UK Global Talent Visa (IT). Application Fees. Detailed breakdown of the costs involved

UK Global Talent Visa (IT) program is designed to attract highly skilled individuals to the United Kingdom to contribute to its technology sector. The UK Government has introduced this visa category to help maintain the country’s position as a world leader in the technology and innovation industries.

Global Talent Visa applicants are assessed on their skills and achievements, and if successful, they are granted permission to live and work in the UK for up to three or five years, depending on the category of the applicant. In this article, we will outline the main government fees and costs associated with the Global Talent Visa application process and we will also provide you with further information regarding all the departments involved.

Global Talent Visa (IT) Application fees

The first cost that applicants need to be aware of is the application fee. To be eligible for endorsement, you are required to pay a fee of £456. This payment is made at the time of application submission (stage 1). It is important to emphasise that this fee is non-refundable. If the application is refused, the fee will not be refunded. In case you receive a rejection letter from Tech Nation (IT Endorsing body), you can file an appeal without any charge. Nonetheless, if you decide to submit a new application, you will have to pay the fee once again, which is £456.

Applicants for the Global Talent Visa need to be endorsed by a relevant professional body. The endorsement process is separate from the visa application process, and applicants need to pay the relevant fees for the endorsement application.

Visa application fee

Once you receive endorsement from Tech Nation, you will be required to pay a visa fee of £167. This fee pertains only to the main applicant. For each dependant that the applicant brings to the UK, an additional fee of £623 will be required.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a fee that all non-UK citizens are required to pay when applying for a visa that allows them to stay in the UK for more than six months. The IHS was introduced by the UK government in 2015 and is intended to help fund the National Health Service (NHS).

The current cost of the IHS is £624 per year for each person. Therefore, for the five-year duration of the Global Talent Visa, the IHS fee would be £3,120. The cost of this insurance policy has been steadily increasing every year, with a notable example being in 2018 when the collection amount doubled from the previous year. The UK government officials attributed this increase to the country’s rising cost of healthcare services. It is worth adding that UK’s healthcare system is one of the most effective worldwide, and medical professionals in the UK are always ready to offer quality medical attention to long-term immigrants who have paid their IHS insurance fee.

The IHS fee covers the applicant’s access to the NHS (National Health Service) during their stay in the UK. This includes access to general practitioners (GPs), hospital treatment, and emergency services. However, the IHS does not cover certain treatments, such as cosmetic surgery and fertility treatments.

If the applicant has a dependant who is also applying for a visa, then they will also need to pay the IHS fee for each dependant. However, children under the age of 18 are not exempt from paying the IHS fee. For each child, it is necessary to pay £470 per year.

It is important to note that the IHS fee is subject to change, and applicants should check the UK government’s immigration website for the most up-to-date fee information.

As part of your visa extension or visa switch application within the UK, a biometric fee of £19.20 will be charged as part of your application. However, if you are applying for a visa under the EU Settlement Scheme, there is no need for payment of this fee.

Additionally, applicants should carefully review the eligibility criteria and requirements for the Global Talent Visa before submitting their application to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

You can find more information about the UK Global Talent Visa eligibility criteria on our blog.