Successful fellowship applicants who require a visa to work in the UK will be eligible to be considered under the Global Talent visa (route 2: individual fellowships). See the Royal Society’s list of approved fellowships for this visa. In line with the highly prestigious nature of the awards, this visa route is designed for talented and promising individuals in specific sectors wishing to work in the UK. It replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa on 20 February 2020.
MRC fellowships on the approved list are eligible for fast-track endorsement for the Global Talent visa under the ‘exceptional promise’ category for future research leaders. To apply for endorsement under this route you must select the relevant ‘fast-track’ option on the Stage 1 (endorsement) application form and provide a copy of your fellowship award letter. If your Stage 1 application is endorsed, you can apply for a Global Talent visa under Stage 2 on GOV.UK. You will need to supply a copy of your endorsement letter. Endorsement as part of Stage 1 is not of itself decisive as to whether a Global Talent visa will be issued and the granting of any visa is always subject to the standard Home Office general grounds for refusal of a visa.
For more information see GOV.UK’s guidance on working in the UK as a researcher or academic leader.
For further guidance on what evidence to provide to complete the visa application process under the Global Talent visa, email globaltalentvisa@ukri.org.