Please help review whether it is sufficient for Exceptional Promise

Stage 1
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Hello, I’m planning to apply for the Global Talent Visa under the Exceptional Promise route. I would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice on my application materials! :pray:

Regarding Letters of Recommendation, i have secured one from 1, an Emeritus Professor, 2, one from my immediate supervisor (a university lecturer), and 3, one from a staff member at a recognised tech company.

Mandatory criteria:
European Regional Development Fund-backed AI Project
1, Grant Approval Letter
2, Milestone Report
3, Architecture Diagram
4, Presentation Slides

OC3:
Founding a Digital Technology Business
1 A UK company on Companies House
2 Innovative Business Plan&Technical documentation
3 Live MVP and Website&Lines of code
?4 optional: show personal savings as initial funds

OC2:
Open Source Contributions (GitHub)
1 Links to the repositories showing codes
2 Screenshots of commits and code reviews
3 And some open source projects but not too much impact

Stack Overflow
1 Stack Overflow Profile-reputation1k+, views5k+
2 Screenshots of working answers

I would sincerely appreciate any advice. :pray:

1 Like
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Your application has some solid foundations but needs strengthening in several areas to meet the current standards. The European Regional Development Fund project is excellent evidence for the mandatory criteria. Your SO profile sounds solid as well. Attach LOTS of screenshots to prove your sustained contributions on the platform.

Your founding evidence for OC3 looks promising with the UK company registration and MVP, but you’ll need to demonstrate clear commercial traction beyond just having a website. Personal savings as initial funding is weak evidence - focus instead on external validation like customer testimonials, revenue figures, or third-party recognition of your innovation. The business plan should emphasize technical innovation rather than just market opportunity.

The biggest concern is your letter of recommendation strategy. Having one from your immediate supervisor significantly weakens your application since direct reporting relationships carry minimal weight with assessors. You need three letters from established industry experts who can speak to your work from an external perspective, ideally people who weren’t your supervisors but can validate your exceptional contributions to the field.

2 Likes
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Thanks for your comment, Akash. I think so… this is the area hard to improve right… so do you think there is any chance for the endorsment…? or is there anything that can be supplemented to the weak?

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Hi @coco_Q

Current Position Analysis

Your submission demonstrates promising core elements that require targeted development to align with assessment expectations.

Mandatory Criteria Evaluation

Key Strengths Identified:

  • European Regional Development Fund project provides substantial credibility for recognition requirements
  • Stack Overflow profile indicates consistent technical engagement

Critical Action Items:

  • Documentation Enhancement: Compile extensive visual evidence of your sustained platform contributions through comprehensive screenshot compilation
  • Impact Validation: Ensure all contributions demonstrate measurable influence within the technical community

Optional Criteria 3 (OC3) - Entrepreneurial Evidence

Positive Indicators:

  • UK company registration establishes formal business structure
  • MVP development shows practical implementation capability

Enhancement Requirements:

  • Commercial Validation: Move beyond basic web presence to demonstrate genuine market traction
  • Funding Strategy Pivot: Replace personal investment narrative with external market validation evidence such as:
    • Client testimonials and case studies
    • Documented revenue streams or financial performance
    • Industry recognition or awards for innovation
  • Business Documentation: Restructure business plan to highlight technical innovation leadership rather than general market analysis

Reference Strategy - Critical Gap

Major Concern: Current recommendation approach significantly undermines application strength.

Issue: Direct supervisor references provide minimal assessment value due to inherent reporting bias.

Required Solution: Secure three independent references from:

  • Recognized industry leaders outside your direct reporting structure
  • External stakeholders who can authenticate your exceptional field contributions
  • Professional contacts who have observed your work impact from third-party perspectives

This reference realignment is essential for application viability under current assessment

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Why not get LoRs from people who aren’t your direct colleagues?