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Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) is the precursor to Global Talent. Both have the same terms and conditions with regard to ILR, and any reference to Global Talent in this guidance also encompasses Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent). |
The eligibility requirements for Global Talent visa holders who wish to apply for ILR are outlined below.
Residence in the UK
Global Talent visa holders can apply for ILR after three years holding any combination of the following visas types:
- Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Visa (exceptional talent or exceptional promise category)
- Global Talent Visa (exceptional talent or exceptional promise category)
- Tier 2 (General) Visa
- Skilled Worker Visa
For example, you could hold a Skilled Worker visa for two years then switch to Global Talent, and you could then apply for ILR one year later:
Or you could hold a Skilled Worker visa for two years and 11 months then switch to Global Talent, and you could then apply for ILR one month later:
Once you hold Global Talent, any combination of Tier 2 (General), Skilled Worker, Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) or Global Talent visa is permitted in order to reach ILR after three years. The key criterion is that, at the point of applying for ILR, you hold a Global Talent Visa.
Your residence in the UK must be continuous and lawful. This is defined as you:
- having continuously held one, or a combination, of the above visas which may be across multiple jobs and/or employers, and across any number of visas; and
- not having overstayed beyond the expiry date of any of these visas.
Gaps between employment/employers do not break continuity of residence.
Absences from the UK
You must not have had more than 540 days’ absence from the UK in total across the three years (but see ‘Absence exemptions’ below).
Absence calculation
Absences from the UK are considered on a rolling basis, not per calendar year. You must not have been absent from the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 month period. When calculating absences, this includes all personal and business-related travel. You should only include whole days, not days when you travelled to/from the UK.
Absence exemptions
If you have had more than 180 days’ absence from the UK and the absences over 180 days were due to ‘research activity’ abroad, these excess absences will be waived by the Home Office. Please contact the Compliance Team if this situation applies to you, so that the evidential requirements of this can be discussed. In addition, the Home Office will waive absences above 180 days where:
- there was“travel disruption due to natural disaster, military conflict or pandemic”; and/or
- you were "assisting with a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis overseas"; and/or
- you had “compelling and compassionate personal circumstances, such as the life-threatening illness of the applicant, or the life-threatening illness or death of a close family member”.
If your absences from the UK amounted to 180 days or less in any 12 month period, you do not need to consider requesting a waiver.
Life in the UK
Before applying for ILR, you must have passed the Life in the UK test. The test has no expiry date and can be taken at any time before you apply for ILR.
English language requirement
The English language requirement is very strict and you must meet it in one of the following ways:
1) Being a national of a majority English speaking country
You will automatically meet the English language requirement if you are a citizen of one of the following countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- A British Overseas Territory
- Canada
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Malta
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States of America
2) Having previously held a Tier 2 or Skilled Worker Visa
You have already proved your knowledge of English when apply for the Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa.
3) Holding an academic degree in any discipline
If you have a Batchelors, Masters or Doctorate (PhD) qualification which was taught or researched wholly in English, you may be able to use this to prove your knowledge of English. How you can do so depends on where it was awarded:
- Awarded by an institution in the UK: you may use your certificate, a transcript or an official letter from the awarding institution.
- Awarded by an overseas institution: you must use the Ecctis English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison service to verify the degree was taught in English and is equivalent at least a UK bachelors degree.
If your qualification was not taught or researched wholly in English, you will need to prove your knowledge of English in another of the ways listed.
4) Passing an English language test
You may show that you meet the required level of English by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. The test must assess your speaking and listening abilities (2-facet test) - reading and writing are not required for ILR purposes - and you must pass at level B1 or above (A1 is the lowest pass mark, C2 is the highest). You should normally have passed the test in the 2 years before you apply for your visa, though there are exceptions.
The English language requirement applies to all applicants and cannot be met in any other way.
When can I apply?
The three year qualifying period starts from the date your very first qualifying visa was issued, not the date you entered the UK for the first time, and you can submit your ILR application online up to 28 days before you reach the end of the three year qualifying period. For example:
- if your Global Talent visa was issued on 1 July 2024, you could submit an application for ILR at any time on or after 3 June 2027; or
- if your Skilled Worker visa was issued on 1 July 2023 and you came to the UK on 18 July 2023, then you switched to Global Talent on 1 July 2025, your qualifying period would begin on 1 July 2023 and you could submit an application for ILR at any time on or after 3 June 2026.
You must not apply more than 28 days before you reach the 3 year qualifying period, or your application may be refused.
Important: once you have applied for ILR, you must not leave the Common Travel Area (the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) until you receive a decision on your application. If you do, the Home Office will consider your application withdrawn, which may result in you having no right to re-enter/live in the UK.
How do I apply?
You can only apply online, using immigration form SET(O).
How much does it cost?
Please see gov.uk for the current cost of an ILR application (“Other applications in the UK” > “Indefinite leave to remain – main applicants and dependants”).
There are two service level options:
- Standard, where the application can take up to 6 months to be decided. However, in practice, it rarely takes more than 2-3 months for a decision.
- Priority, where a decision can be received within 5 working days of attending an appointment at a UK Visas and immigration service and support centre to submit your biometric information and supporting paperwork. Please see gov.uk for the current cost of the Priority service (“Optional premium services within the UK” > “Expedited processing – Priority service”). Note: if you are required to use the Home Office 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app to submit your biometrics and supporting documents, you will not be eligible for the Priority service.
What documents do I need?
- Your current, valid passport
- Any previous passports you still have (if you no longer have them, this will not be an issue)
- Your current Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) if you have one
- Evidence that you meet the English language requirement:
- UK degree certificate; or
- overseas degree certificate and Ecctis certificate; or
- English language test certificate.
- If you are a national of a majority English speaking country as listed above, or if you have previously held a Tier 2 or Skilled Worker Visa, you do not need to provide evidence
- Evidence that you have “earned money in your field of talent in the UK” during the time you have held the Global Talent visa you currently have. This must be in the field in which you were endorsed, and can be evidenced by a letter from your Department and your last 3 months’ payslips which can be downloaded from Employee Self Service. The evidence does not need to cover the full three year period and no other evidence of employment is required.
What will I get?
The Home Office has discontinued production of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), so your permission will be granted as an eVisa which you will be able to access online.
Dependants
Your family members can apply for ILR in their own right, but they may not be able to apply at the same time as you.
- Spouses/unmarried partners/civil partners can only do so after they hold a points-based system (PBS) dependant visa for at least 5 years – the ability to apply for ILR after 3 years is not presently available to them.
- Conversely, children do not need to hold a dependant visa for a set number of years in order to qualify for ILR. However, before they make an application for ILR, the following must be true:
- They hold a valid PBS dependant visa (of any length) or were born in the UK; and
- Both parents already hold ILR; or
- Both parents are applying for ILR at the same time as the child; or
- One parent holds ILR and the other parent is applying for ILR at the same time as the child.
Discretion is provided for parents who have sole responsibility for their child(ren).