Arts Council Global Talent Endorsement: Step-by-Step

What Arts Council England Does on This Route

Arts Council England is the endorsing body for the arts and culture field of the Global Talent visa. The Home Office sends arts and culture endorsement applications to it. Arts Council England judges some disciplines itself; four associated bodies judge the others on its behalf.

For the visa as a whole, see the requirements guide. For the other fields, see the Royal Society and Tech Nation guides.

Who Judges Which Discipline

GOV.UK publishes the split in Disciplines covered by Arts Council England or its associated bodies:

• Arts Council England: combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre, and visual arts including museums and galleries
• British Fashion Council: the fashion design industry
• Royal Institute of British Architects: architecture
• Design Business Association: the design industry
• Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television: animation, film, post-production, television, and visual effects

Each of these has its own published criteria and its own evidence list. The rest of this guide covers the disciplines Arts Council England judges itself. If you work in fashion, architecture, design, film or television, read the guidance for your own body on GOV.UK.

Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise

You apply in one of two categories.

• Exceptional talent — a leader in your field. GOV.UK says you must have been working professionally in your field in the last 5 years, and have a substantial track record in at least 2 countries.
• Exceptional promise — a potential leader. You need at least 3 years of professional experience and a developing track record in at least 1 country.

The category also changes when you can apply to settle: 3 years for exceptional talent, 5 years for exceptional promise. See settlement on the Global Talent route.

The Published Criteria

For combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts, GOV.UK sets out mandatory criteria that everyone must meet, and qualifying criteria of which you must show at least 2.

The mandatory criteria are that you:

• produce work that has been published or performed internationally and is judged to be outstanding
• have engaged with the field through appearances, performances, publications or exhibitions

You must then show at least 2 of the following:

• international media recognition
• international prizes or awards
• international appearances or exhibitions

The full wording, including the differences between the two categories, is on the GOV.UK page for these disciplines.

Evidence You Must Provide

GOV.UK sets limits on what you can send:

• Three letters of recommendation. Two from established organisations, at least one of which must be based in the UK. The third from an arts organisation or an expert in your field.
• Up to 10 single pieces of evidence. Each must be 2 sides of A4 paper or less, and from the last 5 years.

Evidence typically includes press coverage and reviews, prizes and awards, records of exhibitions, performances or publications, and proof of the venues, festivals or platforms where your work has appeared. The page limit and the five-year window apply whatever the evidence is, so check them against your material before you start.

Application Process

1. Apply for endorsement. You apply online through GOV.UK. The endorsement fee is £561.
2. Wait for the decision. GOV.UK says you will get a decision within 8 weeks.
3. Apply for the visa. The visa itself costs a further £205, making £766 in total. You can apply for the visa at the same time as the endorsement, but the visa application may be rejected if the endorsement is refused. A visa decision usually takes 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside it.

See the endorsement guide for what happens after this.

If Your Endorsement Is Refused

The remedy is an endorsement review, not an administrative review or an appeal. GOV.UK publishes these rules:

• You must request the review within 28 days of the decision.
• There is no fee.
• You cannot send new evidence. The review looks at whether your evidence was properly considered or whether there was a processing error.
• You will be told the outcome by email within 28 days.
• If a fresh application is refused again for the same reasons, there is no further review, and applying again means paying the fee again.
• Requesting an endorsement review does not extend your permission to stay in the UK if it is about to expire.

The full wording is at If your endorsement application is refused.

Costs

£561 for the endorsement and £205 for the visa, £766 in total. The fee is the same whichever length of visa you apply for. A partner or child applying with you pays £766 each. On top of that comes the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year for each person — £5,175 over 5 years. See the Global Talent cost guide.

After Endorsement

Once endorsed, you apply for the visa. GOV.UK says that with a Global Talent visa you can:

• work as an employee, be self-employed, and be a director of a company, and change or stop doing your job without telling the Home Office
• bring your partner and children as dependants, who can work — except as a sportsperson or a coach — and study
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently in the UK after 3 years as a leader or 5 years as a potential leader, and then possibly for British citizenship

You cannot claim most benefits (called public funds) and you cannot work as a sportsperson.

How This Route Compares

The comparison with the Skilled Worker visa sets out the two routes side by side. In short: Global Talent needs no sponsor and has no salary threshold, but it does need an endorsement against the criteria above; Skilled Worker needs a licensed sponsor and a salary at or above a published threshold, but no endorsement.

Next Steps

Read the published criteria for your own discipline on GOV.UK, check your evidence against the page limits and the five-year window, and line up your three letters of recommendation before you apply.

Related guides:

• Global Talent visa complete guide
• Global Talent requirements
• Global Talent endorsement
• Global Talent costs

Questions and answers