UK Visas and British Citizenship

New rules for UK business visas will come in force on 29 March 2019 and apply if you are planning to apply for Entrepreneur visa for the first time.    If you prefer the current Tier 1 Entrepreneur rules, you need to submit the online form and  pay UK Government fees by 28 March 2019. You can submit the actual documents after that! Summary of changes from 29 March 2019:  #1 New categories:   Start-up and Innovator visas replace Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur and Tier 1 Entrepreneur respectively. Start-up is for those starting a business in the UK for the 1st time. Open to all, not just graduates on Tier 4 visas.  Innovator visa is for experienced business people, and it will lead to settlement after minimum 3 years (or any time later when you have met the criteria).  #2 Endorsement: is required for all applications, from initial visa to extension and ILR. The biggest change is your business plan won’t be assessed by the Govern...

The UK Government has published the new rules for UK business visas, in force from 29 March 2019. These changes only apply if you are planning to apply for Entrepreneur visa for the first time. If you already have a Tier 1 Entrepreneur or Graduate Entrepreneur visas, you will be able to continue to settlement under the current ‘old’ rules.  If you are planning to apply under the current Tier 1 Entrepreneur rules, you need to submit the online form and  pay UK Government fees by 28 March 2019.  Summary of changes from 29 March 2019:  #1 New categories:  Start-up and Innovator visas replace Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur and Tier 1 Entrepreneur respectively. Start-up is for those starting a   business in the UK for the 1 st time. Open to all, not just graduates on Tier 4 visas.  Innovator visa is for experienced business people, and it will lead to settlement after minimum 3 years (or any time later when you have met the cri...

Before 29 March 2019 From 29 March 2019 Categories Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), open to   all migrants. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) for graduates from UK universities, who completed a degree on Tier 4 visa and obtained an endorsement from their university to support their business idea   Start-up and Innovator, both open to everyone.   Start-up – your 1 st business in the UK (but not first ever – you can have had a business outside the UK). Innovator - for experienced business people.   Endorsement is needed for all. Visa duration Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) – 1 year, extension for another year.   Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) – initially 3 years, extension – 2 years. ILR can be after 3 years (accelerated route) or after 5 years. Start-up visa - 2 years. After that can switch to Innovator (or to another category, such as Tier 2 or Spouse visa). Innovator – 3 years, then extension for anoth...

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) and (Graduate Entrepreneur) visas are closing to new entrants on 29 March 2019. New Innovator and Start-up categories are respectively succeeding them. They are not under Tiers or Points-Based System. This post is focusing on the dates and deadlines, on what happens to those who have the migrants on these visas in the future.    #1 Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) – closed to new applications on 29 March 2019. Last applications are accepted on 28 March 2019, date of application being date of online payment.  #2 New Start-up and Innovator visas will be open from 29 March 2019.  #3 Existing Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrants - extensions will be open until 5 April 2023, and settlement applications until 5 April 2025. Both will be under the ‘old rules’, ie under the rules as before 29 March 2019.  #4 Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)  -  endorsements will be open until 5 April 2019, still subject to the usual annua...

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa is closing on 29 March 2019; a new Innovator category is succeeding it. This post is focusing on its criteria for extension of Innovator visa.  Initial Innovator visa is issued for 3 years. After that, you can either apply for extension or for ILR, depending on what criteria you have met.  Either way, you need another endorsement. If you haven’t met ILR criteria after 3 years, you need to obtain an ‘extension endorsement’, and apply for a visa based on it. Visa extension visa is for 3 years. There is no limit on how many extensions you can make, so if you need more time to qualify for ILR, you can apply for more extensions, every time for 3 years and every time with a new endorsement.  In the past, during Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa, we had 4 main requirements: registering a business within 6 months, continuing to be active in a UK business, investing the whole £200,000 and creating 2 jobs.  Now, under the new Innovato...

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa is closing on 29 March 2019; a new Innovator category is succeeding it.     This post is focusing on its criteria for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain, IRL). Even though ILR applications won’t happen until at least March 2022, it makes sense to research now what is expected while you are in the UK as an Innovator.       During Tier 1 visa, we had a fairly short exhaustive list of requirements, and had to meet all of them.  Now, under the new Innovator category, you are given a choice of 7 criteria and you can apply when you have met any 2 of them (but minimum 3 years in the UK on this visa). Some are familiar rules on investment, turnover or creating jobs for settled workers, albeit with the different details, such as investment of £50,000 and not £200,000; or creating 5 jobs with a salary of £25,000 (instead of 2 jobs on unspecified salary).   Then there are new ones, such as on creating intellect...