Global Talent Visa: Arts and Culture

The Global Talent Visa is a new UK immigration route.

If you’re wondering who it’s for, the clue is in the name. It’s for talented people at the top of their game (or those with great potential) in their chosen industry or niche.

The Global Talent Visa was launched in February 2020 and replaced the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa. But the aim is similar with the British government hoping to attract high achievers from around the world to the UK.

There are six industries included in this visa category and arts and culture is one of them.

Here is the full list:

• Science and medicine
• Engineering
• Humanities
• Digital technology
• Arts and culture
• Research and innovation

So, what’s the application process? Let’s take a look.

Applying for a Global Talent Visa

The application process for a Global Talent Visa involves two steps. No matter what industry you work in.

The first step is to be officially endorsed as a global talent by a government-designated endorsing body. This is a mandatory part of the process, which means that without endorsement, the Global Talent Visa is not an option.

There are four routes to endorsement:

• A senior appointment at a UK higher education or research institution
• An individual fellowship at an approved organisation
• As an endorsed funder approved by UK Research and Innovation
• Full peer review by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering or the Royal Society

The endorsing body can’t be just any organisation though. It has to be relevant to your specific industry or line of work.

For arts and culture, the organisation to approach for endorsement is Arts Council England.

What is Arts Council England?

Arts Council England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It has a huge focus on diversity, children and sustainability. As well as working with local authorities across England.

It’s also responsible for investing money from the National Lottery into arts and culture. And for issuing grants to organisations in need of financial help.

As a guide for Global Talent Visa applicants, Arts Council England considers the following fields as arts and culture (for the purpose of the visa):

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

Applications from those in fashion, architecture or film and television, will also be reviewed by:

• British Fashion Council
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
• Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)

There are two ways to be endorsed. Either as a leader (exceptional talent) or an emerging leader (exceptional promise) in your field of work.

If you receive endorsement from Arts Council England, the next step is to apply for approval from the Home Office.

Application next steps

To have an endorsement approved by the Home Office you have to submit an online application. This costs £456.

It usually takes eight weeks for a decision, but the process may be quicker for the following people:

• Digital technology specialists on a UK accelerator programme
• Approved peer-reviewed fellowship
• Senior academic or academic researcher
• Hosted or employed in an approved UK research organisation

Once the endorsement has been approved by the Home Office, you can then apply for the visa. This has to be done within three months of receiving the official endorsement.

The fee for the immigration application is £152, or £97 if you’re from Turkey or Macedonia. Applicants usually get a decision within three weeks.

If the application is successful, you will then be able to live and work in the UK for up to five years.

Other benefits of the Global Talent Visa are:

• Change jobs without telling the Home Office
• Leave the UK for travel
• Bring family members with you

So, if you’re already a leader or potential leader in your field of creativity, then the Global Talent Visa could be for you. Not only is it a career opportunity, it’s also the chance to experience life in a different country.

References:

• https://www.artscouncil.org.uk
• https://www.gov.uk/global-talent