Tech Nation is a UK-based organisation that acts as the endorsing body for applicants seeking the Global Talent Visa in the digital technology sector. It regularly updates its endorsement criteria in line with the job market for highly skilled professionals and the Home Office's immigration practices.
The UK Government's primary goal with the Global Talent Visa is to attract high-potential and highly skilled individuals to work in the country’s cutting-edge tech industries.
The most recent changes were published in 2023, and many applications have been approved since then. At Relogate, we haven’t observed significant shifts in assessing applications after the January updates. However, the latest guide provides more precise explanations of aspects that have frequently led to rejections in the past.
We’ve analysed many cases that were initially refused, either due to self-submission or work done by less experienced providers. For us, the new guidelines weren’t a surprise; we’ve always factored in these nuances, drawing on both experience and common sense. With dozens of successful cases behind us, we know exactly what reviewers prioritise. We help applicants not only present their experience effectively but also strengthen it where needed.
Tech Nation has clarified that applicants must now submit at least two distinct pieces of evidence for the Mandatory criterion and for each of the two Optional criteria. Each piece must be unique.
Our comment: In practice, this hasn’t changed much. Any experienced visa advisor already knew that each criterion should be supported by a minimum of two unique documents. It's likely this clarification was introduced due to a rise in self-submissions, where applicants either reused evidence across different criteria or submitted only one document per criterion—or even added extra documents for unselected optional criteria.
This clarification is intended to reduce clearly non-compliant applications and save assessors’ time.
“Any activity you are providing as evidence for the Mandatory Criteria of recognition 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. Evidence should demonstrate a consistent level of activity over time.”
This means Tech Nation expects applicants to demonstrate ongoing recognition as a leading expert over the past five years. This can take many forms: one year it might be a high salary or bonus, another year participation in major projects, and later—public recognition as a speaker or judge. The key is to show consistent, forward-moving development.
Your public profile strongly indicates your relevance and impact in the industry. Your insights, expertise, and engagement with the professional community reflect your value as a high-calibre expert.
“You will have to demonstrate how you have made a significant impact in the sector beyond your day-to-day activities.”
This requirement has always existed. One of the most common reasons for refusal is that while the applicant may be seen as a valuable professional, Tech Nation doesn't identify them as a leader who has tangibly influenced the sector.
That’s why it’s not enough to show that you're qualified—you need to strategically analyse your experience, highlight key achievements, and present them clearly. Most Global Talent applicants already have relevant industry impact—it’s just a matter of articulating it in line with Tech Nation’s criteria.
“Note that any evidence (such as papers or patents) which have been made solely to support the timing of your application are unacceptable. Evidence should demonstrate a consistent track record and level of activity over time.”
If your public activity has dramatically increased in the six months before applying, Tech Nation may view this as a timing tactic, and such evidence may be disregarded.
However, this doesn’t mean recent achievements are worthless. What matters is presenting a clear trajectory—e.g., high salary early on, followed by bonuses, project success, and finally, recognition such as conference speaking. This tells a coherent story of development.
Our role is to craft a compelling professional narrative, spotlight achievements across various stages, and connect the dots in a way that makes even your newest wins feel like a natural evolution.
“Any evidence provided should be for voluntary activities (non-paid work) and must not be undertaken whilst representing a company or its products.”
Public activity must reflect your voluntary efforts—not paid work or representation of a company. This has always been the rule, but many applicants confuse core job duties with Outside of Salaried Employment (OS2) activity.
That said, if your day job and extracurricular initiatives align—for instance, you're an ML engineer and also teach or publish on the topic—this strengthens your case rather than weakens it.
“LinkedIn, Medium or other self-published articles are not considered sufficient as evidence.”
Self-published articles on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium are not sufficient on their own. Anyone can start a blog—so a post doesn’t prove industry influence or expert status.
