When it comes to offering support systems to foreign tech visa holders, such as allowing spouses and children to join primary applicants, some countries have been known to do this better than others. The differences often come down to cost, the route to permanent residence, and processing timelines.
While it can be overwhelming sorting through and deciding which option to pick, we at Techloy have thoroughly compiled a list ranking countries from Europe to Africa based on cost, pathways to permanent residence, and processing timelines.
Here are 10 countries with the best family inclusion visas for tech talent:
/1. Australia
Tech Visa type: National Innovation Visa.
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: AUD $175,000+ ($118,000+).
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to Australia's public healthcare system (Medicare) and public education systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Everyone becomes an Australian Permanent Resident (PR) immediately.
Processing timelines: Generally, processing takes quite a long time, ranging from 6 to 22+ months.
/2. South Africa
Tech Visa type: Critical Skills Work Visa.
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: A minimum proof of funds of around R8,500 ($520) per month is required for each dependent.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare systems and public education systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Offers a clear pathway to permanent residency (PR) after five years of relevant post-qualification experience.
Processing timelines: Processing takes around 4 to 12 weeks.
/3. Sweden
Tech Visa types: Standard work permit
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: Minimum requirement is SEK 10,314 ($1,135) per month for both you and your spouse, with SEK 5,339 ($595) per month for children above 15 years.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare systems and public education systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: You are eligible for a permanent residence permit after holding a work permit for 48 months (4 years) within the last seven-year period.
Processing timelines: Usually takes 1 to 4 months.
/4. Mauritius
Tech Visa types: Premium Visa (Digital Nomad Visa)
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: Minimum $1,500 monthly income from a foreign source, or savings of $18,000 plus an extra $1,500/month for each additional adult dependent.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to private healthcare systems and international schooling systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Doesn't offer a direct path to permanent residency.
Processing timelines: Officially within 48-hour approval, with longer processing times taking 4-5 months.
/5. Netherlands
Tech Visa types: Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) Scheme.
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: A minimum salary threshold of € 5,688 ($6,673) per month from a visa holder.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare systems and public education systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Provides a direct pathway to permanent residency after five years of continuous legal residence in the country.
Processing timelines: Often within 2-4 weeks.
/6. Spain
Tech Visa types: Digital Nomad Visa
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: Base income of roughly €2,760 ($3,238)+ monthly plus €888 ($1,041) for spouse and €196 ($229) for child.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare systems and education systems for dependents.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: You can apply for permanent residency after 5 years of legal residence.
Processing timelines: Around 1-3 months.
/7. Canada
Tech Visa types: Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker/Trades)
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: Proof of funds of $19,001 CAD ($13,770) for you + 1 dependent.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to public healthcare and free public education.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Provides an immediate direct pathway to Permanent Residency (PR) for skilled workers.
Processing timelines: Around 6 months or less.
/8. UAE
Tech Visa types: Golden Visa
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: You need a basic salary of AED 30,000 ($8,166) per month as the visa holder, plus a minimum salary of AED 4,000 ($1,088) per month, or AED 3,000 ($816) plus provided accommodation, for sponsoring spouses and children.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare and education.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: It lets you stay in the country long‑term with a visa you can renew every 5 or 10 years, but it doesn’t give you permanent residency or automatic citizenship.
Processing timelines: Processing takes about 1–3 weeks for straightforward cases like investors or professionals, and 3–8 weeks for more complex cases such as entrepreneurs or researchers.
/9. Portugal
Tech Visa types: D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: Base income around €3,480/month plus an extra €1,740 ($2,040) for a spouse or partner, and an extra €1,044 ($1,224) per minor child.
Healthcare and schooling access: Grants access to healthcare and education once they have obtained their residency permits.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: You can apply for permanent residency after 5 years of legal residence.
Processing timelines: Initial visa processing takes around 60-90 days (2-3 months), then an additional 30-90 days (1-3 months) after your Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) appointment.
/10. Mexico
Tech Visa types: Temporary Resident Visa with Work Authorization.
Minimum income or investment required to bring in dependents: $1,400 - $2,100 per person monthly asides from the visa holder's monthly income of $4,000-$4,200.
Healthcare and schooling access: Access to healthcare and schooling.
Pathway to permanent residency or citizenship: Offers permanent residency after 4 years of legal residence.
Processing timelines: Processing takes a total of 2-3 months.
David Adubiina
