- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
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 17 October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm them on GOV.UK before you pay.
| Global Talent | Innovator Founder | |
|---|---|---|
| What is endorsed | You, as a leader or potential leader in your field | A new, innovative, viable and scalable business idea |
| Endorsing bodies | Tech Nation, Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy, UKRI, Arts Council England | UK Endorsing Services, Innovator International, Envestors Limited, Global Entrepreneurs Programme |
| Prize alternative | Yes, eligible prizes replace endorsement | No |
| English at entry | Not required | B2 in all four components |
| Work allowed | Most work, including self-employment (not professional sport) | Own business, plus work at RQF level 3 or above (not professional sport) |
| Length of each grant | Up to 5 years, chosen by the applicant | 3 years |
| Settlement | After 3 or 5 years, depending on endorsement | After 3 years, if business criteria are met |
| Main applicant fee | £766 (£561 endorsement + £205 visa) | £1,357 outside UK, £1,693 inside UK |
| Endorsing body fees | Included in the £561 Home Office fee | £1,000 endorsement, £500 per contact point meeting (excluding VAT) |
| Healthcare surcharge | £1,035 a year adult | £1,035 a year adult |
What is endorsed
One endorsement is about you. The other is about your business.
Global Talent is for leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. Your Stage 1 application goes to the endorsing body for your field, which checks your record against its published criteria. Innovator Founder is for people setting up a new business in the UK. An approved endorsing body must assess that your business idea is new, innovative, viable and scalable. You cannot join a business that is already trading.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visa Global Talent visa overviewEndorsing bodies
Different organisations endorse each route
Global Talent endorsing bodies are Tech Nation for digital technology, the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy and UKRI for research, and Arts Council England for arts and culture. Innovator Founder endorsing bodies are UK Endorsing Services, Innovator International, Envestors Limited and the Global Entrepreneurs Programme. The Global Entrepreneurs Programme endorses only founders already invited to its programme.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder and Scale-up visas endorsing bodies Which Global Talent endorsing body fits your roleWho it suits
Track record against business plan
The Global Talent route looks at what you have already achieved, or your promise, in your field. It may suit people with recognised work in research, digital technology or the arts, whether or not they plan to run a company. The Innovator Founder route looks at a business plan. It may suit people whose main aim is to start and grow a new UK business with job creation and growth potential. Applicants must be 18 or over on both routes.
Immigration Rules: Appendix Innovator Founder Exceptional talent vs exceptional promiseWe help with Stage 1, the endorsement application. Not endorsed yet? Talk to us about your evidence.
Book a free 30-minute callWork and business
What you can do while on each visa
On Global Talent, work is permitted, including self-employment and voluntary work, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. On Innovator Founder you can set up one or more businesses and work for them, including as a director. Other employment is limited to jobs at RQF level 3 or above, and you cannot work as a professional sportsperson. Neither route gives access to public funds.
- Global Talent: employment, self-employment and running a business are all permitted.
- Innovator Founder: your own business, plus other work at RQF level 3 or above.
- Innovator Founder holders must meet their endorsing body at 12 and 24 months.
Length of stay and English
3 years against up to 5 years
Innovator Founder grants 3 years, from inside or outside the UK, and you can extend for another 3 years with a new endorsement. Your visa may be cut short if the endorsement is withdrawn. Global Talent grants up to 5 years at a time, chosen by the applicant, with no overall limit. Innovator Founder needs English at B2 level in all four components at entry. Global Talent has no English requirement at entry.
Immigration Rules: Appendix Innovator FounderSettlement
Both may lead to settlement after 3 years
Innovator Founder holders may apply to settle after 3 years. The endorsing body must confirm significant achievements against the business plan, and the business must meet at least two listed criteria, such as £50,000 invested and spent, £1 million annual revenue, or 10 full-time jobs for settled workers. Global Talent holders may apply after 3 years or 5 years, depending on the endorsing body and criteria, and must have earned money in the UK in their field. Time on Innovator Founder is one of the routes that can count towards Global Talent settlement. For settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, both routes need B2 English for speaking and listening.
Immigration Rules: Appendix Innovator Founder Global Talent settlement: 3-year and 5-year routesFees
What each route costs on GOV.UK
Global Talent costs £766 in total: £561 for the endorsement and £205 for the visa. Dependants pay £766 each. Innovator Founder costs £1,357 from outside the UK and £1,693 from inside the UK, for each person. You also pay the endorsing body £1,000 for the endorsement and £500 for each contact point meeting, excluding VAT. Both routes charge the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 a year for adults and £776 a year for under 18s. Visa decisions on both routes usually take 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside.
Related guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
The UK Global Talent visa: what it is and how Stage 1 endorsement works
The Global Talent visa needs no job offer or sponsor and lets your family join you. Stage 1 is the endorsement application, where an endorsing body decides whether you are a leader or a potential leader in your field.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement requirements: what each endorsing body asks for
Each endorsing body sets its own Stage 1 tests, so the requirements for a software founder, a researcher and a theatre director are very different.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement documents: a checklist for each endorsing body
Each endorsing body has its own document rules, from page limits to who can write your letters.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. Facts for founders and specialists comparing UK endorsement routes, checked against GOV.UK on 17 October 2026.
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.
Can I run my own company on a Global Talent visa?
Appendix Global Talent permits work including self-employment, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. Appendix Global Talent has no business plan requirement.
Do I need a business plan for Global Talent?
No. Global Talent endorsing bodies assess your record or promise in your field against their published criteria. A business plan is part of the Innovator Founder route.
Can I switch from Innovator Founder to Global Talent?
You can switch to Global Talent from inside the UK if you hold an endorsement or an eligible prize, unless you are on a route that cannot switch, such as a visit visa. Ask an immigration solicitor about your own case.
Which route has the lower fees?
Global Talent costs £766 for the main applicant. Innovator Founder costs £1,357 from outside the UK or £1,693 from inside, plus £1,000 for the endorsement and £500 for each contact point meeting, paid to the endorsing body.
Do both routes lead to settlement after 3 years?
Innovator Founder may after 3 years if the business meets the settlement criteria. Global Talent may after 3 years for most endorsements, or 5 years for exceptional promise endorsements from Tech Nation or Arts Council England.
Stage 1 help
Wondering whether your record fits Global Talent?
We help only with the Stage 1 Global Talent endorsement application. Check how your profile compares with the published criteria for your endorsing body.
Which field is your work in?