Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
New applications are no longer being accepted into the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route as of March 29, 2019. This data is being kept solely for the purpose of historical research.
Please review the details of the Start-up visa and the Innovator visa if you are a student intending to convert your student visa to a business visa or if you intend to visit the UK in order to establish a company. Reach out to us at 02033844389 if you need assistance with UK business visas.
How to Become Eligible for a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa?
Those who want to apply for a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa must meet the following conditions:
- Support: People who want to apply must get support from either UK Trade and Investment or a recognised UK Higher Education Institution. Higher Education Institutions can only endorse a certain amount of graduates each year, as set by the Home Office. At the moment, only 1,900 spots are available each year.
- Recently graduated and have an idea for a business. Applicants must be college graduates and have a real, believable business idea in order to get a recommendation from a higher education institution.
- Holding a recognised degree. Those who want to apply must have an approved bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree. This qualification should either be a degree from the UK or, if it was earned outside of the UK, a title that UK NARIC has confirmed is of the same level of importance.
- Language and Maintenance Requirements in English. Those who want to become Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneurs must also meet an English language standard and show that they have enough money to live on while they are on the visa. On the other hand, unlike the regular Entrepreneur visa, you don’t have to show proof of any investment funds.
How long does a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur last?
One year is the minimum length of a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa, but it can be extended for another year. Applicants for this extension must get ongoing approval from the supporting Higher Education Institute or the Department for International Trade, which shows that they have made good progress in building their business.
A person with a Graduate Entrepreneur visa can change to a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa to keep growing their business in the UK. People who want to switch from Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur to Tier 1 Entrepreneur can show a lower amount of investment (£50,000 instead of the normal £200,000).
For more information call us at 02033844389.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Restrictions for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
Unlike Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa holders, Graduate Entrepreneur visa holders can work for someone else besides the company they are helping to start, as long as they are not a dentist, doctor-in-training, professional athlete, or sports teacher.
Applicants are also allowed to study, so it is possible to work on a master’s degree part-time while also trying to start a business in the UK.
If you have a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa, you can go anywhere in the world as often as you want.
Like Tier 1 Entrepreneur, almost any kind of business is allowed, but ones that are mostly about building or managing properties are not. Applicants can, however, set up businesses whose main business is building.
Our experienced UK immigration Solicitors can help you with your immigration process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Most of the time, a child needs a visa in order to live in the UK. For instance, if their parent is a foreign national working or studying in the country, the child may need a Child Dependant Visa.
Can family members be part of Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur?
People who apply for this visa can bring their partners and children under 18 with them. They will be given the same amount of time as the main candidate. People in this family will be able to work or start their own businesses in the UK.
Is Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur leads to ILR?
The Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur program does not directly lead to ILR, and it only lets you live in the UK for up to two years.
But because you can move to Tier 1 Entrepreneur with a lower investment rate, it does offer a way to settle down through continued entrepreneurship.
If an applicant doesn’t want to move on to Tier 1 Entrepreneur, they can switch to a different category, like Tier 2 General, as long as they meet certain requirements.
Students who have already lived in the UK for a long time may want to think about this option since time spent in this group can be counted towards the Long Residence route to ILR.
How Can UK Immigration Solicitors help?
Our solicitors can help you with Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur application and also the recommendation process. Moreover, our business support team can write any business plans that are needed during this process. We have also helped many clients move from Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur to Tier 1 Entrepreneur or a different visa of their choice.
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