Overview of the Global Talent Visa and Categories
The Global Talent visa is a UK immigration route for highly skilled individuals in fields such as science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology, and arts and culture. It has two sub-categories: Exceptional Promise (for emerging leaders) and Exceptional Talent (for established leaders). The main difference between these categories is the time to settlement – Exceptional Promise holders generally qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 years, whereas Exceptional Talent holders can qualify after 3 years.
Importantly, both categories are subject to the same financial requirements when applying to extend their visa or for ILR, and neither category imposes a fixed minimum salary threshold. Unlike some other visa routes, Global Talent applicants do not need to show maintenance funds or a minimum income – instead, they must simply demonstrate that they have been earning money in their field while in the UK.
Earnings Requirement for Extension or ILR (All Global Talent Routes)
When applying to extend a Global Talent visa or to settle (ILR), applicants must show evidence that they have earned money in the UK, and that this income is linked to their expert field during their last grant of Global Talent leave.
Crucially, the income must have been earned in the UK during the period of your Global Talent visa. Overseas earnings do not count for this purpose. Likewise, income earned before you held a Global Talent visa (for example, under a different visa category) will not be considered – it must come from your most recent period of permission on the Global Talent route. The earnings should also be directly related to the field for which you were endorsed (or the field of a qualifying Prestigious Prize if your initial visa was based on an eligible prize instead of an endorsement).
In practice, this means you need to show you were active in expertise that earned you the visa. For example, if you were endorsed as a digital technology specialist, you should show income from tech-related work; if you were endorsed in music, you should show earnings from musical work, performances, royalties, etc., rather than unrelated employment.
Acceptable Financial Evidence of Earnings in Your Field
Immigration Rules do not prescribe exact documents for meeting the earnings requirement; instead, the Home Office provides examples of acceptable evidence and will consider any independent, verifiable proof of income in your field. You should include documentation that clearly shows you received income in the UK and ties that income to your field of expertise. The appropriate evidence will depend on how you have been working (e.g. as an employee, self-employed, business owner, or researcher). Below are common types of financial evidence that applicants can use, broken down by employment type:
If you are employed or a director of a company:
Provide records of your salary or dividends and official tax documents. Examples include payslips from your employer, a letter from your employer confirming your earnings, and/or personal bank statements showing the salary payments deposited. Official HMRC (UK tax authority) documents are highly valued – for instance, a tax year overview, tax demand or refund letter indicating your taxable income, or a P60 annual earnings summary issued by your employer. If you are a director receiving dividends, dividend vouchers from your company can show the amounts paid to you.
Essentially, any document that is either issued by your employer or by HMRC and evidence income (with your name, dates, and amounts) will be useful. These establish that you earned money in the UK and paid (or owed) tax on it, which corroborates your economic activity in your field.
If you are self-employed or running a business:
Provide financial documents that verify your business income and your share of profits. A common piece of evidence is a letter from a UK qualified chartered or certified accountant (on official letterhead) confirming your earnings during the visa period (and clarifying your share of net profit, if you are a company owner). You can also submit business accounts or financial statements that meet statutory requirements, showing the net profits of your enterprise over the relevant period. These should be prepared or approved by a registered accountant. Additionally, any invoices for work completed coupled with proof of payment (such as corresponding bank statements) can support your case – for example, if you are a freelance consultant, you might include invoices issued to clients and the payments received for those invoices. While invoices alone are not explicitly listed in the guidance, they are often used alongside an accountant’s summary or bank records to evidence self-employed earnings. The key is to demonstrate the amount you personally earned in the UK from your business activities in your field.
Additional Considerations and Tips
Additional Considerations and Tips
No Fixed Earnings Threshold:
As reiterated, there is no fixed monetary threshold – the rules do not say you must earn, for example, £30,000 or any specific sum. Even a small amount of earnings in your field is sufficient to meet the requirement. The emphasis is on quality of evidence, not quantity of income. However, you should not interpret this to mean that financial evidence is unimportant.
Time Frame of Earnings:
Ensure that all the income you cite was earned during your last grant of leave as a Global Talent visa holder. For example, if your current visa covered the period from 2022 to 2025, focus on earnings within those years.
Exceptional Promise vs Exceptional Talent:
Aside from the difference in ILR qualifying period (3 vs 5 years), there is no difference in how Promise and Talent applicants must meet the financial requirement. Both need to show earnings in their field, and neither is held to a higher income standard than the other.
The Global Talent visa’s financial evidence requirement is essentially a proof of continued practice in your field. It is there to ensure that those granted this flexible, prestigious visa are indeed contributing to their area of expertise within the UK. To summarize, if you plan to extend your Global Talent visa or apply for ILR, start preparing early: earn some income in the UK doing what you’re best at (be it coding, researching, performing, creating art, or any other endorsed talent) and keep thorough records of that work and pay.
Armed with proper documentation and an understanding of what the Home Office expects, you can approach your extension or ILR application with confidence. The Global Talent route is designed to retain talented people in the UK, and meeting the earnings evidence rule is a manageable step toward securing your future here. Always double-check the latest guidance (as rules and endorsing bodies can update). With preparation and the right evidence, you’ll be well on your way to a successful extension or permanent settlement under the Global Talent visa.
Should you have any questions regarding the financial evidence requirement for your Global Talent visa extension or ILR application, feel free to get in touch.
