If you wish to invest in the United Kingdom or wish to start a business there a number of routes that are now available, some lead to settlement within a period of 2 years provided certain criteria are met, others will take longer.
If you wish to invest in the United Kingdom or wish to start a business there a number of routes that are now available, some lead to settlement.
This will allow you to stay in the United Kingdom for maximum of 2years, so it does not give rise to settlement under this route but can bring dependent partner and children with them and may be able to progress to the Innovator route which does lead to settlement.
In order to qualify under this route is that a total of 70points is required which are made up of;
Each case is individual, but we can help you in submitting an application under this route. If you have any specific questions or queries in respect of your particular circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will seek to answer that for you
This route does give rise to settlement after 3years and in order to qualify but this does not extend to dependent partners or children who require 5 years.
In order to qualify you will need 70 points. There are two ways of meeting the 70 points
Option 1 is via a new business;
Option 2 which is known as the Same Business route and to qualify under this route you may switch from the Start Up Route or Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) route or seek permission under the Innovator route is last leave was less than 3years.
To qualify you will need 70points made up of;
Each case is individual, but we can help you in submitting an application under this route. If you have any specific questions or queries in respect of your particular circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will seek to answer that for you
This category is for people with high net worth to make a substantial financial investment in the United Kingdom.
There are 3 routes available depending on the level of investments and you will need to show that you score 75points. This is a route to settlement, and this is determined by amount that is invested. 2 years if you invest £10 million, 3 years if you invest £5 million and 5 years if you invest £2 million.
In order to qualify you may switch into this group from having permission as a highly skilled migrant; a Tier 1 (General) migrant; a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant; a Tier 2 migrant and a Child Student.
The main requirements are you must not fall for refusal under general reasons for refusal, you have the funds which belong to you, to your partner or own them jointly. These funds can be transferred freely and converted into sterling and the funds are held in a UK regulated bank.
In addition, you will need to prove where the monies have come from if you or your partner have held them for less than 2 years, but in every case the Home Office will want to verify the source of the monies regardless.
You will also need to provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country that you have lived in for at least 12 months in the last 10 years, this applies to any adult dependants as well.
However, you will not have to meet any English language requirements, nor will you have to show that you have the means to maintenance yourself.
Each case is individual, but we can help you in submitting an application under this route. If you have any specific questions or queries in respect of your particular circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will seek to answer that for you.
Start up Route
This will allow you to stay in the United Kingdom for a maximum of 2 years, so this route does not give rise to settlement.
In order to qualify under this route, a total of 70 points is required which are made up of:
There is also the requirement to have a letter from an endorsing body.
Each case is individual, but we can help you in submitting an application under this route. If you have any specific questions or queries in respect of your particular circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will seek to answer that for you.
Innovator Route
This route does give rise to settlement after 3 years and in order to qualify, you will need 70 points. There are two ways of meeting the 70 points, the first is via a new business where there are 20 points for £50,000 to invest; 10 points for a Business Plan; 10 points for an innovative business, 10 points for a viable and scalable business; 10 points for English at level B2; and 10 points for meeting the financial requirements.
To qualify you could either be the founder or a member of the founding team, provided you have a letter from an endorsing body to confirm this.
The Innovator route is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated, or to which they have significantly contributed. The application must be supported by an endorsing body. An applicant will normally be expected to have funds of at least £50,000 to invest in their business and they must have a key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business. A dependent partner and dependent children can apply on this route. The Innovator route is a route to settlement and only 3 years residency in the UK is required.
70 points are required to qualify under this route; 50 are for the business, 10 for English B2 and 10 for Financial. The points are broken down into 2 different categories, but the Applicant must apply online, pay the fee, surcharge, provide biometrics and if in the UK seeking permission then must not have been or have last had leave as a Visitor; or a Short-term Student; or a Parent of a Child Student; or a Seasonal Worker; or a domestic worker in private household, or outside the Immigration Rules. The Applicant must also meet the suitability requirements, which means that they must not fall foul of Part 9 or be in breach of the Immigration Laws except where Para 39E applies. Also, they must not be on Immigration Bail.
New Business 50 points are made of:
Same Business 50 points are made of:
To be eligible the Applicant may have to provide medical evidence if Appendix T or A39 applies to them. They must be a genuine innovator who can obtain 70 points of which 50 are for the New business or Same Business, 10 for English B2 and 10 for Financial.
Business Plan Requirements - The applicant must provide an endorsement letter from an endorsing body which confirms that either the applicant has generated or made significant contribution to the ideas in the business plan and will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan.
Innovative Requirement requires the applicant to show they have a genuine and original business plan which meets new or existing market demand; the business plan is realistic; the applicant has the skills or is developing to run the business and there is structured planning and of potential job creation and growth into the national market.
Financial Requirement means that they have £50,000 to invest or which has been invested. Where there is more than one applicant, each must show £50,000. This can be evidenced by confirmation from the endorsing body it is providing the funds, or it has verified it is available from a Third Party which can include the application, or it can verify that £50,000 has been invested or that £50,000 can be obtained. The endorsing body has to confirm that the applicant can meet the rules.
Where the applicant funds are from a UK organisation which employs atleast 10 people then a letter must be provided confirming they know the applicant, the amount in sterling they are funding, details of the person providing the information.
Where the organisation is overseas and employs less than 10 people then a signed declaration needs to be obtained from them conforming how they know the applicant, the amount in sterling they are funding, details of the person along with a letter from a lawyer confirming that the declaration and signature is genuine and a bank letter no more than 3months old showing the funds are held in a regulated.
Funds held by the Applicant can be evidenced by bank statements for the last 3 months showing funds are held in a regulated institution in the UK and a letter from the bank which is no more than 1 month old confirming the funds, if it is outside the UK confirming funds can be transferred. If the applicant has held the funds for less than 3months and is relying on other support, then a signed declaration is to be provided.
Invested Funds; if this is the case then evidence by way of accounts and bank statements needs to be produced.
If the funds show that they are available to the applicant’s business, then evidence to show the link to businesses for example in Companies House, unless the endorsing letter confirms it. All funds will be converted to sterling and funds held in institutions not permitted by Appendix Finance will not count.
Must be supported by an endorsing body who can confirm rules have been met and the business is registered at Companies House; the applicant is a Director; the business is active and trading. The endorsing body must also confirm that the applicant is involved in the day-to-day management of the business.
Other Requirements for both are that the Applicant must have English B2 in line with Appendix English Language and in terms of the financial requirements, if the Applicant has been in the UK for more than 12months then they are exempt otherwise they must have £1270 at the date of the application which has been held for more than 28 days in line with Appendix Finance.
If the rules are met, leave will be given for 3 years, the partner (and any children) can enter subject to the partner(s) meeting the requirement of either being married or having lived together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for 2 years which is not in a prohibited degree and they must intend to live together in the UK. The relationship also has to be genuine and subsisting. Any previous relationships must have broken down permanently and any dependent child must be the child of the applicant or partner.
The applicant must have funds to support the dependents, these being £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for any other child which must be held for 28 days or that the sponsor will maintain them for the 1st month, unless they have been in the UK for 12months.
At the end of the 3 years the Applicant along with any dependents may seek settlement.
We can help you deal with the issue of submitting an application under this route as our barristers have experience of Immigration rules and laws and are familiar with the approach of the Home Office. Each case is individual, but we can help you in submitting an application under this route. If you have any specific questions or queries in respect of your particular circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will seek to answer them for you.
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