Preparing recommendation letters is one of the most challenging tasks of the Global Talent visa application process. In order to write it correctly, you need to understand why such letters are requested in the first place.
Tech Nation cannot evaluate your accomplishments on their own – therefore, they rely on tech industry’s experts to make assessments. The more reputable the author of the letter, the more confidence Tech Nation will have that their high evaluation of you is objective. That is why, in your CV and Personal statement, you should describe your achievements briefly, while in the recommendation letters they should be described in detail.
General requirements for recommendation letters:
- You must provide at least 3 letters from 3 different referents. We highly recommend you to prepare 4−5 letters, because Tech Nation often dismisses recommendation letters due to noncompliance with the criteria.
- Recommenders must occupy top positions in companies that have a proven track record of contributing to the development of the digital technology industry.
- Companies must be different. For example, you cannot provide letters from the CTO and the CEO of the same organisation.
- The letter must be issued on corporate letterhead, indicating phone number, address, website, e-mail, and company logo. If the author can’t provide the letterhead, you can ask them to include the company logo and all the details in a PDF document or do it yourself with the company’s permission.
- The letter must be dated and signed by the author.
- The letter should contain referent’s phone number, email (preferably corporate), and CV. The latter can be substituted by their LinkedIn profile.
- Each letter must be 1−3 pages long.
How to choose your recommender
The person who signs the letter should be a senior member of their company and know your work and you personally. The official Tech Nation guide states that they should ideally be a Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Finance Director, or Head of Course. You’ll need to find those who can vouch for your work, credentials, and experience in the digital field. Check out our article to learn more about who you should approach for a letter of recommendation.
What information should the recommendation letter contain
The letter must be addressed to Tech Nation and begin with its outlined purpose — an endorsement under the Global Talent category.
The letter should contain answers to the following questions:
- Who is the referent and what are his/hers achievements?
- How do they know the applicant and why is he/she a good fit for a Global talent visa?
- What has the applicant achieved?
- How being in the UK will help the applicant accomplish even more and how will he/she contribute to the development of Tech in the UK?
- What are the applicant’s plans for work in the future?
The recommendation letter should highlight the recognition of you as a (potential) leading talent in the digital technology sector and therefore serve as evidence for the mandatory criterion.
Depending on the optional criteria you choose to provide evidence for in your application, the letter can describe your:
- innovative accomplishments
- technical, commercial, entrepreneurial, or academic contribution to the company/the digital tech industry
- work outside of your immediate occupation and the recognition you have gained for it (e.g. public talks, successful online blogs, mentoring)
