Start-up visa

The UK Start-up visa is for individuals wanting to set up their first business in the UK. It replaces the old Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa.  The start-up visa is not open to anyone that has previously established a business in the UK, unless they are switching from the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) category.  Unlike the Graduate Entrepreneur visa, the Start-up visa does not require you to have a degree or to have £50,000 to invest.   But it does require you to demonstrate high potential, and to be endorsed by one of the listed Endorsing Bodies. 

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/endorsing-bodies-start-up/start-up

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The endorsing bodies include universities, who generally only endorse their own graduates, and incubator/Venture Capital funds who generally only endorse companies in which they have an equity stake.

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The application process for the Start-up visa is in two stages.

 

Stage 1:  Apply to an Endorsing Body & get endorsed.

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Stage 2:  Apply for the visa, within 3 months of receiving the endorsement.

 

To get endorsed, you will need a business plan, and probably also a good  presentation that pitches your idea, and shows why it is viable, innovative and scalable,

 

We can help with both stages of the process.