• You must choose under which track to apply depending on how advanced you are in your career. The two possible options are exceptional leader or exceptionalpromise. The main difference is the number of years of experience you have, however there can be exceptions.
• The endorsing body gives you a general idea of the sort of evidence you must include. However, specific experience and evidence required are often unclear. This can make  it challenging to decide what aspects of your career history to highlight.
• Even after selecting a track, applicants frequently struggle to identify which past achievements best align with the criteria set by the endorsing body.

What does Tech Nation require?

The Global Talent Visa was created to attract the best and most promising talent across different sectors to live, work and contribute the UK. As such, endorsing body’s requirements are designed to find only the best and most promising talent. This means, that if you believe you could qualify, you must present yourself in the most impressive way possible.

Tech Nation will assess your recognition as a leader or potential leader in your field, the impact of your work from a commercial / technical / entrepreneurial point of view, and also your contribution to innovation.

• If you have5 years or more of experience in the tech industry, you can apply as an exceptional leader
• If you have less than 5 years of experience, you can apply as a exceptional promise. This may also apply to you, if you have switched careers and have less than 5 years in digital technology sector

Types of Evidence Required

To qualify as either an exceptionaltalent or exceptional promise, you must provide strong evidence. The evidence is typically grouped as follows:

• Personal Statement – A detailed explanation of your achievements, contributions, and your motivation for applying.
• Letters of Recommendation – Three letters from senior members of established organisations in your field who can attest to your impact and potential

Additionally, you must meet the mandatory criteria and any two optional criteria:

Mandatory Criteria

Evidence of professional recognition – Proof of significant contributions to the tech sector, such as awards, leadership roles, or recognition from reputable organisations.

Optional Criteria (Choose any two)

• Evidence of contribution to innovation – you have been either a founder or an employee working in a product-led tech company or new digital field or concept. Involvement in groundbreaking projects, patents, or innovative solutions.
• Contribution to the advancement of your field – you have been recognised for work beyond your job that advances your field, such as participation in industry conferences, panel discussions, or community initiatives.
• Technical / commercial or entrepreneurial impact – you have made contributions that have led to business growth, successful product launches, or technical breakthroughs.
• Academic contributions – you have published research, peer reviewed research, university collaborations, or mentoring within the tech ecosystem

You must carefully select and submit evidence that best demonstrates your qualifications and aligns with the criteria.

How to Meet the Requirements

Your application must present a cohesive and compelling story of your career, achievements, and aspirations in the UK. Each aspect of your application should complement and strengthen the overall application. Think of it as curating an art exhibit. You are the artist, and you must only showcase your best work.

Tech Nation is looking for impressive professionals. This is one place where you are required to sell yourself. You need to show Tech Nation that

Key Steps to Strengthen Your Application

• Write a compelling personal statement that clearly outlines your career trajectory, contributions, your future plans and how you plan to contribute to the UK.
• Obtain high-impact recommendation letters from respected industry leaders who  can speak in-depth about your work and its significance. Your recommenders should know you well and be able to highlight your professional impact, not just your character. The letters should discuss your achievements, motivations, and how you will contribute to the UK tech industry.
• Use a structured approach to track your evidence. One way to do this is by using a table to categorise and organise your achievements over the years. Click the image to open an editable Google Sheets version.

Show Only Your Best Work

• Start by listing all potential evidence under each category in a chronological order. This ensures that you don’t miss any useful evidence but also helps compare side by side the most relevant and impactful achievements. Next rank them and choose the strongest to include in your application.
• Ensure that all evidence submitted is less than five years old, as older work may not carry the same weight.
• Remember that quality matters more than quantity—choose documents that clearly demonstrate your leadership, influence, and potential.

Now that you have identified your strongest evidence you must include:

• At least 2 unique documents showing you are recognised as a leader or potential talent, and
• At least 4 unique documents showing you meet any of the two optional criteria above
• Each document must not be more than 3 single sides of A4 paper. If you are including links to a website showing your work, you should write a short description of the work and a link to the evidence.