As a follow up to my last FAQs, here are more FAQs to help you with your UK Global Talent Visa (formerly Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa) endorsement application.
1. Do my experts have to provide a letter on a letterhead?
Yes, your experts and all the people who support you by writing a letter of support to help you meet the criteria should provide a letterhead. If there is an issue with them providing company letterheads, they can just use their own personal letterhead.
2. I don’t think my current managers will be supportive of my application for endorsement for the UK Global Talent Visa. What do I do?
It can be awkward asking your current employer or manager to support you in your application if your plans are to leave the company. This is because the letter of recommendation must include what your plans are in the UK if you receive UK Global Talent Visa.
In this case, you may wish to seek the support from someone else within the organisation who you trust, who knows you, your work and is an expert who can vouch for you. Otherwise, you will have to find someone from outside your organisation to support you.
This is extremely tricky as it may jeopardise your current position in your company and I help many applicants who are in this predicament by working with them and consulting them during our 1-2-1 meeting.
3. Is there a best time to apply for the endorsement for exceptional talent or exceptional promise by Tech Nation?
Apply when you are ready. Or, if time is an issue for you i.e. if your current visa is expiring, you must leave plenty of time to apply for the endorsement for exceptional promise or exceptional talent from Tech Nation (formerly Tech City UK). Remember to also factor in the time required if you are unsuccessful as you have the right to appeal. You must appeal with 28 days of receiving your letter from the Home Office that states that you are unsuccessful. Tech Nation also has 28 days in which to respond to your appeal. Bear in mind the time it also takes to apply for Stage 2 Global Talent Visa application.
I have helped many applicants where time is running against them because they haven’t factored in
i.the amount of time it takes to prepare an application
ii. the amount of time it takes for experts to come back
iii. the amount of time it takes to structure their application
iv. the amount of time it takes to think about which evidence goes against which criteria’ and
v. the amount of time it takes to prepare the application alongside their other day to day commitments.
My advice is to seek advice from an immigration solicitor about your timing if your current visa is expiring.
Start preparing for your endorsement application as early as possible, from 6 months to at least one year before your current visa expires. I know this from experience of working with many applicants as well as on my own application. I left my application to the very last minute, in fact, 4 months before my Tier 1 Entrepreneurs visa expired and I only just made it with 2 weeks to spare. That was an added stress that I didn’t need!
This was extremely stressful and looking back, I don’t know why I left it so late. I think it was because I was so busy with my start up and I thought I could extend my Entrepreneur’s visa so when I stumbled across the UK Global Talent Visa in digital technologies #TechNationVisa, that seemed like a better fit for me. Plus, when I realised I couldn’t extend my Entrepreneur’s visa (now called the Innovators visa), the Global Talent visa was my only option. The pressure was definitely on and I guess I like a good challenge…
So, to prevent anyone else from going through my pain, I highly recommend you to start preparing your Stage 1 application for endorsement as early as possible. I was so lucky I was successful. I don’t even want to think about if I wasn’t successful; I definitely would have ran out of time even if I appealed.
4. What is the success rate?
Endorsement rates for the UK Global Talent Visa in digital technologies categories of exceptional talent or promise are roughly 50% – 60%. So, only one in two applicants are successful. My success rate in assisting applicants for Stage 1 is 80%. This is because I’ve been through the process myself and I have helped other applicants with not only their Stage 1 Global Talent Visa applications but also their appeals. This means that I know what the assessor’s feedback are and what to look out for when I help applicants with their endorsement applications.
While I don’t guarantee success, I help applicants increase their chances of a successful application for endorsement for exceptional talent or exceptional promise. I use my three years of knowledge of working with applicants on their Stage 1 endorsement applications and over the years, I’ve seen the various updates to the guidelines and have seen and met the types of candidates they are accepting. I also successfully received my Indefinite Leave to Remain and my British Citizenship as a result of going through this whole process.
I’ve worked with solicitors and while the Stage 1 endorsement application is not an immigration application, and I am not a UK immigration solicitor, I have been through the process myself, I understand the UK tech sector because I am a tech entrepreneur and I live, breathe and work in start up world. I was also a solicitor in Australia for 8 years so I have experience in representing and advocating clients and applicants in the best way.
5. What is the gender split for applications received and endorsed by Tech Nation?
Tech Nation statistics have revealed that there is a 30/70 gender split for applications received for endorsements.
The success rate for Stage 1 endorsement is 27% (female) vs 73% (male).
I help both men and women in tech with their applications for endorsement. But, with my extra curricular activities in helping and advocating women in tech through my role as a STEM Ambassador in the UK and co-founding Women of Wearables in 2015, an organisation that inspires, connects and promote women in wearables, working with girls in STEM and speaking about my journey as a female entrepreneur at UK universities, my goal in 2020 is to help more women apply for the Exceptional Talent endorsement. In fact, when I applied for the Exceptional Talent endorsement, I chose Key criteria 2, Proof of Recognition outside of my immediate occupation. I used evidence and documents through my work in advocating and supporting women and girls in tech.
And anyone can also use this key criteria to show that they advanced the digital technology sector through their community work in supporting underrepresented groups, not just women.
6. What are the benefits of the Global Talent Visa in Digital Technologies?
The benefits are
- you can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years.
- It is attached to you so you will have the flexibility and freedom to work anywhere in the UK in the digital technology sector.
- It will allow you the opportunity to apply for an indefinite leave to remain and then citizenship if you choose.
- It will allow your dependants to be with you in the UK
- It will allow you to start your own company in the UK
- And allow you to work for any company in the UK without a sponsorship from that company.
7. Do I need to use the services of a solicitor for the endorsement process?
You can seek the services of a solicitor for Stage 1 applications. However, Stage 1 applications are not immigration applications while Stage 2, are immigration applications.
I consult in Stage 1 endorsement applications and I have, in the past, referred applicants to solicitors. However, applicants have returned to me because I’ve been through the process myself, I understand the tech sector and I help guide, coach and advise applicants on the different types of evidence they can submit as well as how to structure their application. This is why I now help applicants with Stage 1 Global Talent Visa endorsement applications and appeals.
8. How do I show impact?
It is important to turn your mind to the impact of your work and achievements when you submit any evidence. This is because impact is the result or outcome of your achievement and it is usually measurable in some way. It is about making significant impact due to your contribution.
Whatever your impact is, you must show how your work has made an impact either to the project, to a person, the product led digital technology company, to the revenue or to business processes. You must show how that was measured and the effect of your work. In other words, metrics is key when you select the impact criteria.
9. How do I show innovation?
You should explain why or how innovative your project was or is by benchmarking it against the industry standard. Some types of industries are very traditional and what you have worked on has transformed it in an innovative way to make a difference or disrupt the industry. Digital transformation can occur in varying levels dependant on the industry and you could explain your innovation in this way.
10. I spent so much time on my application only to be unsuccessful. I’ve seen a range of successful recipients and I think I should have been successful – How is it that they were successful and I wasn’t?
I completely understand. When I conduct a review of the Stage 1 Global Talent Visa endorsement application, I see so many gaps and ideas on how I could have helped make it better had the applicants come to me before they submitted. This is because it’s not just about your content, it’s also how you structure your application.
I’ll explain why. Assessors for Tech Nation, while are experts in the field of digital technology, they have a role and that is to ensure you meet the criteria because they have a checklist themselves. They have to be convinced that you are an exceptional talent or promise. They want you to present yourself in the best way so they can confidently say yes, you fit the criteria for exceptional talent or exceptional promise, your evidence is clear and structured as well as shows how you will make a significant impact to the UK digital technology sector.
