UK scale-ups in digital and technology can reclaim up to £25,000 a year of visa fees for overseas hires, until 1 March 2027

UK scale-ups in digital and technology can reclaim up to £25,000 a year of visa fees for overseas hires, until 1 March 2027

2 October 2026: The UK Department for Business and Trade runs a Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups that repays visa application fees for specialist overseas hires. It opened on 9 June 2026 and closes on 1 March 2027 at 11:59pm. Many eligible technology companies have not used it, and the money can only be claimed while the scheme is open.

What it pays

• Up to £5,000 for each international hire and their dependants.
• Up to £25,000 a year per company.

It covers three priority sectors: Digital and Technologies, Life Sciences, and Clean Energy.

Who can apply

According to the scheme page, the company must:

• be a UK-based scale-up with an average annualised growth rate above 20% over three years, starting from at least 10 employees;
• hold a valid UK visa sponsor licence;
• be incorporated in the UK, or registered as an overseas company with a UK establishment;
• have a UK bank account and pass the department's due-diligence checks.

The hires must come through the Skilled Worker, Global Talent or Scale-up visa routes. Applications go through the government's Grants Hub portal.

Why it matters for HR and finance teams

Growing technology firms often absorb the visa fees of overseas hires and their families. A company hiring five specialists from abroad this year could recover the full £25,000. Because the scheme is administered as a grant, finance teams need to keep receipts and show the hire's route and start date.

What to do

• Check the growth test against your filed accounts for the last three years.
• Confirm your sponsor licence is valid and in the right company name.
• List eligible hires since the scheme opened and planned hires before 1 March 2027, with their visa routes and fee receipts.
• Apply early: grant schemes can close when their budget is used, even before the stated date.

Related on TrustList:

• Fifteen employment rule changes in nine countries this autumn
• UK right-to-work checks extend to contractors, sub-contractors and platform workers from 1 October
• UK right-to-work code now covers gig workers and sub-contractors

Sources

• GOV.UK Find a grant: Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups - 9 June 2026
• Freeths - read 5 October 2026