Can my referee ask me to draft my Global Talent letter?
Busy referees sometimes ask the applicant to write the first draft. The published guidance expects the letter to give the author's own opinion, be signed by them and, for some endorsing bodies, be checked with them. Here is what each endorsing body says and what you can honestly share.
- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
| Endorsing body | Letters | Author's knowledge of you | Verification or authorship points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy (peer review) | 1 for Exceptional Promise, 2 for Exceptional Talent | First author familiar with your work; second author need not know you | Personal email and direct phone so personal contact can be made; credible referee check |
| Tech Nation | 3 | Known your work for at least 12 months | Templates and AI-created letters not acceptable; references may be contacted |
| Arts Council England | 3 | Must have worked with you | May contact letter providers to verify details, and for Design, that they wrote and signed the letter |
The short answer
What the guidance says about who writes the letter
No endorsing body publishes a rule that uses the word draft. What the guidance does publish points one way. The letter must be about your Global Talent application, and a letter written for another reason cannot be used. It must say how the author knows you and how they think you show exceptional talent or promise. It must be signed by the author, or by someone on behalf of the recommending organisation, and include the author's telephone number, email address and CV. A letter that you wrote and your referee only signed would not be the author's own assessment, and it would put both of you at risk if the author is contacted.
- Written for this application only.
- States how the author knows you.
- Gives the author's own view of your talent or promise.
- Signed by the author, with their contact details and CV.
Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and British Academy
Personal knowledge and the author's opinion
For peer review, the letter of personal recommendation must come from an eminent person resident in the UK who is "familiar with your work and your contribution to your field". The British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society each ask that it include "how the eminent person knows you" and "how, in the opinion of the eminent person, you exhibit exceptional talent or exceptional promise." The letter "should be signed, dated and on headed paper" and include "the full contact details of the author, including personal email address and direct telephone number so that personal contact can be made if necessary." The endorsing bodies reserve the right to refuse an application, or ask for more information, if there is no evidence that the author is a credible referee.
- Letters of recommendation should be written specifically for this purpose.
- The letter should not be a general reference letter.
- The author's personal email and direct telephone number allow the endorsing body to contact them.
Independence
The second letter for Exceptional Talent
Research applicants under Exceptional Talent need a second letter. It must be written by a different person from the first letter. The author must be a senior member of a reputable UK organisation concerned with research or innovation in your field, and they do not need to know you personally. The letter must include a statement that the author's assessment is given in their capacity as an objective expert and is an objective assessment of your reputation, notwithstanding any personal knowledge of you. A statement of independence only carries weight if the author wrote the assessment.
- Different author from the first letter.
- Senior member of a reputable UK organisation.
- Includes a statement that it is not influenced by personal knowledge of you.
Reading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callTech Nation
Templates and AI-written letters are not acceptable
Tech Nation needs 3 letters from 3 different established experts in digital technology who have known your work for at least 12 months. Each letter must give different examples of your achievements. Tech Nation's application guide states that "the use of templates within your application is not acceptable", naming letters of reference, and that the use of AI and language processing tools such as ChatGPT to create letters of reference is not acceptable. It warns that letters deemed duplicates or templates, or closely matching other applicants' evidence, may be considered fraudulent. It also notes that letters can be signed with a digital signature service, with a log showing the author's signature came from a different IP address to the applicant.
- 3 different authors, each an established expert in digital technology.
- Each author must have known your work for at least 12 months.
- Typed, dated, signed, up to 3 single sides of A4, with contact details and the author's CV.
- Tech Nation may contact references as part of its checks.
Arts Council England
Letter providers may be asked whether they wrote the letter
Arts Council England needs three letters of support, and you must have worked with the organisation or person who writes each one. All letters must be written specifically for the Global Talent application, be signed by the author, include the author's CV or biography and full contact details, and describe your achievements and how, in the opinion of the author, you are a leader or potential leader. Arts Council England states that as part of its verification checks it may contact letter providers. Its information sheet for Design letter writers says that assessors may email letter providers "to verify that you wrote and signed the letters of support".
- General reference letters or testimonials are not acceptable.
- Handwritten letters are not accepted.
- Letters from organisations must show the logo and registered address and be signed by a senior member with authority to write for the organisation.
- Arts Council England strongly advises applicants to share its letter-writer guidance with their letter providers.
What you can share
How to help a busy referee honestly
Nothing in the published guidance stops you giving your referee accurate information to work from. Arts Council England goes further and advises applicants to share its guidance with letter providers. A practical approach is to send a short factual pack and let the author write the letter in their own words, based on what they know and what they think. If the author cannot find time to write it, it is usually better to approach someone else than to write it for them.
- A factual summary of your work they saw: dates, roles, projects and outputs, with links.
- The official criteria and letter requirements for your endorsing body.
- Your plans for work in the UK, so they can comment on your expected contribution.
- A reminder of the format: typed, dated, signed, contact details, their CV, and the page limit.
- Do not send suggested wording for their opinion of you, and do not send a template.
Format
Format points every letter must meet
For the research endorsing bodies, Tech Nation and the arts and culture routes, the published format rules are close to identical. Each letter must be typed and dated, be up to 3 single sides of A4 excluding the author's credentials and contact details, be signed by the author or by someone on behalf of the recommending organisation, include a telephone number and email address and the organisation's logo and registered address where applicable, and come with the author's CV or other proof of their credentials.
- Tech Nation asks that the author's CV be included within the letter, not as a separate file.
- The research endorsing bodies ask for the author's personal email address and direct telephone number.
- Arts Council England does not accept handwritten letters.
Related guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
The UK Global Talent visa: what it is and how Stage 1 endorsement works
The Global Talent visa needs no job offer or sponsor and lets your family join you. Stage 1 is the endorsement application, where an endorsing body decides whether you are a leader or a potential leader in your field.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement requirements: what each endorsing body asks for
Each endorsing body sets its own Stage 1 tests, so the requirements for a software founder, a researcher and a theatre director are very different.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement documents: a checklist for each endorsing body
Each endorsing body has its own document rules, from page limits to who can write your letters.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. This guide applies to Stage 1 letters for every Global Talent endorsing body, based on guidance read on 17 October 2026.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
My referee says they always ask people to write the first draft. What should I do?
Explain that the endorsing body asks for their own assessment, signed by them, and that they may be contacted. Offer a factual summary of your work and the official criteria instead. If they still cannot write it, consider asking someone else.
Can I send my referee a list of my achievements?
Yes. Accurate facts, dates, outputs and links help the author write a specific letter. The opinion about your talent or promise must be theirs, in their words.
Can I use a letter template I found online?
Tech Nation states that templates within an application, including letters of reference, are not acceptable and may raise concerns about validity. Every endorsing body asks for a letter written for your application.
Can my referee use AI to write the letter?
Tech Nation states that the use of AI and language processing tools to create letters of reference is not acceptable. Other endorsing bodies ask for the author's own assessment, so the safest course is for the author to write it.
Will the endorsing body contact my referee?
It may. The research endorsing bodies ask for the author's personal email and direct phone number so that personal contact can be made if necessary. Tech Nation may contact references. Arts Council England may contact letter providers as part of its verification checks.
Stage 1 help
Need help choosing referees and briefing them properly?
We help only with the Stage 1 endorsement application. We can help you choose suitable authors and prepare an honest factual brief for them. We do not write letters for referees.
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