1. Understanding the Global Talent Visa for Arts and Culture:
Your Questions Answered

Over the last few years endorsements for Global Talent by the Arts Council have risen
starkly. This is due to a number of factors including Brexit
meaning that European nationals who previously would have worked in
the UK on the basis of EU rules now need to apply in other
categories such as Global Talent, the closure of other immigration
routes such as Investor and Entrepreneur limiting options, as well
as the Graduate Visa allowing new graduates the opportunity to
start their careers in the UK following their studies, and then
needing a further immigration route at the end of their two year
grant of permission. Both in-country and entry clearance
applications have seen substantial increases since 2020.

In this article we will look at some of the most common
questions that we are asked about preparing applications for a
Global Talent visa in the fields of arts and culture.

2. Does My Field of Expertise Qualify for the Global Talent
Visa in Arts and Culture?

We set out in a previous article, Global Talent Arts and Culture Route Guidance
– Part 2, a list of all the fields which are covered by
the Arts Council. The main areas for endorsement are:

• Dance
• Music
• Literature
• Theatre
• Visual arts
• Combined arts

There are different sets of criteria for those working in the
field of film and television. Therefore for some
individuals they will need to look closely at their experience and
decide whether to apply under the arts and culture or film and
television criteria. This is most likely to arise for actors who
perform in theatre and film or those working in moving image visual
arts where there is an overlap with filmmaking. However can also be
an issue for musicians who write film scores, or those working
behind the scenes. For some individuals, it will be important to
make a realistic assessment of their body of work to determine
where it is the Arts Council or PACT who should
decide their endorsement application.

The Arts Council also produces a long list of fields of
expertise where they are unable to endorse applicants. This is a
non-exhaustive list and seems to grow each time the guidance is
updated, so it is well worth reviewing this to exclude any
irrelevant work from consideration. Some of the excluded
disciplines include commercial photography, art and creative
direction for marketing campaigns, journalism, music education,
podcasts and radio DJs, competitive dance, art dealers, collectors
and critics, tattoo artists, and wrestling.

3. Exceptional Talent vs. Exceptional Promise: What’s the
Difference?

The criteria for endorsement for Exceptional Talent is more
strict and more stringently applied than for Exceptional Promise.
Exceptional Talent applicants should be well established in their
careers and are likely to be in a position where they are receiving
awards or have press coverage in prestigious publications where
they are specifically named. They are also more likely to have
established their reputation internationally, with their work
available in multiple countries. Exceptional Promise applicants are
more likely to be at an earlier stage of their careers and may not
have the same established reputation. They also are not required to
have worked internationally in order to make a successful
application.

The Arts Council indicates that an Exceptional Promise candidate
should have three years of professional experience, while
Exceptional Talent candidate should have five years. However, these
are expectations not requirements, and it may be possible to make a
successful application which does not conform to this expectation,
where there are special circumstances.

The advantage of making the more difficult Exceptional Talent
application is that, if successful, the individual will be on a
three year route to gaining their Indefinite Leave to Remain in the
UK. If an individual is endorsed as Exceptional Promise, they will
need to spend five years in the UK before they can apply for
Indefinite Leave to Remain.

When deciding which type of application is best to make, an
individual should look at their individual circumstances, the
length of their career, their achievements and the evidence
available and decide whether this fits better with the Exceptional
Promise or Exceptional Talent criteria. The Arts Council guidance
previously stated:

‘If you select Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise
on the application form, we will assess your evidence against the
relevant criteria for the route you applied under. However, for
arts and culture and architecture applicants (not including fashion
or film and television applicants) if you apply for Exceptional
Talent but your evidence does not meet the criteria, we can assess
your application against the criteria for Exceptional Promise
instead. If your application is assessed under a different route
you will be advised of the reasoning behind this when you receive
our decision.’

However the latest version of the guidance (September 2024) does
not refer to this concession. Applicants should therefore be very
careful to ensure they select the best route for their
experience.

4. How Much Professional Work Experience Do I Need for the
Global Talent Visa in Arts and Culture?

There is no minimum or maximum amount of work that needs to be
completed for either Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise.
However, the guidance does state, in the context of information
about your CV, that:

‘For Exceptional Talent we would expect to see a substantial
professional track record on your CV from at least the last
five years, and for Exceptional Promise from at
least the last three years.

The CV helps us understand what stage of career you are at, and
whether this is appropriate for the Global Talent visa.

If a CV is not provided or if your CV does not
satisfy us that you are at an appropriate stage of a professional
career, then the endorsement application will be unsuccessful
– even if your supporting letters and evidence meet
criteria.’

As mentioned above, this is an expectation, rather than a
requirement, but it is important to bear in mind that this is what
is expected in an application. If your circumstances do not yet
meet this expectation, it is worth considering whether there is
anything exceptional about your circumstances that would justify an
application earlier or later. It might be necessary to gain further
professional work before making the application.

The guidance also specifies that the documentary evidence relied
upon should come from the most recent five year period prior to the
application and must be for work that has taken place at the time
of the article’s publication. Therefore, not only can you make
an application too early for your relevant experience, it is also
possible to be too late to rely on particular evidence. This is
particularly important for performing artists to consider,
particularly those who may have had to take extended periods off
from performing during the pandemic and in its aftermath before
staged events returned to normal.

5. Can I Use Work Completed During My Studies in My
Application?

The Arts Council has updated its guidance relating to work done
during academic studies several times and there have been different
stages where different types of application have had different
requirements in this regard. However, the current position of the
arts council is that academic work does not count.

