Tech Nation: Developments and Impact on the Global Talent Visa

Information contained in this article is accurate as of 9 May 2023.

Global Talent Visa

The Global Talent visa replaced the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa in February 2020, offering an immigration route to the UK for talented and promising individuals who wish to work in the UK.

Before applying for the Global Talent visa, applicants must first obtain an endorsement from an endorsing body appointed by the Home Office.

Tech Nation has acted as the endorsing body for applicants with a background in digital technology from April 2014 until now.

Tech Nation Closure

On 31 January 2023, Tech Nation announced that it would cease operations as of 31 March 2023.

This followed the withdrawal of funding from the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who transferred the grant to Barclays Eagle Labs in 2022.

Endorsed Individuals and Existing Visa Holders

Those already holding Global Talent visas do not need to do anything and may progress towards permanent residence (ILR) on the same terms as before. 

All previous endorsements by Tech Nation remain valid. Endorsements remain valid for three months and the first application for a Global Talent visa must be made within this time.

Prospective Applicants

Tech Nation has now been acquired by Founders Forum Group. Until further notice, it remains possible to apply to Tech Nation for endorsement in the Global Talent route in the same way as before 31 March, and applications continue to be processed.

It has not yet been confirmed for how long this situation will continue. 

The Home Office has not yet confirmed that Global Talent endorsements in the digital technology sector will be issued by Tech Nation operating from within Founders Forum Group, or another entity.  Until this confirmation is public, prospective applicants should be aware of the risk that the programme is subject to change at short notice.

Need to know more?

Fragomen has extensive experience in working with Tech Nation and preparing applications for endorsement. For further information on the Global Talent route, please contact Manager Alex Hood at [email protected] and check out our Global Talent Visa landing page for more information.

This blog was published on 11 May 2023, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please visit our dedicated COVID-19 site, subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.