[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”middle” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1544181326484{background-image: url(https://immigrationexperts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Banner.jpg?id=1633) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” el_class=”video_overlay”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1544180342932{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center|color:{550504ab9c0cb0f84db7c39152d65be21b6403ad977c49457b63283386586382}23ffffff” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1544428710311{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1452837797829{margin-bottom: 51px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Section 1: Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)
If you work in the digital technology sector and want to make a career in the UK, a Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1) can be a great option. Tech Nation is one of the Home Offices recognised by the UK for endorsing exceptional talent or exceptional promise from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
While the Exceptional Talent Visa (Tier 1) is available for individuals from fields like humanities, fashion, science and engineering, Tech Nation only grants endorsements to digital technology applicants. There are other UK Home Offices, such as the British Academy, Royal Society, and Arts Council England for other fields.
If you are a leader or an emerging leader from the field of digital technology and want to work in the UK, you will need an endorsement letter from Tech Nation to be able to apply for the Exceptional Talent Visa (Tier 1). Once your visa is approved, you can then stay in the UK for up to 5 years and 4 months. You can also apply for an extension of up to 5 years and settle in the UK with this visa.
Section 2: General Queries About Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)
1. What are the Eligibility Criteria for a Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?
To be eligible for UK Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa, you will be required to get an endorsement letter from the UK to prove that you actually show exceptional talent or promise in the field of digital technology. For this, you need to demonstrate proven technical or commercial expertise in using, building, exploiting or deploying a technology stack.
Tech Nation will then assess your potential against the evidence that you have provided to ensure that you meet the criteria. Once you receive the endorsement letter from Tech Nation, you can then apply for Exceptional Talent Visa (Tier 1).
2. What Types of Skills are Considered for the Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?
To be eligible for the UK Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa, you need to prove that you are an established world leader in the field of digital technology or demonstrate that you have the potential to be one. All applicants are required to be internationally recognised, skilled professionals of this field and/or have the required technical or business skills for scaling up or growing technology companies.
Some examples of business and technical roles and skills eligible for this visa are:
Business Roles
- Involved in a tech company’s IPO experience as a business or commercial lead
- Experience in scaling digital products internationally
- Experience in leading PE and VC investments of digital businesses
Technical Roles and Skills
- Senior SysOps/DevOps engineers
- Senior system engineer/administrator
- Technical analyst
- Compiler expert
- Kernel programmers
Even if you do not meet these criteria but can demonstrate that you have the potential to do so and have the required business and/or technical skills, you can go the exceptional promise route as an exceptionally promising candidate.
3. How Can I Apply for a Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?
Application for the Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa is a 2-step process. You first need to get the endorsement letter from Tech Nation. After this, you can fill in and submit the Tier 1 Tech Nation visa application form.
To apply for endorsement, you need to visit the UK Home Office website and select the appropriate endorsement from Tech Nation. The Home Office will then forward your application to Tech Nation. If your application meets the criteria, you will get endorsed by Tech Nation and you can then apply for the Exceptional Talent Visa (Tier 1).
The process might appear cumbersome and confusing. The best course of action is to hire an experienced visa services provider, like Rapid Visa, which will not only offer Tier 1 Tech Nation visa guidance but also help you through the entire process.
4. How Can I Extend the Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?
The maximum validity of the UK Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa is 5 years and 4 months. Before your visa expires, you can apply for a Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa extension for up to 5 years, while you are still in the UK. However, the extension is only possible if Tech Nation has not withdrawn your approval and you can provide evidence that you are working in the digital technology field.
If you meet these criteria, you can apply for an extension online. You will also be required to pay the visa extension fee, as well as a health surcharge to get the extension.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Additional FAQs” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_tta_accordion][vc_tta_section title=”1. How Long Will it Take to Get the Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?” tab_id=”1″][vc_column_text]Once you have submitted your Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa application form, it can take about 8 weeks to get a reply from Tech Nation. After receiving the endorsement from Tech Nation, you can then apply for the Exceptional Talent Visa (Tier 1), which can take another 3 weeks. However, the timeframe can vary from country to country and get delayed due to applicants making errors during the process. To avoid this, enlist the help of a reliable visa services provider, like Rapid Visas, which has a record of 97{550504ab9c0cb0f84db7c39152d65be21b6403ad977c49457b63283386586382} success in visa applications.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”2. What are the Fees for the Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?” tab_id=”2″][vc_column_text]The Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa fee is £456 for the endorsement and £152 for the visa application. However, if you are from Macedonia or Turkey, the visa application fee is £97. The fee also depends on whether you are applying for the visa from outside the UK or switching to it from another visa when you are already in the UK.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”3. How Long Can I Stay in the UK with the Tech Nation Visa (Tier 1)?” tab_id=”3″][vc_column_text]With a UK Tier 1 Tech Nation Visa, you can stay for up to 5 years and 4 months. You can also apply for an extension of another 5 years and even UK settlement after staying in the UK for 5 years. However, the extension application should be submitted before your current visa expires.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row]