What are the two stages?
Stage 1 is the Tech Nation endorsement and Stage 2 is the visa application to the Home Office — two distinct decisions, made by two different bodies, each with its own fee. Before the Home Office will grant the Global Talent Visa, an independent endorsing body must first confirm that you are, in the scheme's language, a leader or a potential leader in your field. For the Digital Technology route, that endorsing body is Tech Nation. Stage 1 is the substantive assessment and the stage where most applications are decided; Stage 2 is the permission that lets you enter or remain in the United Kingdom.
What does each stage require?
Stage 1 requires a body of evidence assessed by Tech Nation, while Stage 2 requires identity and eligibility checks handled by the Home Office.
Stage 1 (endorsement, £561) is where you prove your merit. You complete a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form and submit a maximum of ten documents, each up to three sides of A4, plus a CV and three recommendation letters that sit outside that count. You must satisfy the mandatory criterion and at least two of the four optional criteria, and choose whether to apply as Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise. Tech Nation usually decides within five to eight weeks.
Stage 2 (visa, £205) is largely administrative. Once endorsed, you apply to the Home Office, provide your biometrics and identity documents, and pay the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year for each person. The visa stage takes about three weeks from outside the UK and up to eight weeks from inside it.
Can Stage 1 and Stage 2 be applied for together?
Yes — the endorsement and the visa may be applied for at the same time, but they remain two separate decisions with two separate fees, not a single combined payment. Applying together saves time by removing the wait between endorsement and visa stage, but it does not merge the two decisions: Tech Nation still assesses Stage 1 on its own terms, and the Home Office only grants Stage 2 if that endorsement succeeds.
What is the difference between a rejection and a refusal?
A refusal is a Stage 1 endorsement decision that goes against you, whereas a rejection is what happens to a Stage 2 visa application that cannot proceed because the endorsement was refused — and the distinction changes what appears on your record. If you apply for both stages together and Tech Nation refuses your endorsement, the Home Office rejects the linked visa application and refunds its fee, leaving no mark on your immigration history. Separately, a Stage 1 endorsement refusal is not an immigration refusal either and leaves no mark on your immigration history — a point forum folklore frequently overstates. There is no statutory appeal against an endorsement refusal, but you may request a free, non-statutory endorsement review within 28 days, which challenges process errors only and admits no new evidence.
What are the common mistakes?
The most common mistake is treating the Global Talent Visa as one application rather than two, and so under-investing in the Tech Nation endorsement, which is where the great majority of applications are decided.
- Confusing the fees. The £561 endorsement fee and the £205 visa fee are separate payments, not a single combined charge.
- Assuming Stage 2 can rescue a weak Stage 1. It cannot; the Home Office does not re-assess your merit.
- Misreading "rejected" as "refused". A rejected visa application after a refused endorsement leaves no immigration mark — the two words carry different consequences.
- Preparing evidence to the wrong standard. Referees not senior enough, recognition confined to your own employer, or achievements stated at team level rather than with individual attribution are recurring reasons endorsements are refused.
How does the £200 Fit Assessment help?
The £200 Fit Assessment tells you, before you spend a penny in government fees, whether your Stage 1 evidence is likely to clear the Tech Nation bar — the stage worth diagnosing first. It gives you a score out of twenty with a component-by-component breakdown against the mandatory and optional criteria, a Talent-versus-Promise route recommendation, a ten-document evidence plan, a letter and referee strategy, and a gap analysis, delivered as a branded report with a 45-minute review call. It is credited in full to any package within 14 days: £200 before you risk £766 in government fees.
Find out if your Stage 1 evidence is strong enough.
Get a £200 Fit Assessment — a scored, component-by-component read of your endorsement case, credited to any package.
Frequently asked questions
Stage 1 is the Tech Nation endorsement, which confirms you meet the Digital Technology talent criteria and costs £561. Stage 2 is the visa application to the Home Office, which grants you permission to enter or remain in the UK and costs £205. Figures are current at July 2026 — always verify on GOV.UK.
Yes. The endorsement and the visa may be applied for at the same time, but they remain two separate decisions with two separate fees. They are not paid as a single combined payment. Verify the current process on GOV.UK.
If you apply for both stages together and the Stage 1 endorsement is refused, the Stage 2 visa application is rejected and its fee is refunded. A rejected visa application leaves no mark on your immigration history, and a refused endorsement is not an immigration refusal either. Verify the current position on GOV.UK.
The Stage 1 endorsement fee is £561 and the Stage 2 visa fee is £205, giving a combined £766 in application fees. On top sits the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 per year for each person. Figures are current at July 2026 — always verify on GOV.UK.
Stage 1, the Tech Nation endorsement, is where the great majority of applications are decided, because it assesses your evidence against the talent criteria. Once endorsed, the Stage 2 visa application is largely an administrative and identity check. Endorsa focuses its support on Stage 1.
Related reading: endorsement criteria, Talent vs Promise, who qualifies, refused? your 28-day window, and the guides on cost and processing time. Start at the pain points hub.
Last updated: 6 July 2026. Figures current at July 2026 — always verify on GOV.UK.