Still, it’s not just about the platform—it’s about reach and engagement. There's a difference between a few blog posts with minimal views and a widely followed LinkedIn profile or Habr blog with tens of thousands of readers. We know how to frame such evidence effectively, and we’ve seen applications succeed even with a strong emphasis on personal blogging.
The new guide states that any patent must be fully registered by the time of application and must be identifiable on Google Patents. Patent applications do not count.
That said, lack of a patent isn’t a dealbreaker. We can demonstrate innovation in other ways. And if you do have a national patent—even recently registered—we’ll help you position it to strengthen your case.
Tech Nation doesn’t require formal audited reports or revenue forecasts. What matters is showing real, verifiable results and your direct contribution to them.
This could be revenue growth, user engagement, positive client feedback, media coverage, or industry awards—as long as you can demonstrate how these achievements were a result of your work.
“Ensure that evidence demonstrates your personal work, not that of the company or team of individuals.”
Over the past year, Tech Nation has become much more focused on personal attribution. Your actions, decisions, and impact must be clearly traceable in the evidence.
Revenue projections and future plans aren’t considered core evidence. The key is to present outcomes tied to your contribution.
It’s also vital to clarify your compensation—base salary, bonuses, and other incentives—to demonstrate that you were, in fact, highly paid. Transparency is key: Tech Nation needs to understand how your work drove results.
Important: Many of the documents Tech Nation expects are often under NDA, which can pose challenges. Our YouTube video, featuring Relogate co-founder Roman Tsuper, offers strategies for handling this sensitive issue.
This can include participation in community initiatives (conferences, mentoring, teaching, policy development). These are a clear plus, though not strictly required.
Mentorship is also valued—but must be in-person. Online mentorship platforms like ADPList are not considered sufficient.
Tech Nation has responded to the surge in online mentoring, where applicants used these roles as their primary evidence. At Relogate, we’ve never relied on this—at most, it’s one or two pages in the entire submission.
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In short: Tech Nation wants to open as few tabs and windows as possible. Your materials must be clear, easy to read, and immediately understandable.
“All evidence submitted must be legible to be considered during assessment. Evidence that is excessively compressed or reduced in size in order to fit into the 3-page limit is not acceptable.”
Formatting has become even more critical. Reviewers handle large volumes of applications under time constraints. Your case must be structured, logically presented, and focused on key contributions.
Common mistakes in self-applications or those prepared by general agencies include overly dense documents, tiny fonts, unannotated links, or reliance on hyperlinks as the main form of evidence. A list of links without context is not valid evidence. Links should only be used to verify what’s already clearly shown in the document itself (e.g., screenshots or excerpts).
At Relogate, we follow Tech Nation’s expectations closely. We don’t just compile documents—we build a persuasive, well-structured story that reviewers can follow with ease.
Documents should be submitted in standard formats (PDF or Word). Avoid file types that require third-party tools or services:
“Tech Nation is not obligated to use 3rd party software / services to translate documents or links to online content.”
If any materials are not in English (e.g. Russian or Hindi), a high-quality translation must be provided.
Focus on substance—not quantity. Include only what truly illustrates your expertise and fulfils the criteria.
If Tech Nation uncovers any deception or misleading information, your case will be referred to the Home Office, and you will lose the right to reapply.
While the criteria are now more clearly explained, the core principles remain unchanged. You must convincingly demonstrate that you can thrive professionally and contribute meaningfully in the UK tech sector.
For self-applicants, the process may seem stricter due to the heightened emphasis on structure and quality. But with professional guidance, these updates won’t make much of a difference.
At Relogate, we understand that not every applicant has a widely visible public profile or a perfect set of documents. That’s why we tailor a personal strategy to each client, based on their real-world experience, achievements, and goals.
We don’t just collect documents—we help build a compelling, credible narrative that aligns with Tech Nation’s expectations. This approach allows us to succeed even with challenging cases, as confirmed by clients who’ve already secured their visa and relocated to the UK with our support.
