The UK Global Talent visa for comedians
Nick Nason, principal and solicitor at Edgewater Legal, frequently advises clients on the Global Talent immigration route. Here, Nick outlines how Comedians might qualify.
Exceptionally talented comedians, or ones showing exceptional promise, may be eligible to apply for the gold standard of UK visas.
You need to have been professionally engaged in performing outstanding comedy in at least 2 countries within the last 5 years, or demonstrate a developing track record in one country if you are at an early stage in your career.
Visa outline
Global Talent visas enable you to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years, and are also a pathway to settlement (and British citizenship thereafter).
You will need to be endorsed by Arts Council England before you apply for the actual visa. This Arts Council England application involves completing an online form and providing evidence proving that meet their criteria.
Once you receive endorsement from Arts Council England, you can then make the visa application.
It is possible for those on the Exceptional Talent route to apply for accelerated settlement after only 3 years, whereas those at early stage in their career (Exceptional Promise route) are only usually eligible after 5 years.
The main criteria
Firstly, you will need to provide your CV setting out your career to date. Secondly, you need to provide three letters of recommendation (signed and dated).
Two of them must be from well-established organisations with which you have worked acknowledged as experts within comedy, with at least one of them being UK-based.
The third letter must be from either of the following with recognised experience in the field:
- a leading organisation within comedy (but not the same ones used in the other two letters), or
- an individual you have worked with.
If you are on the Exceptional Talent route, you need to provide two of the following:
- Proof of professional appearances or performances considered internationally significant within comedy
- Winning, or significantly contributing to winning, at least one international award for excellence
- Two or more examples significant media recognition (individually or contribution to a group) from at least two countries
If you are on the Exceptional Promise route (i.e. are at an early stage of your career), the bar is slightly lower, but you must still demonstrate two out of following:
- Proof of professional appearances or performances recognised in comedy
- Winning, or significantly contributing to winning, or significantly contributing to being nominated or shortlisted for, or being nominated or shortlisted for, at least one international award for excellence
- Two examples of recent media recognition for your work as an individual, or as a named member of a group or as a contributor
What is “significant media recognition”?
The type of evidence provided for this is usually detailed independent critiques, reviews or critical evaluations of your individual work, from credible arts and culture critics in internationally recognised and well-established media outlets, in at least two countries.
It may include recognised media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio or websites. Evidence from blogs and social media is not acceptable if you are applying on the Exceptional Talent route
However, for Exceptional Promise, blogs may acceptable if they are written by credible arts and culture critics, are prominent and sufficiently well-established, and have a significant number of reviews.
Media recognition must have been within the last five years prior to the date of the application, and must be for work that has taken place at the time of the article’s publication.
Further guidance on what is considered as ‘significant media recognition’ is available on the Arts Council England website, and you should review this before applying.
What international awards can be relied upon?
There is no specific list of qualifying awards however
- it should have been awarded within the last 5 years, and
- the award win (or nomination if applying under Exceptional Promise) should provide significant recognition of your status as a leader (or emerging leader) within comedy.
You can provide evidence of making a significant contribution to an award win/nomination by another individual or group you worked with, if you have not won (or been nominated for) an award as an individual.
You will also need to provide, along with the award evidence, a supporting document
- from the individual that won (or was nominated), or
- from a senior person that has responsibility for the group that won, and
- which details the significant contribution you made to the work for the relevant award.
What counts as proof of professional appearances or performances?
This can include programmes, adverts, posters, or listings for past events you took part in.
Video or photographs are allowed, but you must also submit supporting information that verifies your participation along with details of when and where the engagement took place.
Arts Council England provide guidance setting out the kind of evidence that you can use.
If you are looking for further information or assistance regarding this visa then please do not hesitate to contact us at Edgewater Legal.