Kindly help me review my Mandatory criteria

Stage 1
1

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well. I’m currently assembling my evidences for the UK Global Talent Visa (Exceptional Promise route) and would really appreciate your feedback on:

  1. My Mandatory-Criteria evidence list**
  2. LOR**

A little about me: I’m a UX Researcher with four years of professional experience here in Canada.

Thank you in advance for your insights and suggestions!

Mandatory Criteria 1 - led the growth of a product-led digital technology/product inside a digital technology

I will showcase my leadership on a new ed-tech product (within my company), launched in 2024. As Senior UX Researcher, I:

  • Led end-to-end research to improve usability
  • Guided every feature rollout throughout 2024 and early 2025
  • Am driving concept validation for the August 2025 release

Evidence will include:

  • A reference letter from the Director of Research (this is one of the LOR I’m submitting)
  • Usage analytics showing a X% increase in active teachers and a Y% boost in feature engagement since launch
  • Projected engagement metrics for the upcoming August 2025 release
  • Screenshots of Miro and Teams (communication)

Mandatory Criteria 2 — commanding a high salary and bonus.

With approximately 4 years of experience as a UX Researcher in Canada, I am compensated above the industry average for my role. To substantiate this I will show my, recent pay slips, and a screenshot of salary data from Glassdoor, which reflects the compensation for UX Researchers in Canada.

(Question: In the three-page section on remuneration, the guidelines note that salary information alone is insufficient and that I must demonstrate significant impact in the sector beyond my day-to-day activities. Should I:

  1. Include a brief summary of my routine responsibilities within my company, or
  2. Focus exclusively on my broader, sector-level contributions and achievements?)

Mandatory Criteria 3 - led the growth of a non profit organization with a specific focus on the digital technology

Led the website redesign for a non profit organization in 2023, driving a X % jump in unique visitors, a X % increase in online donations and a X % rise in volunteer inquiries within three months.

I’ll include a reference letter from the founder plus analytics screenshots as proof of these outcomes.

(Question:

Beyond the Conversation is a registered non-profit—should I include its incorporation certificate or other proof of status?

The redesign was completed entirely pro bono—should I present this under the mandatory criteria or as an optional criterion for work outside my immediate occupation? Does a pro bono website redesign of a non-profit qualify as “advancement of the digital technology sector”?

—

Mandatory Criteria 4 - You have held or hold a significant expert role participating on panels, or individually, assessing the work of others in the same field or a field of specialisation related to the digital technology sector.

I’ve been individually assessing the work of UX designers who are transitioning into research roles, helping them review and improve their portfolios. So far, I’ve done this for three to four people and plan to continue offering support to others in the field. However, I haven’t done this as part of a formal panel—it’s been more of an independent effort.

I’m asking for suggestions on how to frame this as strong evidence???

LOR

I will be submitting three letters of recommendation:

  1. Director of Research, [My current Company] – speaking to my achievements under Mandatory Criterion 1.
  2. Founder, [Non-profit Organization I worked for] – highlighting my contributions for Mandatory Criterion 3.
  3. Director of [Product and Design], [My company Company] – addressing my work related to one of the Optional Criteria.
2

It’s great to see your detailed preparation for the Global Talent Visa application. Based on past successful applications I’ve reviewed, your evidence for the mandatory criteria is on the right track, but there are areas where you can strengthen your case. For your leadership evidence, ensure that the reference letter from your Director of Research explicitly highlights your role in driving product growth and includes measurable outcomes. Usage analytics and projected metrics are excellent, but try to include testimonials or additional documentation that emphasize your unique contributions to the product’s success.

For the salary evidence, it’s important to go beyond just pay slips and industry benchmarks. Focus on demonstrating how your compensation reflects your exceptional impact in the field. Highlight specific achievements that justify your high salary, such as innovations, recognitions, or sector-wide influence. Including a brief summary of your routine responsibilities is fine, but prioritize showcasing broader contributions that set you apart from peers.

Regarding your nonprofit work, the redesign project can be a strong piece of evidence if framed correctly. Include the incorporation certificate to establish the nonprofit’s credibility and emphasize the measurable outcomes of your work. While pro bono work is valuable, ensure you connect it to the advancement of the digital technology sector. For your expert role, consider gathering testimonials or evidence from those you’ve mentored to substantiate your impact. Framing this as a contribution to the growth of others in the field can strengthen your case.

