Skilled tech visa applications fall again despite AI talent push
The number of overseas tech workers applying for UK visas has fallen for a third consecutive year, despite ministers promising to make Britain a magnet for global AI talent.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by consulting firm RSM UK found that applications from skilled tech workers dropped seven per cent to 34,936 in 2025, down from 37,376 the previous year. Applications have now fallen by more than a third since peaking at 53,729 in 2022.
AI minister Kanishka Narayan has repeatedly called for easier access to visas for top engineers and faster routes for highly skilled workers, as the UK attempts to compete with global players in the AI race.
“Talent shortage remains one of the biggest challenges in the tech industry and risks holding back growth, both short-term and in the long run, without some form of intervention,” said Ben Bilsland, partner and head of technology industry at RSM UK.
“To be a genuine competitor in the global tech race, the UK needs to be ahead of the game. That starts with having the right people with the right skills.”
The slowdown also comes as tech businesses grapple with higher employment costs following tax changes and the Employment Rights Act.
Bilsland said: “Some businesses will undoubtedly lean on AI more to create efficiencies and boost productivity, but skilled individuals are needed to deploy AI safely and successfully.”
Pressure grows for visa reform
The latest figures add to growing questions over whether Britain’s immigration system is helping or hindering the government’s ambition to build world-leading tech companies.
Narayan has made attracting international talent a central plank of the government’s AI strategy, arguing Britain must do more to help companies “scale at home”, rather than lose promising businesses and engineers overseas.
Earlier this year, the government introduced a visa reimbursement scheme allowing eligible scale-ups in sectors including digital technology and AI to reclaim up to £25,000 a year in immigration costs when hiring overseas workers.
It has also expanded the Global Talent visa, allowing more businesses and research organisations to endorse specialist applicants.
Despite those changes, industry figures have argued visa costs and complexity continue to put Britain at a disadvantage against international rivals.
Bilsland said there remained “an opportunity to unlock growth in the tech industry through visa reform”, but warned details of the government’s plans remained unclear.
“The visa application process itself must be as seamless and painless as possible, so that it’s accessible for tech businesses of all sizes,” he said.
The figures also come as Startup Coalition this week warned that UK startups were increasingly “losing faith” in the government’s support after years of slow procurement processes and limited public sector spending with domestic technology companies.
The lobby group said reforms to public procurement would need to go much further if ministers wanted to turn their ambitions for Britain’s technology sector into sustained economic growth.