Global Tech Talent Endorser is to shut down by the end of March

End of the Tech Nation Era

After over a decade of serving the UK scale-up tech ecosystem, Tech Nation announces it will cease operation from 31st March 2023, leaving the future of both the UK’s existing Global Talent visa and proposed tech visa schemes uncertain.

This is a direct result of the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DMCS) withdrawing their grant funding, which Tech Nation has been relying on to run its accelerators, reports, and visa programmes. The DMCS has now decided to grant the £12 million funding to Barclay’s tech incubator Eagle Labs. Eagle Labs has worked with start-ups across the UK since 2015.

Tech Nation emphasised that it is “not viable” to run its operations without government funding, as it is structured as a non-profit and public interest company.

Tech Nations Legacy

Tech Nation is a non-profit organisation which has helped champion and support over 5000 start-ups in the UK.  It has worked with nearly a third of the country’s unicorn companies and had run the Global Tech Talent Visa.

Alumni include many of Britain’s most successful tech companies including Monzo, Deliveroo, Depop and Skyscanner to name a few.

It has helped drive the UK tech sector to be the number one in Europe and third globally (after US and China).

In light of Tech Nation’s planned closure, 415 tech industry figures signed an open letter calling for the decision to be reconciled.

What happens now?

Tech Nation is the official Home Office designated endorsing body authorised to endorse individuals with expertise in technology under the Global Talent Visa. This visa enabled ‘exceptional’ talent from around the world to live and work in the UK. This allowed oversea tech figures to contribute their cutting-edge expertise putting the UK at the forefront of international tech arena. Tech Nation has notified the Home Office that it will also cease to be an endorsing body.

It has yet to be confirmed who will be taking over Tech Nation’s role in administering the UK’s Global Talent Visa, leaving the future of tech strand of the visa uncertain. However, it has been reported that the Home Office is working closely with Tech Nation to explore long-term solutions.

With the removal of the grant funding, the UK will have to consider new mechanisms to continue their race to be the next Silicon Valley.   

About Us

Queensbury is an award-winning, international, multidisciplinary law firm with offices in the United Kingdom, China, Dubai, and Spain. Queensbury provides expert advisory support to all types and sizes of businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals. From legal and strategic support to delivering projects and change, we can support our clients through their growth.

We appreciate that the process of moving to the United Kingdom can seem quite daunting which is why we will be able to assist you through the process. Our lawyers will guide you through the process of the relevant visa. We will provide you with resources and step-by-step assistance for a seamless transition into the UK whether that is for yourself, an employee, or your business.

For a free consultation, contact us at info@thequeensburygroup.com

We understand that it is a big decision to move to the UK and one that needs careful consideration. In this article, we shall explore several reasons why the United Kingdom is a fantastic place to live, work, and study.

Culture

The UK is home to world-renowned museums, art galleries, music venues, sporting events, and theatres. Most UK cities present an abundance of opportunities to find inspiration and ensure enjoyment every day of the week.

Furthermore, multiculturalism is the backbone of British society. The UK welcomes people from all over the world and embraces diversity. This is evident through the fact that over 300 languages are spoken in London alone, some of the most established of these are Punjabi, Cantonese, and Mandarin.[1]

The fact that the UK accommodates so many different cultures, means there will be no issues with finding the food that you love.

Healthcare

The UK is also a world leader in healthcare, medicine, and medical research and has some of the best hospitals in the world.

Once you become a legal resident of the UK, you will be able to access our National Health Service (NHS) which is a free healthcare programme not many other countries provide.

Safety

The Metropolitan Police is one of the best police forces in the world,[2] who have established their reputation based on their skills and advanced training. They set a high standard for policing around the world. Thus, we are very fortunate that one of our Managing Partners – Sarah Thorne, is also a Construction Director at the Metropolitan Police.

We are very fortunate to have such a highly disciplined police force who continue to keep crime rates low, in turn making the UK a very safe place to live”- Sarah Thorne (Construction Director at the Metropolitan Police & Managing Partner at The Queensbury Group).

Just in the last year, the crime rate in the UK has decreased by 10% from the previous year.[3]

Education

The UK education system is world-class, with the best schools and universities. In regard to our school system, free state education is provided to all children up until the age of 18.

Moreover, we are proud to be home to the University of Oxford, the number one university in the world.[4] The UK also has other prestigious universities such as Cambridge, and the Russell Group. The Russell Group 24 members are research-intensive, top global universities.

Job Prospect

The longer paid holidays and good minimum wages mean there is a higher standard of living across the UK compared to most countries. The average working week in the UK is Monday to Friday, working approximately 8 to 9 hours a day. In addition, flexible, part-time jobs are also available in the UK, with an opportunity for overtime to earn more.

If you are looking to relocate because you want better work and life balance, and are a highly skilled worker, then the UK could be just what you are looking for. There are 51,879 registered sponsoring organisations which can issue a work permit to candidates from outside the UK, which has increased by around 20,000 from 2020.[5]

A key aspect of the ethos of the British workplace is diversity and innovation. Thus, it comes as no surprise that most employers employ a diverse workforce for greater creativity.

Economic Powerhouse & Tax Benefits

The UK is a financial powerhouse with London at the heart of it all. It is the leading share of trade in many international financial markets, such as foreign exchange trading (for example the London Stock Exchange), cross-border bank lending, and international insurance premium income.

London hosts some of the world’s bank headquarters such as HSBC Holdings, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RSB).

In terms of tax benefits, it is important to note that the Corporation Tax rate is 19% which is great news for the high-net-worth individuals who are considering opening their businesses in the UK.

Due to this, the UK has been able to thrive financially despite the knock-on effects of Brexit.

Travel Hub

The UK is a perfect travel hub. With 24 commercial international airports, traveling to and from the UK is a breeze. Additionally, from London St Pancreas you can quickly catch a train to neighbouring European countries such as France, Belgium, and Holland.

This means you can take a short trip to European destinations with ease and speed, and still make it back to the UK before the end of the day.

About Us

The Queensbury Group is an award-winning, international, multidisciplinary law firm with offices in the United Kingdom, China, Dubai, and Spain. Queensbury provides expert advisory support to all types and sizes of businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals. From legal and strategic support to delivering projects and change, we can support our clients through their growth.

We appreciate that the process of moving to the United Kingdom can seem quite daunting which is why we will be able to assist you through the process. Our lawyers will guide you through the process of the relevant visa. We will provide you with resources and step-by-step assistance for a seamless transition into the UK whether that is for yourself, an employee, or your business.

For a free consultation, contact us at info@thequeensburygroup.com


[1] BBC Home, ‘Languages Across Europe’ (Language, October 2014) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/definitions.shtml> (accessed 4th March 2022)

[2]E Chukwuemeka, ‘Best Police Force in the World 2021: Top 10 Strongest’ (BScholarly, 2021)  https://bscholarly.com/best-police-force-in-the-world/#:~:text=1.,and%20crannies%20of%20the%20UK

[3]Crime in England and Wales 2021 (Office for National Statistics, 22 July 2021) <https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2021> (accessed 4th March 2022)

[4]The World University Rankings, ‘World University Rankings 2022’ (The Times, 2022)  <https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2022/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats> (accessed 4th March 2022)

[5] GOV.UK, ‘Register of Licensed Sponsors: workers’ (GOV.UK, March 2022) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers