UK Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa
The Tier (exceptional talent) visa is reserved for those that are considered to be world leaders within the arts or sciences. It is a very difficult visa route, requiring sponsorship from a recognised body within the UK, and requiring that you stand out as having the greatest talent within your particular field. Furthermore, there is a cap on the number of these visas that can be awarded each year. Although the usual points system does apply, the 75 points required for visa acceptance are achieved through official endorsement by a recognised competent body within the UK.
The visa system in the UK runs using a points system. In order for a visa application to be accepted, the applicant must reach a designated number of points. The actual number of points required, and the number of points offered for things like fluent English speaking will differ according to the type of visa that a person applies for. For example, those applying for an investor visa will score highly for having a large sum of money to invest. The exceptional talent visa is unique in that there is only one way to score points, and by meeting one requirement, it is possible to be awarded the visa. This requires that you be endorsed by one of a number of competent bodies recognised in the UK.
Less overlap exists between visa categories, and there are some areas where migrants that would have once qualified for entry into the UK no longer qualify. This is evident in the exceptional talent category of applicants. Whereas a person that would not have qualified under this category would have once qualified under the Tier 1 (exceptional talent) category, the best option would be to apply for a tier 2 visa for skilled workers, but this does require that you have a relevant job offer.
The Tier 1 (exceptional talent) visa is highly specialised, and it requires that you are already recognised as a world leader in your field, or have shown substantial enough talent and recognition that you will become world recognised. Because this is such a difficult visa application to benefit from, it is highly recommended that you use qualified and experienced legal help to acquire it.