Changes to the Global Talent Route in October 2021
The Global Talent category, described in detail, here, is for talented and promising individuals in various sectors to work in the UK. It is contained in “Appendix Global Talent”, which was introduced less than a year ago.
Changes are being brought in by the Statement of Changes HC617 with effect from 6th October 2021 to the endorsement criteria and evidential requirements in various categories. The Explanatory memorandum says these are “to reflect feedback and recommendations from the endorsing bodies for the route”.
The changes are as follows:
Global Talent Visa Arts and Culture Endorsement
The Rules are being tweaked to clarify that endorsing letters have to be from well-established ‘arts and culture’ organisations rather than simply well-established organisations.
Changes will also make it clearer that individuals as part of a group are able to qualify, though according to the Explanatory Memorandum, applicants must be named (which was not formerly the case in Promise applications under Appendix W). The wording of the Rules may yet be unclear on this, or depend on a comma or lack thereof- “as an individual, as a named member of a group or as a contributor” – whether a named member of a group or contributor is to be approached as a named member of group or named contributor or potentially unnamed contributor. The safest approach of course is for an applicant to be named.
Global Talent Visa Digital Technology Endorsement
The Rules will include being a board member of a product-led digital technology company as a role that can be used to evidence talent in this field.
In Rule GTE 7.4(b)(i) evidence for exceptional promise applications of ‘innovation as a founder of a product led digital technology company or as an employee working on a new digital field or concept’ is to be reduced from ‘at least two’ to at least one example.
Global Talent Visa Science, Engineering, Humanities and Medicine
The amendments will extend the eligibility period for fellowship fast track applications under the Fast Track procedure for applicants to have held a peer reviewed research fellowship or award named on the list published by the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Academy in the last five years, rather than the last 12 months as is currently the case. There are other small changes aiming to broaden the category to further applicants.
Global Talent Visa Prestigious Prize Route
Applicants who are talented enough to hold a qualifying prestigious prize will be able to qualify in the Global Talent route without the need to obtain an endorsement from one of the Global Talent endorsing bodies.
The changes to the Rules have broadened the range of prizes, and applicants holding prestigious prizes will wish to refer to the table in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prize APP GTPP2. The list of qualifying prizes includes awards based on the decisions of experts or peers, and includes Brit Awards, Olivier Awards, Tonys, Nobel Prizes, the Turing Award etc and the expanded list aims to reflect the opinion of experts that the prizes demonstrate irrefutable evidence of prize holders being at the pinnacle of their profession.
The table brought in by the new Statement of Changes is divided into categories, rather than simply alphabetically, so is potentially marginally easier to navigate.
Contact our Immigration Barristers
For expert advice and assistance with a Global Talent Visa application, contact our immigration barristers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.
