Important Updates
Important Updates
July 31, 2025 | 🌐Minimum Salary Changes Announced
August 1, 2025 | MalaysiaMalaysia: Enhanced Online Interview Feature for Certain Applications Forthcoming
August 1, 2025 | United KingdomTimes Higher Education: More Universities Put on ‘Action Plans’ as Home Office Gets Tough
August 1, 2025 | United StatesUnited States: Federal District Court Postpones TPS Terminations for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
July 31, 2025 | United StatesLaw360: Grappling With Workforce-Related Immigration Enforcement
July 31, 2025 | 🌐Minimum Salary Changes Announced
August 1, 2025 | MalaysiaMalaysia: Enhanced Online Interview Feature for Certain Applications Forthcoming
August 1, 2025 | United KingdomTimes Higher Education: More Universities Put on ‘Action Plans’ as Home Office Gets Tough
August 1, 2025 | United StatesUnited States: Federal District Court Postpones TPS Terminations for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
July 31, 2025 | United StatesLaw360: Grappling With Workforce-Related Immigration Enforcement
July 31, 2025 | 🌐Minimum Salary Changes Announced
Subscribe
Fragomen.com home
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
Search Fragomen.com
  • Our Services
    For EmployersFor IndividualsBy IndustryCase Studies
  • Our Tech & Innovation
  • Our People
  • Our Insights
    Worldwide Immigration Trends ReportsMagellan SeriesImmigration AlertsEventsMedia MentionsFragomen NewsBlogsPodcasts & Videos
  • Spotlights
    Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump AdministrationTravel & Mobility Considerations: Situation in the Middle EastImmigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance RoadmapHumanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)Vietnamese ImmigrationAustralian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa
  • About Us
    About FragomenOfficesResponsible Business PracticesFirm GovernanceRecognition

Our Services

  • For Employers
  • For Individuals
  • By Industry
  • Case Studies

Our Tech & Innovation

  • Our Approach

Our People

  • Overview / Directory

Our Insights

  • Worldwide Immigration Trends Reports
  • Magellan Series
  • Immigration Alerts
  • Events
  • Media Mentions
  • Fragomen News
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts & Videos

Spotlights

  • Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump Administration
  • Travel & Mobility Considerations: Situation in the Middle East
  • Immigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance Roadmap
  • Humanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)
  • Vietnamese Immigration
  • Australian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa

About Us

  • About Fragomen
  • Offices
  • Responsible Business Practices
  • Firm Governance
  • Recognition
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
  • Insights

How can I get a Tech Nation visa?

May 11, 2016

Ian Robinson

Country / Territory

  • United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Last week I wrote a short piece plotting the UK immigration system against the investment life cycle, setting out how entrepreneurs and start-ups can secure visas as they grow.

This week I want to talk about an excellent visa category that can help exceptionally talented people at each stage of their career in tech.

The Tech Nation visa is a spin off of the slightly obscure Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. The Exceptional Talent visa was a visa created by the team I worked for in the Home Office, before joining Fragomen. 

Various bodies in science and the arts had told us that people who are clearly great were missing out on visas because objective policy could not identify subjective brilliance. I really liked our response: if it’s that easy to spot brilliant people you can do it yourself… 

From there, the Exceptional Talent visa was created. Various renowned organisations, for instance, the Arts Council and Royal Society, were designated as competent bodies and given the power to endorse an annual total of 1,000 exceptionally talented migrants for visas. Those visas were then more or less granted so long as their immigration and criminal histories were clean.

In practice, it turned out that spotting and endorsing the exceptionally talented wasn’t easy as they thought and the number of entrants was low. Tech City, brilliantly, used that low take up to pitch for a share of the quota. They can now endorse 200 people per year, through the Tech Nation visa.

How can you get a Tech Nation Visa?

First off, you either need to be working in the technical or business sides of the tech industry. Secondly, you need to either be a leader in your field or have the potential to get to that level, known as exceptional talent or exceptional promise, respectively. That’s the start, but, it is not good enough to think of yourself as brilliant; two other brilliant people – normally holding senior positions in a tech firm or university - must be so convinced that they will write in support of your application.

