Tier 1 Global Talent visa route

There are two ways you can apply for a Tier 1 visa. How you apply depends on whether you will be a member of staff employed on the grant, or if you will hold the award.

• Endorsed funder route – if you are named, or are appointed to a named role on a Wellcome research award that has a:
  • value of at least £30,000, and
  • duration of at least two years (but see the temporary concession for Covid-19 related grants).
• Individual fellowships and personal awards route – if you hold one of the awards listed below.

A Tier 1 Global Talent visa offers you more flexibility than other UK immigration routes. You:

• can move freely between organisations, locations and job/roles without having to tell the Home Office; with a Tier 2 visa you’re ‘tied’ to an employer/role and you often have to apply for a new visa if you change jobs
• don't have to receive a minimum salary to be eligible
• can apply for settlement once you’ve been in the UK for three years; if you spend time outside the UK for research purposes, you won't be penalised.

You may also be able to switch to a Tier 1 visa if you’re already in the UK on a Tier 2 or Tier 5 visa.

Wellcome is a recognised endorsed funder(opens in a new tab).

If you're applying for a Tier 1 visa via this route, you will need to have:

• at least two years remaining on your employment contract, and
• spend at least 50% of your working time contributing to the award.

How to apply

The endorsed funder route is administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)(opens in a new tab). You should contact UKRI for more information on the application criteria and how to apply.

If you're applying for a Tier 1 visa via this route, you should be an exceptionally talented or promising individual in the field of science, engineering, humanities and social sciences or the arts.

You must be able to demonstrate that you're:

• a recognised leader in your field (Exceptional Talent)

or

• an emerging leader in your field (Exceptional Promise).

If you hold one of the awards listed below, you're guaranteed an endorsement of your Tier 1 application (see the 'Stage 1: Endorsement' section below).

If you hold a Wellcome award that is not on this list, you can still apply for a Tier 1 visa, but your endorsement is not guaranteed.

• Clinical Research Career Development Fellowships (Stages 1 and 2)
• Investigator Awards in Humanities and Social Science
• Investigator Awards in Science
• Principal Research Fellowships
• Research Career Re-entry Fellowships
• Research Fellowships for Health Professionals (postdoctoral level projects only)
• Research Fellowships in Humanities and Social Science
• Senior Research Fellowships
• Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science (this scheme is now closed, but you can apply for a Tier 1 visa if you have been awarded one of these fellowships)
• Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science (this scheme is now closed, but you can apply for a Tier 1 visa if you have been awarded one of these fellowships)
• Sir Henry Dale Fellowships
• Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships
• University Awards in Humanities and Social Science.

How to apply

There is a two-stage application process.

Stage 1: Endorsement

You need to apply for endorsement via the Home Office(opens in a new tab).

Your application will be considered by one of the five recognised Designated Competent Bodies, who will decide if you have the skills, abilities and achievements to be endorsed. You can find out more about the Tier 1 visa on their websites.

The five bodies are:

• The Royal Society(opens in a new tab) – for natural sciences and medical science research applications
• The British Academy(opens in a new tab) – for humanities and social science applications
• Arts Council England(opens in a new tab) – for arts and culture applications
• The Royal Academy for Engineering(opens in a new tab) – for engineering applications
• Tech Nation(opens in a new tab) – for digital technology applications.

Stage 2: Immigration application

Once you’ve been endorsed, you can apply to the Home Office for your visa. You must apply for the visa within three months of being endorsed.