Because of varied legislation modifications related to immigration in UK, the Tier 1 Visa for Graduates in UK has been recently replaced with the Start-up visa for non-EU/EEA citizens interested in opening a business in this country. For the moment, the Tier 1 visa for investors in UK presents the same conditions and requirements that can be explained by one of our immigration solicitors in London. Our advisors can deal with all the immigration issues you might confront at a certain point, so you can address your inquiries at any time.
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Short facts about the former Tier 1 visa for graduates in UK
Foreign students who graduated in UK had the chance to set up their businesses by applying for a specific type of visa, the Tier 1 visa for graduates. The UK Trade and Investment, alongside UK Higher Education Institution, were in charge of establishing the eligibility criteria and control the visa application process. This kind of visa had a validity of one year, with the possibility of renewing it before the expiry date. A series of conditions had to be measured for obtaining this type of visa, like having a Ph. D degree, or any other high education degree, a satisfactory level of English knowledge, plus other related requirements. At the moment, graduates cannot apply for this kind of visa, but they can solicit information about the UK start-up visa, the newly introduced visa, from our London immigration lawyer.
What is a start-up visa for UK?
As explained earlier, the Tier 1 visa for graduates in UK was replaced by the Start-up visa for UK, mentioning that non-EU citizens must switch the existing visa with the new one. Here is information about the Start-up visa for UK and the conditions that must be considered at the time of application:
- Start-up visa replaces the Tier 1 Visa for Graduate Entrepreneur, the Tier 4 (General) student visa, the standard visitor visa, and any Tier 2 visa;
- Meeting specific English language requirements is still an available condition;
- Such a visa can be obtained by foreign citizens of at least 18 years of age who graduated in UK;
- One must have at least GBP 945 in a bank account for 3 months before the visa application;
- A tuberculosis test is mandatory;
- All travel or personal documents must be translated into English.
All the requirements for the new type of visa can be entirely explained by our London immigration lawyer. They can also help you switch the former visa to the Start-up visa for graduates in UK.
Presenting the business idea prior to the visa application
Another important condition for obtaining the Start-up visa for UK is to present the business idea, in order to obtain the endorsement letter from the entitled bodies in UK. All the business plans offered by newly graduates in UK are attentively selected and verify by empowered institutions. This is a process that involves market research, the viability of the products, and if the business presents chances for development in the country. It is important to know that numerous endorsing bodies sustain the entrepreneurial growth in UK and support innovation and start-up ideas. The government in UK provides a list of authorized endorsing bodies that can be accessed at any time by foreign graduates willing to start their entrepreneurial careers in UK. For a better understanding of the conditions for obtaining the Start-up visa that replaced the Tier 1 visa for Graduates in UK, you can address your requests to our UK immigration lawyer.
English knowledge for obtaining the Start-up visa
Having a satisfactory level of English language is among the conditions for obtaining a Start-up visa. One must prove he/she passed the CEFR approved language test and acquired at least level B2 in writing, reading, listening, and speaking in English. There are also exceptions of proving the English knowledge for citizens from the Bahamas, Canada, Guyana, Belize, Jamaica, USA, New Zealand, Grenada, Barbados, Australia, Dominican Republic, plus many others.
We have gathered some interesting facts and figures about the immigration in UK, as revealed by recent reports offered by the Office for National Statistics:
- more than 642,000 citizens moved to UK in 2019, while approximately 402,000 left the country;
- more than 20,000 citizens received humanitarian protection in UK, as data for the year ending December 2019 revealed;
- most of the citizens who relocated to UK in 2019 declared the intention of living in UK for at least 12 months;
- the number of non-EU students increased since 2016, around 228,000 being registered in the year ending September 2019.
Foreign graduates in UK who want to know more about how to obtain the Start-up visa that replaced the Tier 1 Visa for graduates in UK are invited to talk to our team of immigration solicitors in London. Feel free to contact us.
