Route to ILR
Global Talent to ILR.
The route for leaders and future leaders in academia, arts and digital tech. No sponsor, no job requirement, and for many, the fastest clock to settlement in the system.
3 years: all academia/research endorsements (talent AND promise), 'exceptional talent' endorsements from Arts Council England or Tech Nation, or a qualifying prestigious prize. 5 years: 'exceptional promise' in arts or digital tech.
In any rolling 12 months, but absences for research by academia/research endorsees (and prize winners) don't count at all. Arts and tech endorsees get no carve-out.
No job offer, no sponsor, no salary threshold. Work how you like, but you must have earned money in the UK in your endorsed field during your last permission.
Per person, applying in the UK, from the current official Home Office fee table.
What ILR actually requires on this route
Earnings in your field
At ILR you must have earned money in the UK during your last period of permission in the field of your endorsement or prize. Unrelated income doesn't satisfy it.
An endorsement that still stands
If you entered via endorsement, it must not have been withdrawn when you apply. Endorsing bodies can and do withdraw endorsements.
English and Life in the UK
CEFR B1 English (approved test, or a degree taught or researched in English) and the Life in the UK test if you're 18–64.
Partners and children
The asymmetry that catches families: your partner's clock is five years as your dependant even when yours is three. Settling at year three while your partner waits until year five is normal. Plan around two dates, not one.
What breaks it
- Assuming 'exceptional promise' settles in 3 years: in arts and digital tech, promise means 5. (In academia/research, everyone gets 3.)
- Partners expecting to settle when you do: their qualifying period is 5 years regardless.
- No UK earnings in your endorsed field during your last permission.
- Arts/tech endorsees treating research absences as exempt: the carve-out only covers academia/research endorsees and prize winners.
This is one page. Your case is a moving picture.
SettleWell computes your dates from your actual trips and visa history, tracks your family's clocks beside yours, and tells you when a rule on this page changes.
Common questions
Who settles in 3 years on Global Talent?
Anyone endorsed by the British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society or UKRI (talent or promise), anyone endorsed as a recognised leader ('exceptional talent') by Arts Council England or Tech Nation, and anyone who qualified via an eligible prestigious prize.
Do my absences for research count against the 180 days?
If your endorsement is from the Royal Society, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering or UKRI (or you qualified via a listed prize), absences for research activity don't count towards the limit. Arts Council and Tech Nation endorsees get no research exemption.
Does my partner settle when I do at year 3?
No, dependent partners need their own continuous five years in the UK. Your settling early doesn't accelerate their clock.
Can time on other visas count towards my qualifying period?
Time on some other work routes (like Skilled Worker or Innovator Founder) can combine, but time spent in the UK as someone's dependant cannot count towards your own Global Talent qualifying period.
Official sources
Checked against gov.uk and the Immigration Rules, July 2026. Rules change; SettleWell watches them daily.
This page is guidance only, not immigration advice. For advice on your case, consult an IAA-regulated adviser.