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Tech Nation · Digital technology
Build a Tech Nation case the assessors can follow
For founders, engineers and product leaders in digital technology. See where you stand in under a minute.
- Employer and role type check
- Mandatory criterion: recognition
- 2 of 4 optional criteria chosen
- 10 documents mapped, none reused
- 3 expert letters planned
What we build with you, step by step
60-second check
Are you a fit for Tech Nation?
1Is your work in digital technology, and not at a consultancy or outsourcer? Technical roles at other employers, such as banks, count; business roles need a product-led company.
2Has your work been recognised beyond your own employer in the last 5 years?
3Can you show at least 2 of: innovation, recognition beyond your job, significant contribution to a product-led company, or academic contribution?
4Do you know 3 established digital technology experts who have known your work for at least 12 months?
Answer the 4 questions to see where you stand.
A quick self-check, not an assessment. It does not predict any outcome.
The criteria, in plain English
What Tech Nation looks for
Tap each point. The official wording is one click away.
Mandatory criterion: recognition in the last 5 years
You must show you have been recognised as an exceptional talent, or as someone with exceptional promise, in digital technology within the last 5 years.
Read the official wording
“(a) satisfy the endorsing body that they have either been recognised as an exceptional talent, or someone with exceptional promise, in the field of digital technology in the last 5 years”Immigration Rules, Appendix Global Talent, GTE 7.1
Technical or business applicant
Technical applicants must show hands-on expertise with current technology stacks, while business applicants must show commercial, investment or product expertise in digital products.
Read the official wording
“Technical applicants must demonstrate proven technical expertise with the latest technologies in building, using, deploying or exploiting a technology stack and building technical infrastructure. Business applicants must demonstrate a proven commercial, investment, or product expertise in building digital products or leading investments in significant digital product businesses.”Tech Nation Application Guide
Two of four optional criteria
You must also meet 2 of 4 optional criteria: innovation in a new digital field, recognition beyond your job, a significant contribution to a product-led company, or academic contribution through research.
Read the official wording
“Applicants must either: Meet 1 mandatory and 2 optional "Exceptional Talent" criteria in the table below OR Meet 1 mandatory and 2 optional "Exceptional Promise" criteria in the table below.”Tech Nation Application Guide
Consultancies and outsourcers are excluded
Technical applicants at non-technical employers, such as banks or retailers, are eligible. Business applicants at non-technical employers are generally not eligible: business skills apply to in-house work at a product-led digital technology company. Optional criteria 1 and 3 both name a product-led digital technology company, so work elsewhere limits which criteria you can use.
Read the official wording
“This excludes general consultancies, outsourcing and technology-related consultancy groups focused on process/service delivery or solutions/systems architecture. Such firms do not meet the guidelines, particularly those primarily serving large corporate or multinational corporate (MNC) customers.”
“Technical applicants (i.e. programmers) from non-technical organisations are eligible.”
“Non-technical applicants (i.e. business roles) from technical organisations are eligible.”
“Non-technical applicants from non-technical organisations are generally not eligible.”
“Business skills apply to in-house work within product-led digital technology companies, not tech-enabled or service companies such as agencies, outsourcers, marketing firms and so on.”Tech Nation Application Guide, Useful Definitions
Innovation is not the same as impact
The innovation criterion and the significant contribution criterion test different things, so the same evidence may not satisfy both.
Read the official wording
“Please note that the term 'significant contribution' in this criteria requires you to demonstrate impact, not necessarily innovation. This is different from Optional Criteria 1 where you are required to demonstrate high levels of innovation, not necessarily impact.”Tech Nation Application Guide, Optional Criterion 3
Recent and consistent evidence
Evidence for the mandatory criterion should come from the past 5 years and show steady activity, not material created to fit the timing of the application.
Read the official wording
“All activity you are providing as evidence for the Mandatory Criteria should have occurred within the past 5 years. Note that any evidence which has been made solely to support the timing of your application is unacceptable.”Tech Nation Application Guide, Mandatory criteria
What does not count
Tech Nation's guide names these limits in its own words.
- “Please note that 'leading industry experts' excludes roles listed as unsuitable in the Typical Applicants section of the guidance (for example, managers at Outsourcing or Consultancy firms etc.). Evidence of recognition, such as Reference Letters, provided by an immediate colleague, manager, or friend are not sufficient.”
- “The use of Artificial Intelligence and/or language processing tools (e.g. ChatGPT) within your application is not acceptable (e.g. the creation of Letters of Reference, Personal Statement, Evidence Documents, etc.).”
- “The use of templates within your application is not acceptable (e.g. Letters of Reference, Personal Statement, Criteria Evidence, etc.).”
- Innovation criterion, as an employee: “Note that patent 'applications' are insufficient in demonstrating innovation, all patents used as evidence must be granted.”
- Mandatory criterion: “LinkedIn, Medium or other self-published articles are not considered sufficient as evidence. Internal company awards, training or certificates are also not sufficient for meeting this criterion.”
See real examples for each optional criterion
Compare the requirements of every endorsing body
Read our UK Global Talent visa guide
Not sure which of these you meet? In a free 30-minute call we map your work against Tech Nation's criteria.
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2 ways in. Pick the one that fits.
Exceptional Talent (leader)
For applicants recognised as a leading talent in digital technology in the last 5 years. Tech Nation notes these applicants will typically have 5 or more years of experience in digital technology.
Exceptional Promise (potential leader)
For applicants recognised as having potential to be a leading talent in the last 5 years, who must also be at an early stage in their career. Applicants are likely to have less than 5 years of experience in technology, but can have had a longer career in another type of work, and the optional criteria are worded more narrowly than for Talent.