1 Like
3

@Akash_Joshi Thanks for taking time and giving me feedback.

For the expert role the document will include brief summaries of feedback I’ve given to junior UX designers—in 1:1 sessions, their linkedlin request/message to me asking to review their portfolio—along with outcomes, such as whether they found a job, where they’re currently working, or how my guidance helped them progress, and also testimony about my feedback.

Additionally, while I haven’t participated in a formal panel yet, I may have the opportunity to be on a review panel through a design community sometime inJuly/ or August—before I submit my application. If that happens, I’m considering including the panel invitation email as supporting evidence. Do you think adding the invitation alone would be sufficient to demonstrate my involvement?

4

Yup - the invitation, screenshots of the website, and photos. All the evidences you’d be able to provide.

5

@Akash_Joshi screenshot of websites of ? the design community?

6

@Akash_Joshi Hey, I’m a bit confused about how the unique evidence requirement works. For the optional criteria, my understanding is that we can choose either Optional Criteria 1 or 2, and submit two pieces of evidence for the same option if we prefer. But when it comes to the mandatory criteria, we can’t do the same, right? That is, we can only submit one piece of evidence per example for the mandatory criteria and cannot use multiple examples to support the same point.

So, to clarify: for the mandatory criteria, if we are submitting three pieces of evidence, each one must be unique and support a different aspect of the mandatory requirement. However, for the optional criteria, we’re allowed to submit two pieces of evidence under the same option.

7

Nope. Each piece of evidence you submit to the OC should speak to a different aspect of your profile as well. I don’t think you’ve understood the documentation well. Have you been through the official website?

8

@Akash_Joshi Optional Criteria ---- “At least 4 unique documents showing you have any 2 of the other necessary skills (use 2 documents as proof for each skill”,My understanding is I need to submit at least 4 different documents (they must not be repeated), and these documents must prove that you have **2 of the required skills of the optional criteria.

  • I must select any 2 skills from the list of the optional criterias.
  • For each skill, I must submit 2 documents that show evidence of that skill. So example I can have 2 documents for OC 2 and 2 documnets for OC
9

That’s right. It doesn’t mention allowing you to repeat evidences though. There’s a large amount of variety within an OC as well.

1 Like
10

@Akash_Joshi this is what I am submitting for Optional Criteria 2-

Demonstrating that I have been recognized for my work outside of my immediate occupation to the advancement of the digital technology sector

So for this I am showcasing I conducted UX research and Shape Up workshops ( product development model) for startups in India to advance digital technology beyond my core job.

Evidence I’ll include (3 pages):

Workshop agenda/slides

– Covering Shape Up cycle planning, risk mitigation, and UX research integration

Screenshots from the live session

– Remote presentation via Microsoft Teams shown through screenshots from the recorded session while I participated from Canada.

Testimonials

Quotes — eg… We now plan sprints with research-led shaping—rollout faster.

Invitation letter pdf

Request letter inviting me to run the session, showing recognition of my expertise.

Letters of support
– Signed by the product owner of the startup highlighting how the sessions influenced their product planning and UX workflow.

Note about social media
– No public LinkedIn or Instagram posts, but evidence lies in formal letters and structured outcomes.

Note — I will include brief overviews of two startups I worked with, including how many users currently use their product. By adopting a more user-centric and research-driven approach through the workshop, these teams are now planning future product launches with clearer direction. This supports the advancement of digital technology by helping early-stage companies build more effective, scalable, and user-aligned solutions

Second evidence—————

I supported a University in India by creating the syllabus for their Design Research course as pro bono work. I introduced frameworks like the Double Diamond process — model used in UX and UI…The curriculum is still in use, with around 20-30 students per year.

I’ve also received an invitation from another university in India to deliver an online faculty training session (Aug/Sept) focused on equipping UI/UX educators with research-led methods they can pass on to students—extending the reach of digital knowledge even further.

Evidence I’ll include:

  1. Syllabus I created
  2. Student/professor testimonials
  3. Letter confirming ongoing syllabus use
  4. Invitation letter for the upcoming faculty training session — pdf format

The university asked me to create this curriculum because the student group came from diverse design backgrounds—such as fashion design, interior, architecture, and some early-stage tech-related courses. Their goal was to introduce digital thinking and research methods early in the program. Hence, I was invited to design and deliver this curriculum.

Do you think this would be a good fit for Optional Criteria 2? The letter of support will come from the Head of Department at a fashion institute within the university.