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What are the New Start-up and Innovator routes?
SUSHMA AWTANI >
Consultant Partner & Family & Senior Immigration Solicitor
Fri 3 May 2019
Sushma Awtani is a Senior Immigration Solicitor at Taylor Rose TTKW and has over 20 years of experience in Immigration law.
29th March 2019 saw the end of the Entrepreneur visa. After several decades, it has been abolished. It's replacement however are the new Start-up and Innovator routes.
The Start-up and Innovator visa categories are for non-EEA nationals wishing to set up a business in the UK.
The Start-up Visa
The Start-up category is for early-stage but high potential entrepreneurs who are starting a business in the UK for the first time.
You can apply for a Start-up visa if you want to set up a business in the UK. There is no specific/minimum amount of investment required, but maintenance for the applicant and their dependants must be shown.
You need to have an endorsement from an endorsing body and you must first establish which endorsing body to apply to and in what category (please contact us for the list of endorsing bodies). The endorsing body looks for innovation, viability and scalability.
You can stay in the UK for two years on a Start-up visa.
| You can | You Cannot |
|---|---|
|
1. Bring family members with you |
1. Get public funds |
|
2. Switch to this visa from some other visa categories |
2. Work as a doctor or dentist in training |
|
3. Work in another job, as well as working for your business |
3. Work as a professional sportsperson, for example, a sports coach |
|
4. Settle in the UK on this visa |
The Innovator Visa
The Innovator category is for more experienced business people seeking to establish a business in the UK and similar to the Start-up category, applicants would be required to obtain an endorsement by an approved body before applying for immigration permission. The applicant’s endorsement letter must confirm that the endorsing body has assessed the applicant’s business proposal.
The innovator visa is aimed as a replacement of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) category. The minimum amount of investment is reduced from £200,000 to £50,000. In addition, the applicant will need to demonstrate maintenance funds for themselves and their dependants.
Successful applicants would be granted a three-year permission leave followed by a further three years at the extension stage. There’s no limit on the number of times you can extend. After five years in the category, migrants under the Innovator route would be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK (ILR).
|
You Can |
You Cannot |
|---|---|
|
1. Set up a business or several businesses |
1. Do any work outside your business, for example, work where you’re employed by another business |
|
2. Work for your business - this includes being employed as a director, or self-employed |
2. Work as a doctor or dentist in training |
|
3. Bring family members with you |
3. Work as a professional sportsperson, for example, a sports coach |
|
4. Get public funds |
To book a consultation for further information on recent and forthcoming changes to UK Immigration law, please contact Sushma Awtani on 020 7400 7725.
