Your field
Which endorsing body covers your work?
Start here, because each endorsing body has different rules. The official discipline list decides, not your job title. Computer science and AI research, for example, sit on the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering lists, while non-academic digital technology goes to Tech Nation.
Prize holders
Have you won an eligible prize? You may not need endorsement
If you have won a prize listed in Appendix Global Talent: Prestigious Prizes, you are treated as showing exceptional talent and do not need to apply for endorsement. For Arts Council England this applies to Exceptional Talent only, and you must have won the prize, not been nominated. You then apply for the visa itself, which is a separate application to the Home Office.
- A prize that is not on the list can still be evidence in an endorsement application
- The design industry guidance says design applicants must apply for an endorsement as well as the visa
Talent or Promise
Are you an established leader or a future leader?
Exceptional Talent is for people already recognised as leaders. Exceptional Promise is for people at an early stage of their career who are recognised as future leaders. With Tech Nation, if you are endorsed under Exceptional Promise you cannot later switch into Exceptional Talent.
Reading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callCore tests
The core test for each endorsing body in one line
If you fail the core test for your endorsing body, nothing else in the application can make up for it. Check yours honestly before you go further.
Ready
Signs you are ready to apply
These are the signs we look for before we suggest someone starts an application. None of them makes endorsement certain.
- You can name your endorsing body and your category without hesitation
- Most of your best evidence is from the last five years
- People outside your employer have written about, awarded or relied on your work
- You know who will write each letter, and they meet your endorsing body's rules
- Your strongest evidence fits inside the document and page limits
Not ready yet
Signs you are not ready yet
Any one of these is worth fixing before you pay the fee. A backend engineer at a fintech start-up with two years' experience and no outside recognition, for example, may need more time before Exceptional Promise is realistic.
- Your work has had little impact beyond your own organisation
- Your evidence is mostly self-published posts, internal awards or salary information
- Your only possible letter writers are your manager or close colleagues
- For Tech Nation, your experience is mainly in consultancy, outsourcing or IT support
- For research endorsing bodies, your research experience is only clinical practice or PhD study
Before you pay
Check these points before you pay the £561 endorsement fee
The endorsement stage costs £561. Endorsing bodies will not review your documents in advance or tell you how likely you are to succeed. Tech Nation suggests allowing up to 12 weeks to prepare, which is a fair guide for gathering documents and letters in any field.
- You have checked that your field is on the list of the endorsing body you chose
- You know whether you are applying as Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise
- Your letter writers have agreed to write, and each letter is written for this application
- Your evidence fits the document and page limits of your endorsing body
- Every document not in English has an authorised or certified English translation
Related guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
What the Global Talent visa 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. You can apply from anywhere, but your evidence must show recognition that a UK assessor can verify from the documents alone, with English translations where needed.
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.
Do I need a job offer to apply?
No, not for peer review at the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering or British Academy. The fast-track appointments route does need an accepted post at an approved UK organisation.
Do I need a PhD?
For the research endorsing bodies, yes, or equivalent research experience. That means at least three years of research where you were the intellectual drive and produced strong outputs.
Can I apply for Exceptional Promise if I have a long career?
Only if you are at an early stage of your career in digital technology. Tech Nation says Promise applicants are likely to have less than 5 years in technology, but can have had a longer career in another type of work.
Does working at a consultancy rule me out for Tech Nation?
Usually. Consultancy and outsourcing are generally not considered suitable, though an agency very focused on product innovation in one industry may be considered.
Is there a deadline to apply?
No. There is no open or close date for applications, so you can apply when your evidence is ready.
Can the endorsing body tell me whether I am eligible?
No. Endorsing bodies do not review documents before you apply or advise on your chances.
Check your eligibility
Not sure if you are ready to apply?
In a free 30-minute call we look at your field, your category and your evidence, and tell you plainly if we think you should apply now or wait.