Global Talent - Arriving in the UK

The Home Office strongly recommends against booking travel to the UK before a visa is issued.

Global Talent visa holders must travel to the UK as soon as possible after the start date of their Global Talent vignette. Those issued a vignette valid for 30 days must travel to the UK within this period, as if they do not, they will have to apply, and pay, for a replacement vignette before entering the UK.

Travelling to the UK as a Visitor

Applicants should also note that, once they have submitted their Global Talent visa application, or after their Global Talent visa has been granted, they must not enter the UK as a Visitor (e.g. as a tourist). If they do, their Global Talent visa will no longer be valid, and they will not be able to start their employment. Any travel plans should be discussed with the employing department/ faculty/ college and the Staff Immigration Team (SIT).

Global Talent visa holders and their family members will normally have their vignettes checked and date stamped by a Home Office Immigration Officer on arriving in the UK.

Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the USA who have a biometric passport will instead be able to enter through 'eGates' without having to speak to an Immigration Officer. If travelling with children under 12 years old, however, they cannot use the 'eGates' and will need to see an Immigration Officer.

Those who enter through an 'eGate' will not receive a date stamp in their passport and will need to retain their boarding pass, travel itinerary, or other evidence of when they entered the UK to show the date they entered the UK when applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Even those who have travelled to the UK before may find the government's Guide to faster travel through the UK border useful.

Collecting BRPs

Global Talent visa holders must collect their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 10 days after arriving in the UK, or before their vignette expires, whichever is sooner. The Home Office letter which confirmed their application had been granted will list when and where they will need to collect their BRP.

Occasionally a BRP is not ready for collection on the stated date and the visa holder will need to return a day or two later to collect the BRP. If a BRP is still not available for collection the visa holder can report this to the Home Office to receive further instruction but should also inform their employing department/ faculty/ college and the Staff Immigration Team (SIT).

BRPs should be carefully checked when they are picked up as any errors in details or dates will need to be corrected. If there are errors on a BRP the visa holder should inform their employing department/ faculty/ college and SIT.

More detail on these issues is found in Home Office guidance on Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs).

Presenting vignette and BRP to evidence Right to Work before any work starts

Global Talent visa holders will need to present their vignette and BRP to their employing department/ faculty/ college to evidence their right to work in the UK before they can commence work.

If a visa holder visits their employing department/ faculty/ college to complete a right to work check but has not yet collected their BRP, they will need to collect and return with their BRP so that both their vignette and BRP can be checked.

If BRP collection is delayed they may be able to start work after a right to work check on their vignette but must then collect and present their BRP before their vignette expires to complete the check and fully establish their right to work in the UK.

Police registration

Those who are required to register with the police must do so within 7 days after arriving in the UK. If police registration is required this will have been stated in the Home Office letter which confirmed their application had been granted. More information is provided in our guidance on Police registration.