So, how is exceptional talent defined and evidenced?

Any successful applicant has to either: 
  • Have a proven track record of innovation in the digital technology sector as a director, founder or employee of a digital technology sector company; or
  • Have been recognised for work outside their immediate occupation that has contributed to the advancement of the tech sector.
 
Do you tick one of those boxes?  Great, so next you need to tick two of these boxes by having:
  • Made significant technical, commercial, or entrepreneurial contributions in the digital technology sector as either a director, founder, or entrepreneur of a digital technology company;
  • Been recognised as a world-leading talent in the digital technology sector;
  • Undergone continuous learning / mastery of new digital skills (commercial or technical) throughout your career; or
  • Demonstrated exceptional ability in the field by making academic contributions through research.
 
This is a pretty high bar and intentionally so – the Tech Nation visa isn’t for everyone of course and Tech City only given 200 endorsements available each year. I can tell from speaking to clients that this uncertainty can leave even the most successful people in something of a spin – what does all of this mean in practice and can they qualify?

To my mind, the trick is to begin by working out what your story is. How have you innovated and what did it achieve? If you founded a company how much money did it make, how did it change the market or what public recognition did it (and you) receive? We are all learning constantly – but how did your learning change the way you think about and operate in tech?

Essentially, how compelling is your story and who can attest to it as a referee? 

This is all very subjective and difficult to define. I often feel like you get the best sense of likelihood of success when you meet a candidate and hear that story. You almost benchmark them against others you’ve met.

But the visa is a good choice for people in tech, despite the uncertainty. You can get up to five years stay in the UK upfront and then go on to apply for permanent residence. You don’t have the sponsorship constraints put on you by work visas and your family can live and work here too. Best of all you can take a job, become a contractor or found a business – the world’s your oyster.

Other visas can work well in Tech too of course, but this is probably the best if you can qualify.

Country / Territory

  • United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related offices

  • London
  • Sheffield

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions

Times Higher Education: More Universities Put on ‘Action Plans’ as Home Office Gets Tough

Senior Manager Jonathan Hill noted that stricter UKVI audits and asylum claim reviews are driving more student visa action plans.

Learn more

Media mentions

Law360: Grappling With Workforce-Related Immigration Enforcement

Partner K. Edward Raleigh and Associate Anna I. Perina explore how changing immigration enforcement is affecting workforce planning and compliance for US employers.

Learn more

Blog post

Updating Articles of Association (AoA) in Saudi Arabia: What Companies Need to Know

Corporate Services Manager Asfandyar Sheikh and Assistant Corporate Services Manager Ka-Ying Leung provide guidance for businesses on the legal and procedural requirements for amending their AoA in Saudi Arabia.

Learn more

Blog post

Green Card Backlogs and Visa Bulletin Trends: What Employers Can Do In 2025 and Beyond

Counsel Susan Steger discusses how US employers can navigate ongoing green card delays and shifting visa bulletin trends to better support foreign talent and workforce planning.

Learn more

Media mentions

C21 Media: How to Prepare for Immigration Reforms Under the UK Industrial Strategy

Senior Manager Sean Rhodes and Associate Milosz Skorupski outline how UK immigration reforms will affect creative businesses and highlight key considerations for planning ahead.

Learn more

Awards

WirtschaftsWoche Recognises Fragomen and Partner Axel Boysen as Best in Migration Law

WirtschaftsWoche names Fragomen to its "Best Law Firms 2025" list and Partner Axel Boysen to its "Best Lawyers 2025" list in the field of migration law for private individuals. 

Learn more

Media mentions

Arab News: Saudi Arabia’s High-End Dining Scene Fuels Culinary and Cultural RevivalLearn more

Awards

Fragomen Ranks as Band 1 in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025

Fragomen is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025.

Learn more

Media mentions

Toronto Star: Ford and Other Premiers Want Provincial Work Permits for Refugee Claimants. It May Not Solve Anything

Partner Rick Lamanna discusses the potential option of decentralizing work permit issuance in Canada, emphasizing the need for clear coordination between the provincial and federal governments.

