We help with Stage 1 only
This guide sets out the published GOV.UK rules beyond Stage 1 so you can plan ahead. Our service covers the Stage 1 endorsement application. Figures and rules checked on GOV.UK on 8 October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm them on GOV.UK before you pay.
Deadline
Apply within 3 months of your endorsement letter
You can apply for the visa if you have been endorsed by an organisation approved by the Home Office, you apply within 3 months of receiving your endorsement letter, and the endorsing body has not withdrawn its approval. Gather your Stage 2 documents while you wait for the Stage 1 decision, so the 3 months are not spent on paperwork.
Read the rules on GOV.UKFees
What Stage 2 costs
The main applicant pays the second part of the £766 visa fee, £205, having paid £561 at Stage 1. Each partner or child pays £766. Everyone also pays the healthcare surcharge for the length of their visa.
Visa length
Choose how long your visa lasts
You can choose a visa of up to 5 years. A shorter visa lowers the healthcare surcharge you pay now, but you extend sooner, at £766 plus a further surcharge for each person. If you expect to apply for settlement after 3 years, a visa that covers that period avoids an extra extension.
Read the official guidanceWe help with Stage 1, the endorsement application. Not endorsed yet? Talk to us about your evidence.
Book a free 30-minute callDocuments
Documents you need for the visa application
GOV.UK lists these documents for the visa application.
- A valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality
- Tuberculosis test results, if you are from a country where you must take the test
- Written permission from the agency or government that funded you, if you had an award or scholarship to study in the UK in the last year
- Certified translations of any documents not in English or Welsh
Identity
Proving your identity
Depending on your nationality and passport, you either scan your identity document with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or have your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application centre. You are told which applies when you apply. If you need an appointment, you take your passport to the centre and can collect it on the day.
Read the official guidanceInside the UK
Already in the UK? You switch or extend instead
If you are in the UK on another visa, you apply to switch rather than apply from outside. Most visa holders can switch, but visitors and some other categories cannot. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.
Switching on GOV.UK Read our switching guideDecision
How long the visa decision takes
Once you have applied, proved your identity and provided your documents, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. It can take longer if your documents need to be verified, you need an interview, or a family member needs an appointment when you do not. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.
- Outside the UK: usually 3 weeks; priority £500 and super priority £1,000 where offered
- Inside the UK: usually 8 weeks; priority £500 and super priority £1,000 where offered
Family
Partners and children apply separately
Each family member completes a separate application and pays the £766 fee and the healthcare surcharge. From outside the UK, they give your application number so the Home Office can link the applications, and they must apply before they travel. A partner must be your spouse or civil partner, or have been in a relationship with you for at least 2 years.
Partners and children on GOV.UKAfter the decision
What happens when you get the decision
You get an email with the decision. It explains what you will receive to prove your immigration status and what you need to do next. If you need to change something after you apply, contact UK Visas and Immigration. You can ask to cancel, but the fee is refunded only if processing has not started.
Read the official guidanceRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
Global Talent visa fees in 2026: application fee, healthcare surcharge and total cost
The Global Talent visa costs £766 per person, plus the healthcare surcharge for each year of the visa. Here is what each person pays, when, with worked totals.
Read related guideSwitching to a Global Talent visa from inside the UK: who can switch and how
Most people in the UK on another visa can switch to Global Talent once endorsed. Here is who can, who cannot, what it costs, and the travel rule while you wait.
Read related guideHow long does a Global Talent endorsement take? Decision times by endorsing body
Stage 1 decisions range from 14 working days on fast-track research routes to up to 8 weeks for peer review, usually 5 to 8 weeks for Tech Nation, and longer for the arts.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. You can apply from any country where you have permission to live for at least 6 months, if it has a visa application centre that accepts Global Talent applications.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
How long do I have to apply after endorsement?
3 months from receiving your endorsement letter, as long as the endorsing body has not withdrawn its approval.
How much is the Stage 2 fee?
£205 for the main applicant, because £561 was paid at Stage 1, plus the healthcare surcharge. Partners and children pay £766 each plus the surcharge.
Do I need to give fingerprints for Stage 2?
Either you scan your identity document with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or you give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre. You are told which when you apply.
How long does the Stage 2 decision take?
Usually 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside, once you have proved your identity and provided your documents.
Can my family apply at the same time?
Yes. Each family member makes a separate application and pays their own fee and surcharge, using your application number.
Do you help with Stage 2?
No. We help with the Stage 1 endorsement application only. This guide summarises the published GOV.UK rules so you can plan.
Stage 1 help
Not endorsed yet? Stage 1 comes first.
Stage 2 follows only once you are endorsed. Check which endorsing body and category fit you, or book a free call about your Stage 1 evidence.
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