The Tech Nation Visa (officially known as the Global Talent visa) welcomes talented or promising individuals to join the UK’s digital technology sector.

Each potential applicant is best placed to assess whether the Global Talent visa is right for them, dependent on their circumstances. Tech Nation cannot advise on the suitability of the Tech Nation Visa to individual applicants’ circumstances beyond that contained in the Guidance.

We invite potential candidates to refer to the Guide for the Tech Nation Visa, in particular the section on Typical Applicants, where a range of example skills are listed. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and provides an indication of the typical applicant assessed by Tech Nation

Each application for endorsement is assessed by an independent panel of experts based on your skills, expertise and how you intend to benefit the UK’s digital tech sector. Tech Nation cannot advise on the eligibility of individual applicants, or the likelihood of their endorsement, prior to assessment by the independent panel.

There are two routes available to cater for different levels of experience: 

Exceptional Talent – If you’re proven to be a recognised leader
Exceptional Promise – If you’re proven to be an emerging leader

We invite potential candidates to refer to the Guide for the Tech Nation Visa, in particular the section on Endorsement Criteria, and consider whether and how they meet these criteria. Tech Nation cannot provide advice beyond that contained in this document.

You can apply to switch to the Global Talent Talent visa if you are already in the UK on Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 5 (Temporary worker – Government Authorised Exchange) visa.

All information on switching to the Global Talent visa can be found on the Home Office website.

The Global Talent visa does not have a limit or any other restriction on the number of visas available. 

Whilst the formal allocation of visas to Tech Nation runs between April to April each year, there is no formal open or close date regarding visa applications for the Global Talent visa, and furthermore there is no limit or any other restriction on the number of visas available per year for this route.

Yes, all applicants should carefully review the Guide for Tech Nation Visa on our website, as well as the official Guidance from Home Office for the Global Talent visa.

A full overview of the application process can be found in the Guide for Tech Nation Visa. Further information, including information on cost, can be found on the Home Office website.

Stage 1 – Endorsement Application: £456

Stage 2 – Visa application: £152*

All dependents (Stage 2 only): £608*

*Please note this does not include additional Stage 2 costs such as your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) enrolment fee and healthcare surcharge.

More information regarding applications costs, including a useful calculator for the healthcare surcharge, can be found on the official Global Talent site.

No, you don’t. However, you will need to include a definite plan of what you’ll be doing once you are in the UK and how you intend to contribute to the growth of the UK’s digital economy.

As part of your application form, you will be asked to submit a personal statement of up to 1000 words in length which can include details on how you intend to contribute to the growth of the UK’s digital economy, and this will play an important role in the assessment of your application.

The Exceptional Promise route is intended for applicants who are able to demonstrate the potential to become a leader in the field of digital technology.

Applicants who choose to apply via this route are often individuals who are at the start of their careers in digital technology, and so may not have the same levels of experience as someone who applies under the Exceptional Talent option.

Exceptional Promise applicants will need to demonstrate the potential to be a leader in digital technology through their skills and/or achievements thus far.

Please note that Tech Nation cannot advise potential applicants on whether they should apply for the Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise route.

Applying for endorsement via Exceptional Talent does not preclude you from endorsement under Exceptional Promise should you meet the necessary criteria; likewise, applying under the Exceptional Promise route does not preclude you from endorsement for Exceptional Talent.

In all cases, Tech Nation experts will establish whether you meet the necessary criteria to be endorsed for Exceptional Talent or for Exceptional Promise.

Please note that the qualifying period for Settlement (ILR) depends on whether your visa is granted under either the criteria for Exceptional Talent (three years required) or Exceptional Promise (five years required). Therefore, if your application is endorsed under a different route than you applied (Talent or Promise), it will affect your qualifying period for Settlement. Further information can be found in the official Guidance for the Global Talent visa on the Home Office website.

We are unable to review your documents prior to submission. Please ensure that you read the Guide for Tech Nation Visa document carefully. Sending your application to Tech Nation before submission will not increase your chances of endorsement and may delay your application being processed.

Both Technical and Business type roles are eligible for the Tech Nation Visa. There are no formal restrictions regarding role types or specialisms, partly due to the fast-changing nature of the technology sector. However, within our guide, you will find a list of example roles that are considered suitable for this visa route.

Please refer to the Guide for Tech Nation Visa for more information on what to include in the Letters of Recommendation. Note that the Guide provides a suggested format and there is no strict template. Please ensure that your Letters of Recommendation are in line with the guidance and on an official letter-headed document where possible.

Please ensure that these letters are as detailed as possible with regard to your skills/work and how you are known to your referee. The more detail that is provided, the better in determining why your referees believe you meet the criteria for Exceptional Talent / Promise.

Please refer to the Guide for Tech Nation Visa for more information on what to include in the Letters of Recommendation. These letters should be as detailed as possible with regard to your skills/work/achievements, how you are known to your referee, and why your referees believe you meet the criteria for Exceptional Talent / Promise. Please ensure that your Letters of Recommendation are in line with format and required contents stated the guidance.

The Home Office advises that Stage 1 of the application process (i.e. the application to be endorsed) for the Global Talent visa can take up to eight weeks from the time the Home Office receives your application to when they inform you of the result.

Please note that even if your application is endorsed, you must still complete Stage 2 of the application process for the Global Talent visa (i.e. the application for the visa itself). The Home Office advises that Stage 2 of the application process can take up to three weeks if applying from outside of the UK, and up to eight weeks if applying from within the UK.

The application process for Stage 1 is completely online, you do not need to physically post any documents. To submit your application, you must first apply to the Home Office for endorsement by Tech Nation. Once you have completed this Home Office application, you must then complete a Tech Nation Visa application form. You can save and return to your application at any time before submitting. After submitting you will not be able to amend or provide additional documents.

At this stage, you will have to wait to hear directly from the Home Office on whether you have been endorsed by Tech Nation. Tech Nation cannot advise on your application status.

You will receive an update from the Home Office on when your payment has been processed and again when Tech Nation has been notified of your application. Tech Nation will not provide you with an update directly as all correspondence must go via the Home Office.

Application data received by Tech Nation will remain strictly private and confidential, and is stored and processed on Tech Nation’s secure Visa application system. Data will only be accessible to the Home Office, Tech Nation and the independent assessment panel (within the secure system). In accordance with Home Office instructions, Tech Nation will store your data for up to 6 years, after which it will be permanently deleted.

The Global Talent visa can be initially granted for up to 5 years. Applicants can choose during application how many whole years of leave they wish to be granted. The visa can be extended as many times as you need!

You may be eligible for Settlement under this visa route. The qualifying period depends on whether your visa is granted under the criteria for either Exceptional Talent (3 years) or Exceptional Promise (5 years).

Dependants are allowed to join you in the UK subject to requirements.

There are currently no nationality-based restrictions for the Tech Nation Visa, which is open to all non-EEA citizens. More information is available on the Home Office website.

You should read the official guidance prior to making an application.