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Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1)

Important: applications for new Entrepreneur Visas (Tier 1) are now closed. However, existing holders may be able to extend their visa, apply to bring dependants to the UK or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Entrepreneur Visas (Tier 1) were primarily targeted at individuals who were looking to start or take over a business in the UK. If you wish to apply for a new visa in order to be able to set up or take control of a business in the UK, you may wish to consider applying for an Innovator Founder Visa.

How can I extend an existing Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1)?

If you currently have a valid Entrepreneur Visa, you may be able to extend it if:

  • your current visa has not expired
  • you registered as self-employed or director of a company within six months of being permitted to stay in the UK on your initial Entrepreneur Visa
  • you are able to show evidence that you were either a company director, member of a partnership or self-employed three months prior to your application for an extension
  • your business activities have resulted in the creation of a minimum of two full-time jobs that have existed for a minimum of one year
  • you can prove you are still able to support yourself

In addition, to be eligible for extension you will have to prove that you have invested either £50,000 or £200,000 in a UK business or businesses. This amount is dependent on the information you provided in your application for your initial Entrepreneur Visa.

If your partner or child already holds a visa on the basis of your Entrepreneur Visa, they will have to apply for their own visa extension/s; your extension application alone will not apply to them.

UK Visas and Immigration application fees for extension of an Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1) are £1486 when applying from inside the UK, and £1191 from outside the UK.

Once an application for extension has been submitted, it will usually receive a decision within 8 weeks.

How can I bring dependants to the UK with my Entrepreneur Visa?

Holders of an Entrepreneur (Tier 1) Visa are permitted to be joined by their dependant family members, who must submit their own application. Dependant family members are considered to be:

  • your partner
  • your child under the age of 18
  • your child over the age of 18, providing they are already in the UK as a dependant

In order for dependants to be eligible to come to the UK on the basis of your Entrepreneur Visa, you must provide evidence that they will be financially supported for the first year that they will be in the UK.

You must show that you have £1890 for each dependant you wish to bring to the UK, whether they are an adult or a child. This money must have been in your or your dependant’s bank account for a minimum of 90 days before submission of a visa application.

The application fee (which is separate from the financial support you must provide evidence of) is £1486 when applying from inside the UK, and £1191 from outside the UK.

It usually takes up to eight weeks to receive a decision on this visa. Family members who are already in the UK may be eligible to pay £1000 for a ‘super priority’ service in order to receive a decision within two working days.

If you have a child who was born in the UK while you were living in the country on an Entrepreneur Visa, you can submit an application on their behalf to add them to your visa as your dependant.

Discuss your options with an immigration solicitor

Demetris Demetriou

Demetris is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK (Solicitor) and Cyprus (Advocate) with 10+ years of experience in UK immigration. He completed his legal studies at University College London and City University London. Over the course of his career, he held key roles as Head of Immigration at Legal 500 firms and within the Big4, overseeing teams of 15+ fee earners handling 2000+ applications annually.

Demetris went on to co-establish his firm in London and continues to offer innovative solutions and strategic immigration planning to multinationals, SMEs, and private clients.

He personally represented 1500+ clients in 30+ visa routes including investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, sole representatives, students, family visas, global talent, UK ancestry, administrative reviews and appeals. Demetris has managed corporate relocations, conducted immigration law training and implemented post-Brexit immigration policies for corporate clients.

Demetris has been featured in various events and publications focusing on UK immigration, notably at the Cambridge Network, the Westminster Policy Forum and most recently at DGEMS, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.

Tatiani Preifelt

Tatiani has a wealth of expertise in global mobility and corporate immigration. Her ample skills were acquired within leading immigration practices including three out of the Big4 firms in both the UK and Sweden. Tatiani went on to co-establish her firm in London where she continues to advise clients predominantly in corporate, business and skilled work migration.

Having personally relocated to 10 different countries, Tatiani understands the importance of an expedient and successful immigration process and takes pride in delivering a seamless experience to her clients as well.

Over the course of her career, she has assisted over 500 individuals and businesses to obtain the appropriate visa permits in the UK.

Her awarded academic work at The University of Oxford, The London School of Economics, and at The Geneva University is in the fields of Political Science, International Human Rights Law, and Global Migration Governance.

She regularly provides immigration training and has recently participated as a speaker and panellist at DGEMS 2023, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.