Previous versions of the guidance stated

‘We do understand that it is possible for students to
have worked in professional contexts during their course of study.
We also understand that it is possible for recent graduates to
possess the required level of expertise to be future leaders in
their field.’

The guidance also noted:

‘Proof of appearances evidence can now include a mix of
professional and academic or amateur work, as long as the academic
or amateur appearances are not the only proof of appearances
submitted. We also allow evidence of awards to come from
scholarships or fellowships for Exceptional Promise
applicants.’

Despite this, the current guidance states:

‘The guide was amended with minor corrections on
30 August 2024, as previous versions
of the guide had omitted details about evidence of student work
being unacceptable for arts and culture applicants applying as
Exceptional Promise. Pages 10-19 of the guide were therefore
updated to confirm that evidence of student work is unacceptable
for Exceptional Promise as well as
Exceptional Talent. This has always been the case therefore
this will still apply to applications submitted prior to the
amendment date.’

In relation to the relevant evidence the guidance states:

‘Evidence of work created as part of academic programs,
such as work that contributed to a degree, masters or PHD, graduate
showcase or end of year show, or student projects is
not acceptable for
Exceptional Promise. Proof of
appearances must always be in professional programs of artistic
work.’

Similar wording appears in relation to Exceptional Talent
applications. Candidates should therefore exclude any student work
from consideration and satisfy themselves that they have sufficient
professional work on which they can rely to meet the
requirements.

6. Who Should I Ask to Be My Referees for the Global Talent
Visa Application?

You will need three reference letters in support of your Global
Talent visa arts and culture application. At least one should come
from a UK organisation or company working in your field of
expertise. The other two letters can come from either the UK or
abroad. One letter may come from an individual rather than an
organisation providing that person is an eminent individual, with
recognised expertise in your field.

Where an individual is writing on behalf of an organisation,
they should hold a current senior position with that
organisation.

Generally someone who knows you well and is familiar with your
work will write a stronger reference letter, but it is important
that you have had a working relationship with all your
referees.

The Arts Council does place substantial weight on the reference
letters.

7. Does Frequent Travel for Work Affect My Global Talent Visa
Application?

You do not have to intend to live in the UK on a long term basis
in order to enter the UK in the Global Talent category and you do
not have to meet any specific residence requirement if you apply to
extend your stay further in the UK after entering in this
category.

If your long term plan is to apply for Indefinite Leave to
Remain in the UK, there is a residence requirement of no more than
180 days outside the UK in any 12 month period during the three or
five year periods relied upon. However, there is also no maximum
time period that you are permitted to stay in the category. This
means that a person who enters in the Exceptional Promise category
for five years, but spends the first two years with extensive
travel on international tours, could simply extend their stay for a
further two years (providing they have earned money in their field
during their stay in the UK) until their early absences fall away
and the residence requirement can be met.

For anyone who does travel frequently, it is helpful to keep
track of your absences from the UK as you go, in order to make the
process of completing future application forms easier.

8. Can I Apply for a Global Talent Visa While Already in the
UK?

There are no restrictions on where you must be at the time that
you make the endorsement application. Most individuals are also
able to make the application for a grant of leave in the UK as
well, except those who are in the UK as visitors, or with leave
outside of the Immigration Rules.

If you do not have a long term status in the UK, then it is
necessary to make the stage 2 immigration application from a place
where you live or have residence.

Making the endorsement application in the UK will not extend a
person’s leave to remain in the same way that making an
application for leave to remain would. A person in the UK may wish
to seek specialist advice about when and where to make their
application to ensure that there is no interruption to their lawful
status while an application is being processed.

9. How Long Does the Global Talent Visa Application Process
Take?

The Arts Council processing time is up to eight weeks, however,
there is some variation in processing times. Some applications are
decided more quickly than this. However, if timing is critical you
should allow the full eight weeks in case of any unexpected
delays.

If making the application for permission to enter the UK from
abroad, the processing time could be up to three weeks, but the
majority of application centres offer priority processing and so
this period can be reduced to 5 working days or even next business
day in some places.

Applications made in the UK can take up to eight weeks, but
again priority services should be available to expedite the
processing.

Endorsement and visa applications can be made simultaneously,
which may also speed up the process.

10. What Are My Options If My Endorsement Application Is
Refused?

If an endorsement application is refused, there is a right to
challenge the decision through an endorsement review process. The
prospects of doing this successfully will really depend on the
reasons for the refusal and the credentials of the individual.

In some cases it may be worth applying again, for example, after
gaining further experience or different references, depending on
the reasons for refusal.

A person who has made their stage one and stage two applications
at the same time should seek specialist individual advice if they
receive notification that their endorsement has been refused.

11. How Much Does It Cost to Apply for a Global Talent Arts and
Culture Visa?

It costs £608 to apply for a Global Talent visa.

If you’re applying based on an endorsement, you’ll pay
the £716 in two parts:

• £524 when you apply for the endorsement
• £192 when you apply for the visa itself

If you’re applying based on an eligible award, you’ll
pay the full £716 when you apply for the visa.

If you’re including your partner or children in your
application, they’ll each need to pay £716.

In addition to these costs, you will need to pay the Immigration
Health Surcharge of £1035 per person per year of leave
applied for.

Visa priority services range between around £250 and
£1000 depending on the place the application is made and what
level of priority is required.

In addition to these costs, a person might also want to consider
other costs they might incur, for example if a translator is
required.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.