Tier 1 Entrepreneur/Investor Visa

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Can I apply as Tier 1 Investor?

The Tier 1 investor route is designed for high net worth individuals to enter and remain in the UK. After five years the applicant is eligible for indefinite leave to remain. One year after this, the applicant is eligible for UK citizenship. As UK immigration solicitors we have invaluable and varied experience in this field. Our immigration lawyers can help with all aspects of making the application.

From 6th November 2015 applicants will need to have investment funds of at least £2 million. Under the old Rules it was £1 million. You will not need to show that you have any English language ability and neither will you need to prove that you can maintain yourself. This is because if you have the required investment funds, it is certain that you will be able to support yourself in the UK without needing help from public funds.

You must be aged 18 or over to use this immigration route and the assets and investments for which you are claiming points must be wholly under your control.

Please note that even if you meet all the conditions of the Tier 1 (Investor category) there may be other reasons why the entry clearance officer or the Home Office will refuse the application and Danielle Cohen, as an experienced immigration solicitor, can advise about the general grounds for refusal and advise you in respect of your previous immigration history.

Your dependents may be able to join you in the UK, but they will have to make their own applications using the appropriate forms. If you would like further information please do not hesitate to contact Danielle Cohen or a member of her team of immigration lawyers.

Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur

UK graduates who are identified by higher education institutes as having developed genuine and credible business ideas and entrepreneurial skills can make an application to remain in the UK – but cannot apply for settlement – under the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) route. Applicants must not have previously been granted entry clearance or leave to remain as a Tier 1 post-study work migrant and they also must not have been  participants in the Fresh Talent – Working in Scotland Scheme or in the International Graduate Scheme or in the Science and Engineering Graduate schemes.

As Immigration Lawyers, we can assist with your application for permission to stay in the UK under the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur route). The initial period of leave granted is 1 year. However, if the university agrees to sponsor you after this you can apply again and you may be granted further leave for another year. You are only allowed a maximum of two years of stay under this route but if you are already in the UK you can switch into this category if you have been in the UK as a student or under Tier 2 (General Migrant).

A UK immigration lawyer will be able to assist in making this application as there is a limit of 2,000 places per year and the places will be allocated to the qualifying higher education institutions. You will not be able to take employment other than for the work for the business that you have established and you may not work for more than 20 hours per week. The graduate entrepreneur will be expected to spend the majority of his/her time developing his/her business.

As an immigration lawyer, Danielle Cohen is an expert in dealing with applications of this nature and the quality of her firm’s service is self-evident from the reviews of clients and the high success rate of applications.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur visa is for individuals who wish to take over or be involved in the running of a business. You will have to have at least £200,000 to invest in a new or existing UK company and in order to meet the requirements you must have access to £200,000 which can be from your own funds or from the funds of a third party. You must also meet the English language requirements and have the financial maintenance for yourself and for any family members. You will have to demonstrate that you are a genuine entrepreneur and that you are genuinely seeking to set up a viable business in the UK. This is a subjective test and the Home Office will take into account previous experience and qualifications and will examine your credentials. Extensive documentation is needed to prove each requirement and, therefore, our immigration solicitors can assist in preparing the application. After three years it is possible to obtain a two-year extension visa whereby you will need to show that you have invested £200,000 in UK business and that your investment has resulted in the creation of the equivalent of two full time jobs for 12 months. After five years it is then possible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

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Common grounds of refusal include a recent criminal conviction leading to imprisonment, a history of deception, or overstaying for a period of above 28 days. The rules state that you must provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country you have resided in continuously for 12 months or more, in the 10 years prior to your application. If the original document is not in English, then you must provide a translated copy of certificate, in line with the requirements set out at: www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document. Generally, a conviction will lead to refusal if it leads to a sentence of over 4 years imprisonment, between 1 and 4 years (unless the conviction was over 10 years ago), or under 1 year imprisonment (unless the conviction was over 5 years ago).

Global Talent Visa

What is the Global Talent Visa?

The Global Talent Visa is a UK immigration category for those individuals who have talent and a promising career in specific sectors, who wish to work in the UK. Before making an application for this visa, one has to be endorsed from a specific endorsing body in the UK.

What are the categories for endorsement?

We can assist individuals who have talent and promise in science, engineering, medicine, humanities, digital technology, arts and culture. Talent applicants will already be leaders in their field whilst promising applicants will be able to show the potential to become leaders in their field. We will be able to assist applicants to apply for the endorsement, and for the visa.

Danielle invites you to take a look at her blog, where you will see the diverse range of clients that she has helped.

If you have any questions about the process or would like to apply for a Tier 1 visa application please contact Danielle on 020 7267 4133. Danielle will only charge you for the first consultation if you decide to become her client and if she can assist you.