Route 4 of the Global Talent visa is for individuals who wish to be considered for endorsement by peer review undertaken by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering or the Royal Society.
Applicants can choose to be considered under ‘exceptional talent’ (for leaders in their field) or ‘exceptional promise’ (for potential leaders in their field). This route is not fast-track. You can apply with or without a job offer.
The British Academy reviews applications from the humanities and social sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering covers engineering, and the Royal Society covers the natural and medical sciences. The full list of eligible disciplines and sub-disciplines per endorsing body is available on GOV.UK.
To apply for endorsement under this route, you must complete the full Stage 1 (endorsement) application form and submit the required supporting documents.
After you have submitted your Stage 1 (endorsement) application via the Home Office, the endorsing body to which you have applied will conduct an initial eligibility check to verify that you:
Meeting these mandatory eligibility criteria does not guarantee that your application will be endorsed, only that it will be referred for peer review.
If you meet the mandatory eligibility criteria, your application will be peer reviewed by experts in your field who will look at the strength of the evidence to determine whether your application demonstrates exceptional talent or exceptional promise. Your application will be assessed under peer review solely on the required evidence provided as part of your application.
Peer reviewers will be asked if there are any conflicts of interest and, if these exist, another reviewer will be asked to comment instead. As each application is assessed independently by relevant experts, the endorsing bodies cannot advise on the likelihood that your application will be endorsed.
The peer review assessment will consider the following criteria to determine whether your application contains sufficient evidence that you have been recognised as an exceptional talent and a leader in the field of science, engineering, humanities, social sciences or medicine (exceptional talent applications) or that you have been recognised as showing exceptional promise and as a potential leader in the field of science, engineering, humanities, social sciences or medicine (exceptional promise applications):
The assessors are looking for compelling evidence demonstrating a high degree of originality, creativity, independence, and intellectual leadership in research and innovation. They will consider the merit, novelty, significance, and quality of your research and innovation vision, and how it has advanced or is expected to advance the field. They are also looking for a clear and credible plan for what you will expect to do in the UK and how you will contribute to UK research and innovation excellence.
In order for your Stage 1 application to be considered for standard endorsement through full peer review, you must submit the following documents as part of your application to the Home Office:
The endorsement application form asks you to note your qualifications, significant publications, prizes, etc. For your most significant publications you must provide the full bibliographic reference, and name of the publisher, where each publication may be obtained, including a URL if available. For patents you must provide the full identifying reference and the name(s) of the country/countries in which they are registered and valid.
The British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society reserve the right to determine at their own discretion whether organisations or individuals are well established and widely acknowledged as possessing expertise in your field.
We have the right to refuse your application or request more information via the Home Office if evidence is not provided that the author of the letter is a credible referee. This could significantly delay your application.
The letter of personal recommendation must be from an eminent person resident in the UK with internationally recognised expertise in your field of research or innovation.
The person must be:
The letter should include:
Please ensure that the letter is as detailed as possible.
The letter should be signed, dated and on headed paper. It should also include the full contact details of the author, including personal email address and direct telephone number so that personal contact can be made if necessary.
Letters of recommendation should be written specifically for this purpose and include the information detailed above. The letter should not be a general reference letter. Copies of employment contracts are not sufficient as they will not contain the required information.
If you are applying as exceptional talent, you must provide a letter from an additional eminent person in your field of research or innovation.
The person must be:
The letter must include:
Acceptable reputable UK organisations are those that are widely acknowledged as concerned with research expertise in your field.
The letter should be signed and dated and written on headed paper. It should also include full contact details, including an email address and telephone number so that contact can be made if necessary.
This letter for exceptional talent applicants should be written specifically for this purpose and include the information detailed above.
Page last updated: 12 April 2023