What does UK business immigration include?
UK business immigration refers to visa routes that allow entrepreneurs, business owners, and overseas companies to establish or expand operations in the UK. In recent years, the UK business immigration system has become more targeted and selective, with fewer routes available following the closure of several previous categories. The Innovator Founder visa is now the primary route for individuals who want to start a business in the UK. It is designed for founders with innovative, viable, and scalable business ideas that must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body. Alternatively, an overseas business can establish a UK presence by applying for a UK Expansion Worker visa under the Global Business Mobility route, which replaced the old Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa. There are also indirect business routes, such as the Global Talent visa and the self-sponsorship route through the Skilled Worker visa.
A number of older business immigration routes are no longer available to new applicants. These include the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa, the Tier 1 Investor visa, the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa, the Sole Representative visa, and the Start-up visa. If you hold one of these visas, you may still be able to extend or switch to a current route, but new applications are not accepted. The main business immigration routes currently available are summarised below.
Innovator Founder visa
The Innovator Founder visa is the main route for entrepreneurs who want to set up an innovative business in the UK. To qualify, you must have an endorsement from a Home Office-approved endorsing body confirming that your business idea is innovative, viable, and scalable. There is no minimum investment requirement, but you must demonstrate English language proficiency at CEFR Level B2 and hold at least £1,270 in maintenance funds.
The Innovator Founder visa is initially granted for 3 years and can be extended. One of its key advantages is that it offers an accelerated path to settlement. You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after just 3 years, provided you meet at least two of the seven settlement achievement criteria and your endorsing body confirms your business has been successful.
UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
The UK Expansion Worker visa is part of the Global Business Mobility route. It allows an overseas business to send a senior manager or specialist employee to the UK to set up a new branch or wholly owned subsidiary. The overseas business must normally have been trading for at least 3 years, and the worker must generally have worked for the overseas business for at least 12 months (unless they are a high earner earning £73,900 or more per year).
This visa is temporary as it can only be granted for one year at a time and for a maximum of two years in total. It also does not lead to settlement in the UK. That said, once the UK business is established and trading, the worker would need to switch to another visa route, such as a Skilled Worker visa, if they wish to settle permanently.
There are other visas under the Global Business Mobility route, such as the Senior or Specialist Worker visa and the Graduate Trainee visa. However, these are generally corporate transfer routes rather than traditional business immigration paths. They are designed for intra-company movements within multinational organisations rather than for individuals looking to start their own business.
Other indirect business routes
The Global Talent visa is an option for individuals who are recognised as leaders or emerging leaders in their field. It covers digital technology, academia and research, and arts and culture. While it is not strictly a business visa, it allows holders to be self-employed, start a business, and work flexibly in the UK. It also offers a path to settlement after 3 years for those endorsed as exceptional talent.
The self-sponsorship route is another indirect way to come to the UK for business purposes. Under this route, you set up a UK company, obtain a sponsor licence for that company, and then sponsor yourself for a Skilled Worker visa. This route is complex because it requires both a successful sponsor licence application and a Skilled Worker visa application. The company must be genuine and active, and the role must meet the skill level and salary requirements of the Skilled Worker route.