The team understood my profile better than I did myself. They showed me evidence in my own career that I had never thought to include. Endorsed in under 4 weeks.
Your case, led by the founder
Mihir Thaker
Every case is planned and reviewed by Mihir, against Tech Nation's published criteria.
Guides
Read more about Tech Nation
The detail
Everything else, when you need it
Who Tech Nation covers
- Digital technology sub-sectors such as fintech, gaming, cyber security and artificial intelligence
- Technical applicants, for example developers, engineers and data scientists
- Business applicants with commercial, investment or digital product expertise
- Founders and employees of product-led digital technology companies
- CTO or VP engineering experience managing in-house teams at a growing digital business
- Experienced product managers, SaaS or enterprise sales leaders and in-house performance marketing experts
- Technical applicants from non-technical organisations
Not covered, or assessed elsewhere
- Service delivery, process delivery, outsourcing, consultancy (technical or management), ERP consultancy, systems administration and related fields
- Corporate roles or experience of managing large corporate teams
- Junior investors or analysts without a senior-level investment track record, and not for Exceptional Promise
- Business skills used at tech-enabled or service companies such as agencies, outsourcers and marketing firms
- Non-technical applicants from non-technical organisations, who are generally not eligible
What you submit
- Up to 10 documents in total: at least 2 for the mandatory criterion and at least 4 for the optional criteria, with 2 documents for each of the 2 chosen criteria
- Each piece of evidence can be up to 3 sides of A4, must be legible, and cannot be used for more than one criterion
- A typed CV of up to 3 sides of A4 with career and publication history; the CV and letters of recommendation do not count towards the 10 documents
- A personal statement entered on the Home Office form, not as a separate document, covering why you want to come to the UK, your planned occupation, where you plan to live and how the UK digital technology sector will benefit
- How to send: email your evidence files to the Home Office as part of the Stage 1 application, following its instructions. Do not send anything to Tech Nation directly.
- If you have been a founder or senior executive of a technology business in the last 5 years, evidence such as sales by country and signed accounts, audited or covering more than 12 months
- Authorised English translations for documents not originally in English; documents that are only lists of links are not acceptable
- Usernames for professional public profiles such as LinkedIn and GitHub, which can be given in your CV
Letters
You need 3 dated letters from 3 different established experts in digital technology who have known your work for at least 12 months, each written for this application with different examples, and each including the author's CV within the letter. Each letter must say how the author knows you, your achievements, how you show exceptional talent or promise, your contribution to the UK digital economy and your future plans. It must be signed, up to 3 single sides of A4, and give a phone number, email address, and the organisation's logo and registered address.
“Three letters of recommendation from three different well-established individuals acknowledged as experts in the digital technology field, with detailed knowledge of your work over a period of 12 months or more, supporting your Global Talent application.”
Each letter must:
- Be about your Global Talent application - you cannot use a letter that was written for another reason
- Explain how the author knows the applicant; and
- Knows the applicant's achievements in the relevant field; and
- How the author considers the applicant shows exceptional talent or promise; and
- The contribution the applicant would make to the UK digital economy; and
- Explain what plans you have for work in the future.
Tech Nation Application GuideThe letters must also:
- Be typed and dated
- Be up to 3 single sides of A4 paper, excluding the author's credentials and contact details
- Be signed by the author, or by someone on behalf of the organisation recommending you
- Include a telephone number and email address, and the organisation's logo and registered address, if applicable
- Come with the author's CV (or other proof of their credentials that the endorsing body will accept) - this should be included within the letter, not a separate file.
Common pitfalls
- Vague or generic letters, outdated evidence, or documents that do not relate directly to digital technology or the achievements claimed
- Relying on consulting roles, which Tech Nation says often do not provide the opportunity to achieve industry-wide recognition
- Roles that do not involve leading or contributing to product-led digital technology initiatives, such as IT support or infrastructure management
- No part in the end-to-end development and launch of new digital products, or no clear track record of innovation
- Work whose impact does not reach beyond your immediate organisation or influence industry practice
- Applying for Exceptional Promise at a very early stage with limited experience and no substantial impact or recognition
Official sources and guides
- GOV.UK: Global Talent visa, digital technology
- GOV.UK: Eligibility for digital technology
- GOV.UK: Technical or business skills covered by Tech Nation
- Tech Nation Application Guide
- What does Tech Nation look for in a Global Talent application?
- Tech Nation optional criteria examples: what counts for each of the four criteria
- Tech Nation recommendation letters: who can write them and what they must include
- Tech Nation technical or business applicant: which one are you?
Criteria quoted from the published guidance, retrieved 21 August 2026. Check the official sources before you apply.
Questions
Tech Nation FAQs
Do I need a job offer to apply?
No. You can apply without a job offer, from either a technical or a business background.
Do founder innovation and employee innovation count as two criteria?
No, they count as one. There are four optional criteria in total, and you need to meet two of them.
How long does a decision take?
Usually between 5 and 8 weeks.
Will Tech Nation check my documents before I apply?
No. Tech Nation does not review documents in advance or tell you how likely you are to be endorsed. That is where our review helps.
What if my application is refused?
You can ask for a free review within 28 days, but you cannot add new evidence. That is why it pays to get the application right the first time.
Find out where your Tech Nation case stands
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We are experts in the Stage 1 endorsement application for the UK Global Talent Visa. For immigration advice, please seek the services of an immigration solicitor.