The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) category of the Points Based System is for individuals investing in the United Kingdom by setting up or taking over and being actively involved in the running of one or more businesses in the United Kingdom (UK).

 

This route for new entrants is now closed but you can still apply to extend your visa or apply for indefinite leave to remain under this route.

 

1. What is a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Application?

 

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Application currently is an extension application or for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

 

This route is now closed to new entrants, but you can continue to extend this visa if any of the following apply to you, these dates are important and must be considered before filing an application under this route:

• If you held leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) before being granted as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) you will be able to apply for extensions until 06 April 2023.

• If you held leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) before you switched into Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), you can submit applications to extend your stay after switching into Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) until 6 July 2025.

• If you did not hold leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) before being granted as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) you can only submit applications to settle until 6 April 2025.

• If you held leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) before you switched into Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), you can submit applications to settle until 6 July 2027.

 

For both the extension applications and the indefinite leave to remain applications you must score points as an applicant which will then demonstrate whether you will be granted the extension or the indefinite leave to remain as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) in the UK.

 

There are various requirements that you will need to meet in order to satisfy the Home Office that you are a genuine entrepreneur and should continue to be allowed to remain in the UK under this route. We advise all of our clients the requirements that they need to meet once we are instructed by you to act for you in advising and filing your application.

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2. Benefits of a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa?

 

Although this visa route is now closed for new entrants it was a very useful visa for businesspeople from around the world to enter the UK and invest their £200,000 or £50,000 in a business in the UK and create jobs for British and Settled persons in the UK.

 

With a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa people are able to extend their visa and settle here.

 

It also allows the Tier 1 Entrepreneur to carry out their business activity and employ people to grow their business.

 

As stated above the route is closed for new entrants which makes it even more important when filing your extension or indefinite leave to remain application to be correctly advised on. The benefit of being able to stay in this route is that you can have your family join you and also settle in the UK long-term leading to British nationality.

 

3. What are the requirements for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Extension and Indefinite Leave to Remain Application?

 

To apply for an extension you have to meet many requirements, some of these are eligibility requirements which include but are not limited to:

• registered as a director or as self-employed no more than 6 months after the date you were given permission to stay in the UK under a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa

• can prove you’ve been self-employed, a member of a partnership or working as a director of a business 3 months before you apply

• created at least 2 full time jobs that have existed for at least 12 months

• can continue to support yourself

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You must have invested into 1 or more UK businesses either:

• £200,000 in cash

• £50,000 in cash

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There are various other requirements and evidence that you have to provide in order to satisfy the Home Office that you should be granted an extension under this route which we can advise you on once instructed to act on your behalf.

 

You can apply to settle in the UK after 5 years in this category. Accelerated settlement is available within 3 years for the most successful entrepreneurs who create 10 or more full-time jobs or a business income of £5 million or more. No previous leave in the UK in other visa categories can be used to count towards the settlement residency criteria.

 

For the settlement application after 5 years, you must again provide evidence that you meet the points required by the Home Office in order for you to be allowed to remain permanently in the UK.

 

With the accelerated route you must provide evidence that you have met the requirements within 3 years instead, the evidence that is required is very detailed, but the key point is that if you have created a certain number of jobs or have a certain amount of turnover you can apply under the accelerated route to indefinite leave to remain.

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4. What can NIDO do for you?

 

At NIDO we are here to help and assist you whilst offering you advice when applying for your Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa application. We have experience and the resources to help extend or apply for indefinite leave to remain visa and help your business grow. Our experts guide you through the complicated documents and correspond according to the Home Office requirements.

 

We have assisted many clients under this route and often share on our news the results which we have achieved for our clients.

 

With a dedicated team of Business Immigration Lawyers at NIDO we can guide you with ease on ensuring that your extension or indefinite leave to remain application as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) is filed with the correct evidence to satisfy the Home Office that you should be allowed to continue running your business in the UK.

 

It is important to note that this route has now closed so a failed application means that you cannot reapply again, you can only challenge this by way of an Administrative Review Application which is extremely difficult to have decided in your favour, so it is important to choose NIDO to help you with this application with our experience and knowledge in these applications that we continue to get successful outcomes in.

 

With the offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester, we are one of the very few Business Immigration Solicitors that can be found by businesses around the world as we are listed on the Government's Department for International Trade Platform.

 

Support from NIDO will not come to a stop once you have been granted your extension or settlement as we can continue to help you with advice and assistance for other legal matters such as contracts, sponsor licences and many other legal matters. Unlike other firms we aim to continue supporting you throughout the period that you are in the UK as a Tier 1 Entrepreneur, assisting you and your business in the UK even after you have obtained settlement in the UK.

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5. Fee

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At NIDO, we offer a Professional Service with Reasonable Costs. All of our Fees are excluding VAT where VAT is applicable. For a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Application, our fees are between £3,500 to £5,500. Any costs payable to the Home Office will be advised at the stage when you contact us.