You are eligible for this route if you have accepted a position with Queen’s University where the primary function is to have responsibility for either:

• academic, research or innovation leadership and development, or
• directing or leading an individual or team in a research or innovation project or programme of work. 

The “academic, research or innovation leadership and development” category is for individuals in leadership roles at a departmental, faculty or institutional level, e.g. Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor, Dean, Associate Dean, Head of School, Research Institute Director. Typical duties may include strategy development and delivery and overseeing the management of staff and resources.

The “directs or leads” category is for individuals whose role requires them to act independently in initiating, planning and managing a research or innovation project or programme of work without supervision.

In light of Queen’s research focus, the “directs or leads” category will generally be suitable for those who have accepted an academic position of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader or Professor. Postdoctoral research positions may be eligible, but applicants will only be considered eligible for the appointments route if responsibility for directing or leading an individual or team in a research or innovation project or programme of work is a significant function of the role they have been offered. Lecturer (Education) or Senior Lecturer (Education) positions are not eligible due to the teaching focus of these roles.

International Staff Support will prepare a letter called a “Statement of Guarantee” which will form the basis of your endorsement application. Once you have received the Statement of Guarantee, you can apply for endorsement online through the government website. The Home Office will forward the application to the relevant endorsing body, and you should receive a fast-tracked endorsement decision via email within two weeks of this referral.

If your endorsement is successful, you will receive an email from the Home Office (your endorsement), which you will need for your visa application. You must apply for your visa within three months of receiving your endorsement.

You are eligible for this route if you have been awarded an individual fellowship that appears on the list approved by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. The fellowship must be held currently or within the last five years.

You are eligible for this route whether you are a current or prospective employee of the University.

Once you have received the fellowship award letter, you can apply for endorsement online through the government website. The Home Office will forward the application to the relevant endorsing body, and you should receive a fast-tracked endorsement decision via email within two weeks of this referral.

If your endorsement is successful, you will receive an email from the Home Office (your endorsement), which you will need for your visa application. You must apply for your visa within three months of receiving your endorsement. 

You are eligible for this route if you will be employed or hosted by Queen’s University as a researcher or specialist, and your name or job title is specified in a successful grant application from an endorsed funder approved by UKRI. 

Eligibility extends to the principal investigator (Pls), co-investigators (Co-ls) and team roles stated in the grant application at graduate level and above – for example, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, KTP associates, technologists, and methodologists – who spend at least 50% of their work time on fulfilling the grant conditions (Pls and Co-ls holding multiple grants may demonstrate 50% in aggregate). The grant must be worth at least £30,000 and cover a minimum of two years. Your employment contract must be at least one year, or have at least one year remaining, at the time of endorsement to be eligible. 

International Staff Support will prepare a letter called a “Statement of Guarantee” and obtain the grant award letter (or approved link to the grant award), which will form the basis of your endorsement application. Once you have received this documentation, you can apply for endorsement online through the government website. The Home Office will forward the application to UKRI, and you should receive a fast-tracked endorsement decision via email within two weeks of this referral.

If your endorsement is successful, you will receive an email from the Home Office (your endorsement), which you will need for your visa application. You must apply for your visa within three months of receiving your endorsement. 

This route allows individuals to submit an application for full peer review by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering or Royal Society. This route is not fast-tracked, but you can apply with or without a job offer.

To be considered for endorsement under the peer review route, applicants must submit compelling evidence demonstrating a high degree of originality, creativity, independence, and intellectual leadership in research. 

The “exceptional promise” path requires there to be already clear evidence of exceptional promise for independence and leadership in your own innovative research work, and exceptional potential for international excellence and leadership in your research work. For “exceptional promise”, you must be at an early stage in your research career. There is no defined timeframe for what constitutes “early stage” but typically, someone less than ten years post-PhD might be considered to be at an early stage.

It is up to you to be realistic in deciding into which category (“exceptional talent” or “exceptional promise”) you fit best and to determine whether you should apply for endorsement under peer review.  You may wish to seek the input of other subject matter experts in your field however, International Staff Support are unable to assist with determining whether an application should be made or is likely to be successful.

The reviewers will look at the strength of all the evidence provided. In particular they consider:

• whether you are regarded as a (potential future) research leader in your field;
• your track record and career history relative to career stage, including your international standing, the significance of your publications, prizes and research funding awarded, patents, and the impact of past innovation activity, in a company, academia or as an individual;
• the strength of the supporting statements in the letter(s) of personal recommendation concerned with research in your field; and
• the expected benefits of your presence in the UK in terms of the contribution to UK research excellence and to wider society, including potential economic benefits from exploitation of intellectual capital.

To evidence your eligibility, you must provide:

• your most recent CV (this should be succinct and limited to three pages);
• a personal statement outlining your case for qualifying for Global Talent (to be included in the body of the application form);
• a letter of personal recommendation from an eminent person resident in the UK; and (for exceptional talent only) 
• a second letter containing an objective assessment of your reputation in your field. 

The personal statement should be no more than 7000 characters. It is effectively a brief essay explaining why you want to be considered for endorsement, demonstrating 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. It should not be a retelling of your CV, but a personal account of your relationship to your field of talent; your enthusiasm for that field; the values you have; what you hope to gain by endorsement; and what you feel you will contribute to the UK in your expert field. It can also include what you want to contribute to your current employment/locality, including the relationships you are building with others in that expert field both locally and UK-wide.

The personal recommendation should be from an eminent person resident in the UK who is familiar with your work and your contribution to your field, and who is qualified to assess your claim to be (or have the potential to be) a world leader in your field, for instance a senior member of a UK organisation involved in research or innovation in your field, such as Queen’s. There are no issues with you seeing and reading the letter yourself. The letter should be dated and must include the following:

• how the eminent person knows you;
• your achievements in the specialist field;
• how, in the opinion of the eminent person, you exhibit exceptional talent/promise;
• how you would benefit from living in the UK; and
• how you are likely to contribute to UK research/innovation and to wider society.

If you are seeking endorsement for exceptional talent, the author of the second letter must be a senior member of a reputable UK organisation concerned with research or innovation in your field (the more senior/eminent in your field, generally the stronger the letter). 

Once you have prepared this documentation, you can apply for endorsement online through the government website. The Home Office will forward the application to the relevant endorsing body and you should receive your endorsement confirmation by email within 4-8 weeks of this referral.

If your endorsement is successful, you will receive an email from the Home Office (your endorsement), which you will need for your visa application. You must apply for your visa within three months of receiving your endorsement.