Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa – Get Your Start-up Moving In The UK

Posted onAugust 22, 2015

A Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visa offers the opportunity for successful entrepreneurs to develop a start-up business in the UK whilst enjoying the world-class housing, educational and lifestyle opportunities the country has to offer. Our team of highly experienced and qualified solicitors can assist you in applying for an Entrepreneur Visa and guide you through all the steps necessary for a stress-free move to the United Kingdom.

According to latest research, the UK is the ninth most entrepreneurial economy on earth. The number of women entrepreneurs is growing exponentially, with an unprecedented 80% of start-ups created between 2008 and 2011 started by females.

To add to business confidence, which is already buoyant in the UK, in June this year, the returning Conservative Government stated that the corporate tax rate, which is already at a low 20%, will drop to 18% by 2020.

All these factors, along with minimal red-tape, prove to attract the world’s most talented and dynamic entrepreneurs to our shores.

Let us assist you with the application and administration requirements to obtain a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa, so you can focus on creating your new venture.

Requirements for a Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visa

95 points under the points-based system are required.
You must be from outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
You must have £50,000 to invest in starting a business in the UK. Alternatively, you can invest in and become a director of an existing business. This is what distinguishes the visa from a Tier 1 (investor) Visa, which is for more general investment.
If you are already in the UK, it is sufficient to show you have made such investment within the last 12 months.
The funds must be held by a regulated financial institutions and be in a disposable form.
You must you have English language knowledge. Citizens of certain countries do not need to prove this, but if you are from an excluded country you need to take an approved English language test and attain at least CEFR Level B1 in writing, reading, listening and speaking. Having a bachelor’s degree or higher which was taught in English will be sufficient.
You must be able to support financially both yourself and your family upon arrival.
You and one other applicant for a Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visa can form a team and use the same investment funds, provided you both meet all of the eligibility requirements. The same funds cannot be used on a separate application for a different team. You will both need to provide evidence of where the funds came from.
Certain fees must be paid – there is an application fee for you and each of your dependents. This fee varies depending on where you currently live. The NHS healthcare surcharge will also have to be paid for you and your dependents.
You and your dependents will all need to get biometric residence permits within ten days of the planned date of arrival in the UK. This 10-day stipulated period will not change if you arrive later.
If you have more than £200,000 to invest, the same requirements apply as above. Additionally,

- You must be able to prove the money is either your own, has been made available to you by a third party, or is in a joint bank account (provided that the other bank account holder is not applying for the same visa independently).

- If you have invested £200,000 in a UK business in the past 12 months, you can apply for this visa.

Opportunities for Visa Holders

You can bring your partner and children (who are younger than 18) with you to the UK when granted this visa.
If your application is successful, you and your family can stay in the UK for up to three years and four months.

Remaining in the UK

If you meet certain requirements, you can apply to extend the Visa for up to two more years. You will need evidence that the minimum investment was indeed made, evidence of being self-employed or a director of a new or existing business, evidence of being engaged in business activity at the time of application and evidence of creating at least two full-time jobs for residents which have lasted at least 12 months. A total of at least 75 points must be accumulated.
If you have switched to this Visa from another, you can apply to for an extension for up to three years.
After five years in the UK, you will become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
An application can be made after three years if your investment has created at least ten full-time jobs for residents for at least 12 months or generate £5 million in turnover over the three years.

Our Services

When planning a move which will have significant financial and personal consequences for you and your family members, it is imperative that you get sound advice. Our expertise will be valuable to you throughout the Immigration process, from when you are considering the right type of visa for your circumstances, the moving process, setting up business in the UK, and making applications for visa extensions and Indefinite Leave to Remain. We will help ensure all of the requirements are met when applying for the visa and launching a start-up in the UK. We understand the need for efficiency and attention to detail in getting the steps right so that you and your family will have a smooth transition throughout your application and move.

Our business immigration Solicitors includes:

Mr Paul Gulbenkian – Paul’s wealth of experience in business immigration both in practice and as a former Immigration Tribunal Judge have led him to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading Immigration specialists. He is President of the European Immigration Lawyers Group and is a founding member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA).

Teni Shahiean – Teni is ranked by the Legal 500 as a recommended immigration solicitor and is also experienced in employment work. She gives legal advice through the Law Society Immigration Accreditation Scheme and has consequently been accredited by the Law Society for her immigration knowledge.

Oshin Shahiean – Oshin has a varied client base in his specialisation – Immigration law. He gives advice on Human Rights and Asylum matters, as well as the points-based system, visa applications and judicial review. He has been awarded supervisory status by the Law Society.

Dr Lusine Navasardyan – Lusine is a recent addition to the firm but has brought with her specialised knowledge and solid reputation in Immigration and corporate law, especially SMEs. She offers valuable advice to clients starting up businesses and has many success stories. If you are starting up a business, she can advise on business immigration, contracts, compliance, company structure and due diligence.

Nataliya Bondarets – Nataliya advises a range of clients on Immigration matters, from students to workers, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. As Nataliya specialises in Immigration, hr advice is invaluable to clients navigating visa applications and the points based system.

business immigration Barrister we work with

Navtej Singh Ahluwali - Navi one the UK’s leading experts on the Home Office’s Points Based System (PBS) and has been described by Chambers UK as the “first port of call” for specialist Immigration solicitors. He regularly advises the UK’s top business immigration law firms and trains other lawyers in the field on the frequent legal developments under the PBS and in European Union free movement law.

David Jones - David is a highly experienced Immigration barrister who has been praised for his “fantastic advocacy skills and charming manner” as well as his “ability to tackle challenging and complex legal arguments” (Chambers UK). David combines legal excellence with business awareness, making his legal advice highly practical and sensitive to clients’ needs.

Mark Symes - Rated as “dynamic and brilliant” by Chambers UK, Mark Symes is one of the UK’s best known Immigration lawyers. Presently practising as a barrister, he has also worked as a solicitor, and sits as a fee paid Immigration Judge in the highest Immigration court in the UK, the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. Mark is a specialist in complex cases, at every legal stage, be it on application, appeal or judicial review.

Anthony Vaughan - Anthony is instructed by top business immigration law firms, and is described by one of the UK’s leading Immigration Queen’s Counsel as “incredibly bright” with “excellent strategic judgement” whose legal drafting is “highly persuasive and meticulous”. He has been involved in a range of Immigration cases that have affected the law for the benefit of migrants and has contributed to European Union free movement law chapters of two leading Immigration legal textbooks.

We also work closely with other professional advisors to ensure our clients receive the most in-depth and comprehensive advice available when engaging us on any business immigration or family relocation matter.

Our Partners Include:

Should you or your customers need them, we have teamed up with leading global relocation experts who will assist with everything our clients need, from transportation of valuables, to real estate and property, and enrolment of their children in schools in the UK. We also work closely with leading private equity professionals, who have successfully raised amounts of equity for investors and Entrepreneur Visa applicants.

When advising on Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visas, we will work with business consultants and other relevant parties when advising you. This ensures our advice is tailored to your circumstances and that all aspects of your Immigration and entrepreneurship venture advance efficiently.

For assistance with Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visas, or any legal Immigration matter, please call our city office on 0203 959 9123 to make an appointment with one of our Immigration specialists.