Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Extension

If time is running out on your Tier 1 entrepreneur visa then it is time to extend. The visa itself gives the option of extending the original term. The eligibility criteria are somewhat different for extending the visa than the conditions that were required for the original application. The changes are to reflect the different nature of your circumstances since you have had some time working in your business that you proposed in the original application. In this article, we investigate the criteria changes that will affect your application and also investigate how we can help you.

Eligibility criteria

At your first application, you would have been required to meet the investment criteria and business planning required to start a business in the UK, you would also need the seed capital to get it started. At the extension stage, UKBA officials are keenly aware that if you get the extension you will be able to apply for permanent residence at the end (if it takes you over 5 years). With this in mind, UKBA officials are looking to see how you have done in your business since moving to the UK. Laid out below are the extension criteria;

• Met the original criteria as laid out in your original application
• Registered as a director or self-employed no more than 6 months after the date you were given permission to stay
• Proof of self-employment or acting as a member of a partnership or working as a director of a business three months before application.
• Created at least 2 full-time jobs that have existed for more than 12 months.
• Invested into one or more UK businesses £200,000 in cash or £50,000 if the initial applications were based on having funds from an approved source.

Though strict, this criterion is put in place to ensure that you have carried out business in accordance with the regulations that the visa was issued within the 1st place. As long as you have carried out your business in accordance with the requirements then you should be granted extended leave on your visa. With our help, you can ensure that your application is exactly as required to satisfy even the strictest of officials of your genuine ability to run and continue to grow your business here in the UK.

How we can help

Our immigration solicitors have the right mix of skills and experience in applications to ensure that yours is on the right track. We can help to guide your application every step of the way and ensure that it meets the strict criteria required to gain the extension to your visa.

So if you have a visa or immigration related query no matter stage you are at, get in touch and see how we can help to get you the results that you need to enter, live and work in the UK.