UK global talent visa applications surge during lockdown
Applications for the UK’s tech visas increased by almost 30 per cent during lockdowns and the pandemic, as the UK continues to attract global talent, according to industry body data.
Applications for the Global Talent Visa between April 2020 to March 2021 increased by 28 per cent compared to the same period the previous year, according to industry body Tech Nation.
More than a third of the total number of applications since 2014, of over 4,000, were made in the last 12 months. The majority, at 61 per cent, of applicants who received the visa are based in London according to the latest data.
Cybersecurity, fintech and healthtech were the areas with the greatest increase in applications over the last three years with cybersecurity experiencing a 172 per cent rise.
The number of endorsed applications from founders has soared by 73 per cent on average annually since 2018.
The Global Talent Visa is a visa aimed at people working in digital technology, which the Home Office partnered with Tech Nation, a British startup accelerator, to create and encourage applications to the visa to maintain the UK’s position as a global tech hub.
The visa allows founders or employees with technical or business backgrounds to work in the UK for up to five years, after which applicants can apply for an extension or permanent settlement in the UK.
“Tech Nation’s Global Talent Visa is just one of the many reasons the UK is such an attractive hub for ambitious and inspiring tech entrepreneurs, and will help ensure the UK remains one of the best destinations to start and scale a tech business in the months and years to come,” said Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech Nation.
The UK is a “global powerhouse for tech,” Grech added.