UK Entrepreneur Visa

The UK entrepreneur visa service, often referred to as a Business status application is a UK immigration service, which grants leave to enter the UK for people who wish to start a business.

Applying for a UK business visa of this kind enables a candidate to start any kind of business in Great Britain; however, the venture must form the applicant's sole employment and will require a minimum investment of £200,000.

Several business based British immigration services are available and an immigration consultant at Global Visas will be able to help you determine the most appropriate route for your needs. As a specialist UK immigration consultancy, we can offer immigration lawyer advice throughout the progress of your application managing every aspect of your move to Britain from your initial enquiry to on arrival services to help you adjust to living and working in the UK.

Benefits

UK business visas of this type enable their holder to live and work in the UK without the need for a UK work permit. Since UK work permits are unnecessary it is not a requirement of this immigration service that an offer of employment must be in place. In addition, unlike the Highly Skilled Migrant Program or HSMP, entry clearance does not involve a points based skills assessment. The investment requirement is lower than that for the investor visa class and in some cases, where the investment amount is significantly greater than the required £200,000, applications may be processed more promptly.

Duration

UK visas for this business immigration route are normally granted for an initial period of two years. During this initial grant, applicants must make the full investment and create at least two positions for EEA nationals. Following the two-year period, you may apply for a business visa extension of three years. The granting of this extension will depend upon the performance of the business in its first two years and upon the satisfaction of the original criteria.

A British business visa application, unlike temporary routes such as a business visit visa, often referred to as a travel visa or tourist visa, is intended as a route to permanent settlement in Great Britain. The scheme is designed to bring people to the country who can invest their capital and business acumen in the economy. As a result, after five years a successful UK visa application of this kind may lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR), otherwise known as permanent residency and subsequently to British Naturalization as a UK citizen.

Eligibility

This business immigration service requires that applicants should intend to invest at least £200,000 in creating a new United Kingdom based business. The business must constitute an applicant's sole employment and they must intend to perform a managerial function within the business.

Candidates submitting applications for entrepreneur visas must also satisfy the following criteria:

  • The business must create full time employment for at least two EEA nationals.
  • You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependants until the business becomes profitable.
  • You must have a controlling interest in the business and must take a share of its liabilities.
  • You must be able to present a complete and viable business plan.
  • The money being invested in the business must be your own and must not come from any external source, for example a loan. The money can be in the form of cash and share capital and the investment should give you either an equal or controlling interest in the business.

EC Association Agreement Countries

Applicants from Bulgaria or Romania, both of which are covered by the EC Association Agreement may immigrate to the UK under this British visa class without the need to fulfil the £200,000 investment or create jobs for EEA nationals. In these circumstances, applicants must still be able to demonstrate a viable business plan and to provide adequate funds to support themselves and any dependents until the business begins to make a profit.

Dependants

The entrepreneur programme for business immigration is a potential route to permanent settlement in the United Kingdom and accordingly spouse immigration and dependent immigration are provided for under its requirements. Like a marriage visa or De Facto visa, often referred to as an unmarried partner visa your spouse or unmarried partner and any dependent children may join you in the country with unrestricted access to education, healthcare and the opportunity to seek and undertake employment.