Written question asked by Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. It was answered by Blair McDougall (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many overseas dependents are supported under the Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups broken down by nationality.

Answer: The Department for Business and Trade launched the Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups on 10 June as part of the Government's Modern Industrial Strategy. The scheme - worth up to £25K for around 50 businesses a year - supports eligible scale-ups in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital and Technologies priority sectors to recruit international talent by reimbursing eligible visa application fees. In 2024, scale-ups contributed £1.65 trillion in revenue (excluding financial services) to the UK economy and employed 6.1 million people (including FS), despite making up just 1.4% of the total business population, underlining their importance to growth. No applications have been received or approved to date. Consequently, no funding has been paid, no overseas workers or dependants supported, and no nationality data is currently held.

Secondary information