Tech Nation Global Talent Visa
Get In Touch
ON THIS PAGE
Tech Nation visa for the brightest technical talent
Tech Nation Visa is for founders, leaders and employees with technical and business skills in the digital technology sector.
Digital technology sector or product-led digital technology companies are businesses that provide a proprietary digital technical service, product, platform or hardware as their primary revenue source. Such businesses are usually involved in the creation of software, processing, storage of data, or the creation of technical computing hardware.
You may rely on your technical skills or your business skills in the technology sector. Depending on your choice of criteria, the evidence you will have to provide will be different.
As with other types of Global Talent visa, you don’t need a job offer in the UK to apply for the Tech Nation visa. Instead you will need an endorsement from an authorised body. For the Global Talent visa in Digital Technology the endorsing body is Tech Nation, and the visa is commonly known as the Tech Nation visa.
You can apply in one of the two sub-categories – exceptional talent or exceptional promise, if you are at an early stage of your career.
Tech Nation Visa Application process
The application for Tech Nation visa is made in 3 steps.
The first step is an application for endorsement made on the gov.uk website.
Once the application is submitted and the fee is paid, you have 15 days to make an application for endorsement and submit your supporting documents via Tech Nation portal.
You can expect the application to be processed within 3 weeks if you are applying from outside the UK, or within 8 weeks if you are applying in the UK.
Once the application for endorsement is approved you will be making an application for permission to remain in the UK under the Global Talent route. This application has to be made within 3 months of endorsement decision. At this stage you will be paying the second part of the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The visa will be granted for up to 5 years. After this, you will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Endorsement requirements for exceptional talent
Mandatory endorsement criterion
You will be required to show that you have been recognised as a leading talent in the digital technology sector in the last 5 years.
Leadership may be shown as technical expertise which led the development of a particular product, or in the business development or marketing of a product-led business technology company.
Optional endorsement criteria
You will have to select two out of the following five requirements:
- a track record of innovation as a founder or senior executive of a product-led digital technology company
- a proven track record for innovation as an employee working on a new digital field or concept
- proof of recognition for work beyond the applicant’s occupation that contributes to the advancement of the field
- significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the digital technology sector as a founder, senior executive, board member or employee of a product-led digital technology company
- exceptional ability in the field by academic contributions through research published or endorsed by an expert
Innovation and contribution to the digital technology sector are not synonymous. High level of innovation would often be proven by a patent, although in the absence of a patent other evidence may be provided. Contribution requires you to demonstrate the impact of your involvement in the project.
You will need different pieces of evidence to support these two endorsement criteria.
You can find a list of eligible technical skills and business skills on the gov.uk website.
Endorsement requirements for Exceptional promise
Mandatory Exceptional Promise Criterion
You will be required to show that in the last 5 years you have been recognised as having potential to be a leading talent in the digital technology sector. You also have to show that you are at an early stage of your career.
Optional Endorsement Criterial for Exceptional Technical Promise
You have to choose at least two of the following five criteria:
- you can show innovation as a founder of a product-led digital technology company
- you can show innovation where you’ve worked in a new digital technology field or concept as an employee
- you can show you’ve contributed to the digital technology sector outside of work, for example by mentoring or through collaborative projects
- you can show you’ve set up or worked in a product-led digital technology company and have made significant technical, commercial, or entrepreneurial contributions in the digital technology sector
- you have had research published or endorsed by an expert
What documents you will need
You will be required to provide
- your CV covering your career and any relevant publication history,
- 3 letters of recommendation, and
- up to 10 additional documents showing how you meet the chosen endorsement criteria.
Each letter of recommendation has to be from a recognised expert in digital technology who has known your work for at least 12 months.
The letters of recommendation should list your achievements and describe you as a leader or potential leader in the chosen field. It should also say how you would contribute to the digital technology in the UK and give details of your work plans in the future. The letter should not exceed 3 single sides of A4. The letter should be signed and include the telephone number and email address and the organisation’s logo where applicable. The author’s CV should be attached.
As part of the Tech Nation visa application form you will be required to submit your personal statement.
What to include in the personal statement
Personal statement should be up to 1000 words in length.
It should cover the following:
- Why you have decided to apply for this visa
- Summarise how you meet the requirements for endorsement
- Why you want to come to the UK
- Your career plans
- How will digital technology sector in the UK benefit from your work (such as technological advances you will bring, the creation of new markets, planned grown of a digital technology company, any activities you wish to take part in outside of your main occupation)
Dependants
Your partner and children under the age 18 can come to the UK with you as your dependants. They will need a visa in line with yours.
You can only apply for the visa for the children if their other parent is coming to the UK as well or if you have sole responsibility for their upbringing.
Application costs
Endorsement fee – £524
Visa fee – £192
Dependent visa – £716
Immigration Health Surcharge – £1035 per year (the total amount will depend on whether you are applying for a 3-year visa or a 5-year visa).
Eligibility for ILR and British citizenship
You will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years of continuous residence in the UK if you were endorsed under the Exceptional Talent criteria, or after 5 years of continuous residence if you were endorsed under Exceptional Promise criteria.
You will be required to show that you earned money in the UK in line with your endorsement.
You will also be required to show the knowledge of English and pass Life in the UK test.
Dependants can apply for settlement after 5 years of continuous residence.
How immigration lawyers can help
Immigration lawyers can assess your application against the criteria for endorsement and suggest how it can be strengthened.
Tech Nation has discretionary powers to assess the level of innovation and leadership in a given field and immigration lawyers cannot always predict the outcome of the application.
We cannot comment on the technical merits of your work but we can identify if a piece of evidence is missing or is not sufficiently convincing or where letters of support or your personal statement can be tweaked to address the key points.
Immigration lawyers can act as representatives before the Home Office and can submit your application, upload the supporting documents and maintain any correspondence with the Home Office on your behalf.
USEFUL RESOURCES
CHECK OUT HOW WE CAN HELP
Last updated on 11 March 2025
Last updated on March 11, 2025
