- 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
Start with the right endorsing body and the right category
Each field has its own endorsing body, and the published discipline list decides which one covers you, not your job title. Then you choose Exceptional Talent (an established leader) or Exceptional Promise (a future leader at an early stage of their career). With Tech Nation, if you are endorsed under Exceptional Promise you cannot later switch into Exceptional Talent, so the choice matters.
Recognition
Show that others recognise your work, not only that you do it well
Doing a senior job well is not enough on its own. Tech Nation's mandatory criterion asks you to show you have been recognised as an exceptional talent, or as someone with exceptional promise, in the last five years. A product manager whose own LinkedIn posts are widely shared has less to show than one who has been written about in a major trade publication, because self-published articles and internal company awards do not count for that criterion.
Time windows
Tech Nation's mandatory criterion uses the last five years
For Tech Nation, all activity used for the mandatory criterion should have happened in the past five years, and evidence created only to fit the timing of your application is not acceptable. Arts Council England needs media recognition, awards and engagements from the last five years.
Reading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callLetters
Letters must come from the people each endorsing body asks for
Every endorsing body wants letters written for this application, not general references. Tech Nation needs 3 letters from 3 different established experts in digital technology who have known your work for at least 12 months, and letters from an immediate colleague, manager or friend are not sufficient as evidence of recognition. Letters alone are never enough for Tech Nation either: each claim needs other evidence behind it.
Page limits
Tech Nation and Arts Council England both cap evidence at 10 items
The limits are part of the test. For Tech Nation, each piece of evidence can be up to 3 sides of A4, must be legible, and can only be used for one criterion, and shrinking a document to fit the limit is not acceptable. Pick your strongest 10, not your longest 10.
The file
Assessors judge only what is in your file
Peer review applications to the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and British Academy are assessed solely on the required evidence you submit. Tech Nation is not obliged to translate documents or follow links to online content, and a document that is only a list of links is not acceptable. If a point is not proven in the file, assume the assessor will not see it.
- Give authorised English translations for anything not originally in English
- For Arts Council England, include a full screenshot and a working link for any webpage, including paywalled articles
- Show that each letter author is a credible referee, or the application may be refused or delayed
- Endorsing bodies do not review documents before you submit
Related guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
Global Talent Endorsement Refused? The Common Reasons
Find out the published reasons endorsing bodies turn applications down, and what you can and cannot do after a refusal.
Read related guideGlobal Talent Visa Recommendation Letters: Who Writes Them
Find out how many letters each endorsing body asks for, who qualifies to write them and the mistakes that get letters set aside.
Read related guideGlobal Talent Visa Evidence: Rules, Limits and Format
Find out how many documents each endorsing body accepts, how to format them and what to leave out.
Read related guideThis guide is part of our complete Global Talent visa guide, which covers who the visa is for, the endorsing bodies, costs, decision times and settlement.
Applying from outside the UK. If your awards, press coverage or employers are outside the UK, the assessor sees only the document in front of them, so include authorised English translations and, for webpages, a full screenshot as well as a working link.
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 to meet every Tech Nation criterion?
No. You need the mandatory criterion and 2 of the 4 optional criteria, under either Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise.
Can my manager write one of my Tech Nation letters?
Not as evidence of recognition. Tech Nation says reference letters from an immediate colleague, manager or friend are not sufficient, so choose established experts in digital technology outside your immediate team.
Will extra documents make my application stronger?
No. Research peer review is assessed solely on the required evidence, and Tech Nation and Arts Council England cap evidence at 10 items.
Can I use evidence older than five years?
For Tech Nation's mandatory criterion and for Arts Council England's media recognition, awards and engagements, the evidence must come from the last five years.
Can the endorsing body check my application before I submit?
No. The endorsing bodies do not review documents before submission or advise on your chances.
If I meet the criteria, will I be endorsed?
Not automatically. Tech Nation's assessors decide overall whether to endorse you, and each application is assessed on its own merits.
Before you submit
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