Learn more
Generic Insights

Video

Transfer Tactics & Talent Pipelines – The UK Angle with Alex Hood ⚽ | #FragomenFC - Ep. 10

Fragomen FC hosts are joined by Manager Alexander Hood to examine how immigration rules are reshaping global football, from EPL transfers to the rise of international transfers into the Women’s Super League.

Learn more

Media mentions

The PIE: More Declines Loom in “Seriously Concerning” US Visa Trends

Partner Aaron Blumberg noted that enhanced screening measures, including social media vetting, may be contributing to delays in US student visa processing.

Learn more

Media mentions

Construction Management: Immigration Reforms: What’s Next for Construction Employers?

Associate Ilaria Iovieno outlines how recent UK immigration reforms will impact construction employers and their ability to sponsor overseas talent.

Learn more

Media mentions

Times Higher Education: More Universities Put on ‘Action Plans’ as Home Office Gets Tough

Senior Manager Jonathan Hill noted that stricter UKVI audits and asylum claim reviews are driving more student visa action plans.

Learn more

Media mentions

Law360: Grappling With Workforce-Related Immigration Enforcement

Partner K. Edward Raleigh and Associate Anna I. Perina explore how changing immigration enforcement is affecting workforce planning and compliance for US employers.

Learn more

Blog post

Updating Articles of Association (AoA) in Saudi Arabia: What Companies Need to Know

Corporate Services Manager Asfandyar Sheikh and Assistant Corporate Services Manager Ka-Ying Leung provide guidance for businesses on the legal and procedural requirements for amending their AoA in Saudi Arabia.

Learn more

Blog post

Green Card Backlogs and Visa Bulletin Trends: What Employers Can Do In 2025 and Beyond

Counsel Susan Steger discusses how US employers can navigate ongoing green card delays and shifting visa bulletin trends to better support foreign talent and workforce planning.

Learn more

Media mentions

C21 Media: How to Prepare for Immigration Reforms Under the UK Industrial Strategy

Senior Manager Sean Rhodes and Associate Milosz Skorupski outline how UK immigration reforms will affect creative businesses and highlight key considerations for planning ahead.

Learn more

Awards

WirtschaftsWoche Recognises Fragomen and Partner Axel Boysen as Best in Migration Law

WirtschaftsWoche names Fragomen to its "Best Law Firms 2025" list and Partner Axel Boysen to its "Best Lawyers 2025" list in the field of migration law for private individuals. 

Learn more

Media mentions

Arab News: Saudi Arabia’s High-End Dining Scene Fuels Culinary and Cultural RevivalLearn more

Awards

Fragomen Ranks as Band 1 in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025

Fragomen is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025.

Learn more

Media mentions

Toronto Star: Ford and Other Premiers Want Provincial Work Permits for Refugee Claimants. It May Not Solve Anything

Partner Rick Lamanna discusses the potential option of decentralizing work permit issuance in Canada, emphasizing the need for clear coordination between the provincial and federal governments.

Learn more
Generic Insights

Video

Transfer Tactics & Talent Pipelines – The UK Angle with Alex Hood ⚽ | #FragomenFC - Ep. 10

Fragomen FC hosts are joined by Manager Alexander Hood to examine how immigration rules are reshaping global football, from EPL transfers to the rise of international transfers into the Women’s Super League.

Learn more

Media mentions

The PIE: More Declines Loom in “Seriously Concerning” US Visa Trends

Partner Aaron Blumberg noted that enhanced screening measures, including social media vetting, may be contributing to delays in US student visa processing.

Learn more

Media mentions

Construction Management: Immigration Reforms: What’s Next for Construction Employers?

Associate Ilaria Iovieno outlines how recent UK immigration reforms will impact construction employers and their ability to sponsor overseas talent.

Learn more

Stay in touch

Subscribe to receive our latest immigration alerts

Subscribe

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Have a question?

Contact Us
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

© 2025 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Please note that the content made available on this site is not intended for visitors / customers located in the province of Quebec, and the information provided is not applicable to the Quebec market. To access relevant information that applies to the Quebec market, please click here.