusing the endorsement application, the immigration application will also be rejected.

An online immigration application is to be made for a global talent visa. From outside the UK, an entry clearance application can be submitted, alternatively, an application may be submitted while on residence with another immigrant route and wish to switch to the visa under Global Talent.

As part of the Global Talent Visa application process, applicants need to attend a biometric appointment and submit documents in support of their application. The standard time duration for applications made outside the UK is about three weeks and around eight weeks for in-country applications for the time taken from the date of the biometric appointment.

The price of the application is £716 at present. The part of this fee covering endorsements is split into two: £524 before applying for endorsement and £192 at the time of applying for the visa itself. The Immigration Health Surcharge must also be paid by applicants. Anyone submitting an application for themselves, their partner/spouse, or children will have to pay the fees required per additional family member.

Conclusion

It is not an easy job to gain an endorsement. You need to understand whether you qualify for the global talent visa before applying for an endorsement. Hiring an immigration solicitor will help you navigate the process better.