What are my chances of getting GTV

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Hi All,
This is my first post and I am bit confused given my situation. I am on skilled worker visa for 3 years 6 months and continuing. I would like to switch to GTV now to speed up the ILR process. I am reading/hearing mixed opinions. I want to be sure that if I granted with GTV, my time spent on SWV carried over and makes me eligible for ILR immediately. Please confirm someone with similar experience.

The following are my credentials to make application. What are my chances

  1. I have around 20 years of experience
  2. Worked as VP Tech / Acting CTO / SVP Data Science and multiple startups
  3. Influenced the funding rounds at two different startups through tech contributions and those are getting mentioned in the recommendation letters by the founders of respective companies (2 evidences, 2 recommendations)
  4. Drawing good salary now. Well above the thresholds of immigration rules if that serves as evidence (1 evidence)
  5. Have a published patent (1 evidence)
  6. Can get compliments/recommendation letters from clients that I am working with now (upto 2 evidences)
  7. I can also get the work recommendation from current company along with recommendation letter from founder (1 evidence + 1 recommendation)

what are my chances of getting GTV

On skilled worker route I will become eligible for ILR in 18 months … is it good idea to wait or switch to GTV with above credentials if possible.

Please let me know your comments/opinions and anyone with similar experience, let me know your journey.

Thanks & Regards,
Harry

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You may be eligible for GTV but your have not provided enough evidence to meet three criteria. Having a patent in your name may meet the optional Criteria 1 (OC1) but you need at least two evidence bin each criterion. Best to submit 3 for each with good recommenders.

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Your profile shows strong potential for a Global Talent Visa application, especially with 20 years of experience and leadership roles at VP/CTO level. I’ve seen similar profiles succeed when they focus on quality evidence over quantity. Your patent and startup funding influence are particularly strong assets that can anchor your application.

However, you need to be strategic about evidence distribution across the mandatory and optional criteria. The patent alone won’t be enough for OC1 - you’ll need at least 2-3 pieces of evidence per criterion. Your salary documentation and client recommendations can work well for mandatory criteria, while your startup contributions could strengthen OC3 if you can get detailed architecture documents or impact summaries from the founders.

Given that you’re already 18 months away from ILR through the skilled worker route, I’d recommend applying for GTV only if you can build a compelling narrative about your UK contribution. The applications that succeed tell a clear story about why the UK needs their specific expertise. Focus on organizing your evidence properly with summaries for each piece, and ensure your personal statement reads like a compelling story rather than a CV recap.

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Thanks Akash.

I also have PMP, Togaf 9.2, AWS Solution Architect - professional and expecting a Databrick data engineering professional certification before application. are these of any use?

Long back (2008) before getting into Startups, I published a paper in internal conference. Can I use this as evidence or is it too old now?

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  • Professional certifications don’t align with any of the requirements, AFAIK
  • All of your evidences need to fall within the last 5 years, as per the guidance
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