Tech Nation cannot advise whether you are eligible to apply. Our Readiness Checker tool may assist with your consideration of whether the Global Talent Visa is right for you. Completing the Readiness Checker will have no impact on your actual endorsement application.

You can switch to the Global Talent visa whilst in the UK on another visa, however you cannot apply to switch if you’re currently in the UK in one of the following circumstances:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a seasonal worker visa
• on a domestic worker in a private household visa
• on immigration bail
• you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds

You must leave the UK and apply for a Global Talent visa from abroad if you’re in one of these categories.

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 process runs between April to April each year, there is no open or close date regarding applications for the Global Talent visa.

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

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.

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 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 (Indefinite Leave to Remain) 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.

No, you are not permitted to apply for endorsement again under a different category (Talent or Promise) if you have already been endorsed and granted leave to remain for the Global Talent visa route. Tech Nation is unable to advise further regarding matters of immigration, as such we recommend reading the official guidance or seeking professional advice.

No, we are unable to review your documents prior to submission. Please ensure that you carefully read the official Guidance from Home Office for the Global Talent visa, as well as Tech Nation’s Guide. 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 and unsuitable for this visa route.

Potential applicants should to refer to the Guide for the Tech Nation Visa, in particular the sections on Eligibility Criteria and Examples of Evidence, and consider whether and how they meet these criteria. Tech Nation cannot provide advice beyond the information contained in the Guide or Official Guidance.

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 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.

In order for your Stage 1 application to be valid you must submit your Tech Nation application form no more than 15 working days after you submitted your Home Office application. Failure to submit your Tech Nation application form will result in your application being rejected as invalid.

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 application system. Data will only be accessible to the Home Office, Tech Nation and the independent assessment panel. In accordance with Home Office instructions, Tech Nation will store your data for up to 6 years, after which it will be permanently deleted. You should only share data if you have permission to do so, Tech Nation cannot advise regarding NDA’s or whether you should share any particular data.

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. More information is available on the Home Office website.

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