Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

Overview of Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa was discontinued for new applicants on 25 March 2019, following a Home Office investigation revealing misuse of the route.

Existing Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa holders could apply for an extension until 6 April 2023. This scheme remains relevant for current holders, as they have until 6 April 2025 to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

The Home Office will consider ILR applications beyond this deadline only under exceptional conditions, such as ongoing legal challenges.

For those seeking alternative options, the Innovator Founder visa is available. Our immigration solicitors can provide guidance and support for individuals navigating these immigration pathways.

Qualification for the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

To qualify for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa, applicants with a well constructed business idea were required to demonstrate access to £200,000 for investment in a UK business, maintain adequate funds, and meet a specified English language proficiency.

This visa was available to entrepreneurial teams, sharing the required £200,000 investment, and allowed dependants to accompany the visa holder.

Once granted, the entrepreneur was expected to engage full-time in business operations and create a minimum of two full-time jobs within two years. Additionally, an entrepreneur could establish multiple businesses and potentially qualify for accelerated settlement based on the success of the business.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa ILR

After five years continuous stay in the UK in this category, a Tier 1 Entrepreneur applicant can apply for ILR, (settlement or permanent residence as it is commonly known) subject to the deadline above.

An accelerated route to settlement for particularly successful businesses exists.

Where an entrepreneur’s investment leads to:

1. the creation of at least 10 jobs, or
2. where income from business activity exceeds £5 million during a 3 year period 

the qualification period for ILR is reduced to 3 years. 

If your business was affected by the Covid pandemic and impacted upon your ability to create two jobs, the Home Office has a concession in place so that you are not further penalised. 

If the business created 2 full-time jobs but you had to furlough these staff during the pandemic, you can rely on furloughed employment towards the job creation provided you paid your furloughed staff 80% of their salary. 

Dependants could also apply for ILR if they had completed 5 years continuous stay in the UK.

Entrepreneur applicants must meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirements.

Absences

You should have complied with the conditions of your visa (see above) and have absences from the UK of no more than 180 days in any 12 month period on a rolling basis.

Home Office fees

The application fees are £2885 for all applicants.

What replaced the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa was replaced through various iterances by what is now the Innovator Founder visa. You can read about qualification as an Innovator Founder HERE.