What does the application process actually look like in 2026?
The process has two distinct stages. First you seek an endorsement: an expert assessment, carried out by Tech Nation, confirming that you meet the talent criteria for the Digital Technology route. Only once you hold that endorsement do you move to the second stage, the visa application to the Home Office. The stages are separate applications, paid for separately, and each has its own timeline and decision.
The important change for 2026 is where Stage 1 begins. You no longer visit a separate Tech Nation portal. You complete a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form, and GOV.UK routes it to Tech Nation for assessment. Everything below reflects that current route. If you would like the field-by-field detail of the form itself, see our single application form walkthrough.
What changed on 4 August 2025?
On 4 August 2025 the separate Tech Nation application portal was withdrawn. Since then, applicants complete a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form, which GOV.UK routes to Tech Nation for assessment. Tech Nation itself did not go away — it remains the endorsing body for the Digital Technology route, on a contract renewed in May 2025. Only the entry point changed.
This matters because most competitor guides still describe a dead process. For years the route worked in two form-filling steps: you applied to Tech Nation on its own platform, and then, if endorsed, applied for the visa. That first step no longer exists as a separate Tech Nation form.
What happens at Stage 1, the endorsement?
Stage 1 is where you prove you meet the talent criteria. You complete the single GOV.UK endorsement form and upload your evidence, and Tech Nation assesses it. You must meet the mandatory criterion plus at least two of the four optional criteria. A decision usually takes 5 to 8 weeks. This is the stage on which most applications succeed or fail, and it turns far more on how the evidence is presented than on raw ability.
Your evidence package has three parts, and it is worth being precise about the limits:
- A CV — a concise career history. It sits outside the ten-document limit.
- Three recommendation letters — written by senior, well-established figures who know your work. This is three letters, no more, and they also sit outside the ten-document limit. See our guide to recommendation letters.
- Up to ten evidence documents — each no longer than three sides of A4, mapped to the criteria you are relying on. See how to build these in our evidence guide.
You apply as either Exceptional Talent (for an established track record) or Exceptional Promise (for those earlier in their career). The choice affects your route to settlement later — three years for Talent, five years for Promise — but both use the same endorsement form and the same criteria structure. For the detail of what each criterion asks for, see the endorsement criteria.
What happens at Stage 2, the visa application?
Once you are endorsed, you make a separate visa application to the Home Office. The application fee is £205, and you also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge — usually £1,035 per year — up front for the length of your visa. A decision is typically made in about three weeks if you apply from outside the UK, or up to eight weeks if you apply from inside the UK. This stage is far more procedural than Stage 1.
At this point the hard work is already done: the endorsement is the substantive assessment of your talent, and the visa application is largely an identity, security and eligibility check. You will confirm your details, provide biometrics, and, where relevant, a tuberculosis test certificate. You have a window after endorsement in which to apply, so you do not have to move on the same day. For a fuller view of timings, see our guide to processing time.
What does the whole process cost?
There are two application fees, charged at different stages, plus the health surcharge. The endorsement fee is £561, paid at Stage 1; the visa fee is £205, paid only at Stage 2 if you proceed. They are not paid together. On top sits the Immigration Health Surcharge. All figures below were checked on GOV.UK on 11 July 2026 and should always be re-verified before you apply.
| Fee | Amount | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 — endorsement | £561 | When you submit the GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form |
| Stage 2 — visa application | £205 | Later, at Stage 2, only if you are endorsed and proceed |
| Combined application fees | £766 | Total of the two fees above (paid at different stages) |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), adult | £1,035 / yr | In full, up front, with the Stage 2 visa application |
Source: GOV.UK — Global Talent visa. Fees checked 11 July 2026; always verify the latest amounts before applying. For a full breakdown including a five-year total, see our cost guide.
How do I know if a guide I am reading is out of date?
Use one simple test. If a guide tells you to complete a separate "Tech Nation form", log in to a Tech Nation portal, or "apply to Tech Nation first", it is describing the process that was withdrawn on 4 August 2025. The current route is a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form that is assessed by Tech Nation. Stale guidance on this point is common, so it is worth checking the publication date of anything you rely on.
Frequently asked questions
No. The separate Tech Nation application portal was withdrawn on 4 August 2025. In 2026 you complete a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form, which GOV.UK routes to Tech Nation for assessment. Any guide still telling you to fill in a separate Tech Nation form is out of date. Always verify the current route on GOV.UK.
Tech Nation remains the endorsing body for the Digital Technology route. Its contract was renewed in May 2025 on a three-year cycle. What changed on 4 August 2025 is only the entry point: you now apply through one GOV.UK form rather than a separate Tech Nation portal, and GOV.UK passes the application to Tech Nation to assess against the criteria.
The Stage 1 endorsement decision usually takes 5 to 8 weeks. Once endorsed, the Stage 2 visa application is typically decided in about 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK, or up to 8 weeks if you apply inside the UK. Timelines are indicative and change — always verify current processing times on GOV.UK.
You need three recommendation letters. They sit alongside your CV and outside the limit of up to ten evidence documents. Each letter should be written by a senior, well-established person who knows your work and can speak to your contribution to the digital technology sector. Verify the current requirements on GOV.UK before you apply.
No. You pay the £561 endorsement fee when you submit the Stage 1 endorsement form, and the £205 visa fee only later, at Stage 2, if you are endorsed and choose to proceed. The two fees are charged separately at different stages. The Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year, is paid up front with the Stage 2 visa application. Verify all fees on GOV.UK.
There is no statutory right of appeal against an endorsement refusal. You may request a free endorsement review within 28 days, but only where you believe a process error was made — you cannot add new evidence. A Stage 1 refusal is not an immigration refusal and does not appear as a visa refusal. Many applicants instead prepare a stronger fresh application. Verify the current review process on GOV.UK.
Related reading: the single form, field by field, endorsement criteria, evidence (10 documents), recommendation letters, cost and processing time.
Last reviewed: 11 July 2026. Verified against GOV.UK on 11 July 2026.