UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur

Imperial & Legal provides support in applying for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa:

Advise on the documents you must provide;
Prepare and submit a visa application;
Draft and prepare a business plan for UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur;
Register a company for visa purposes;
Find a business for your visa to take over and finalising a deal;
Constant support of your case till you receive a UK citizenship.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa can be granted to individuals that have access to at least £200,000 and are willing to invest the money into a running UK business for up to 5 years. Funds can be also invested into setting up a new business.

UK graduates can under certain conditions also apply for Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) with £50,000.

If a business turnover reaches more than £5m in 3 years, or 10 full-time jobs have been created, you can apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in 3 years after an initial visa is granted.

This type of visa requires a very attentive and thorough approach to all the details not only at the submission stage, but also when the business is up and running. Imperial & Legal has a vast experience in that and will help you at every stage of the process, from preparing the documents for an initial visa and making required investments to receiving a British citizenship.

Eligibility for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa

Prove you have access to at least £200,000 in a bank account in almost any country. These funds must have been held there for at least 3 consecutive months, otherwise you will have to provide evidence where they came from.
Prove experience and qualification of the main applicant crucial to running a business.
Viable business plan.
Prove you are able to support yourself and your family during your stay
English speaking and listening qualification at level B1 or above (European classification).
TB test if applying for a visa outside the EU.
Criminal record certificates from any country you have lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.

Initial visa grants you entry for 3 years and 4 months.

Eligibility for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa extension

Main applicant under Tier 1 Entrepreneur route has to prove that the funds have been invested in a UK business and at least 2 full-time jobs have been created during the past period.

You must also show that you were registered as a director of the business where money was invested within 6 months from the first entry.

You are not allowed to invest into property development, property maintenance and repairs, and property management.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa can be extended for 2 years.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

Tier 1 Entrepreneur migrants can apply for ILR in 3 or 5 years from the first entry under that visa, based on the results of the business:

after 3 years from the first entry under the initial visa, if within these 3 years business turnover exceeds £5 m or 10 full-time jobs have been created.
after 5 years from the first entry under the initial visa, if at least 2 full-time jobs have been created.

To be granted an ILR, the main applicant must prove:

you have been absent from the UK not more than 180 days in any 12 calendar months prior to applying for ILR, beginning from the first date of entry. Dependants are granted ILR once the main applicant gets this leave
At least £200,000 have been invested in a running business in the UK.
you and all adult dependents hold an English speaking and listening qualification at level B1 or above (European classification).
you and all adult dependants passed the Life in the UK test.

Citizenship and passport

You and all family members can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation in one year after ILR is granted and 5 years after your first entry under Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), provided every one of you meets all the eligibility criteria:

have spent no more than 450 days outside the UK during those 5 years prior to applying for naturalization, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
have not broken any criminal or immigration laws.
you and all adult dependents hold an English speaking and listening qualification at level B1 or above (European classification).
you and all adult dependants passed the Life in the UK test.

You can only apply for naturalisation by post.

Super–premium service

You can use the super-premium service to extend Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa, or apply for ILR. In this case the Home Office will come to you to take your fingerprints and photograph. Visa is granted in 99% cases within 3 days.

Premium service for this type of visa is not available.

To discuss your requirements, please contact our specialists or call us on +44 (0)203 490 41 21.