Wherever you’re coming from in the world, if you want to establish your business and begin operating in the UK, your first priority should be obtaining a relevant visa. Applying for UK business visas is a straightforward process, and is often completed in just a few weeks for representatives of businesses that are already established overseas.
Once you begin taking solid steps to establish your business in the UK, you’ll need to apply for a representative of an Overseas Business visa. These visas are made available to the sole representatives of overseas companies to help them establish themselves in the UK.
To be eligible for this visa you must:
UK government guidelines dictate that if you are coming to the UK as a sole representative, you must:
The visa enables you to work in the UK for three years, with the option to extend it for a further two years as required. Once you have been in the UK for five years, you’ll be able to apply for permanent settled status – ensuring you don’t need any further visas to live and work here.
The UK Government offers a number of other UK business visas that you may be eligible for as an inward investor establishing a business in the UK:
If you’re an entrepreneur with a high-potential business idea that you want to set up in the UK for the first time, this visa might be for you. Currently, start-up visas can be issues for a period of two years, at which point then can be transferred into an Innovator visa.
To successfully apply for this visa, you’ll need to acquire an endorsement from an approved endorsing body. Examples of those include higher education institutions and leading businesses in the UK.
Find out more at gov.uk/start-up-visa
This visa is for established, operational businesses with a minimum of £50,000 funding invested into them – making it a great follow-up for those that established themselves using a start-up visa.
Innovator visas are issued for three years, after which you can either apply for a three-year extension or apply to settle permanently in the UK.
Find out more at gov.uk/innovator-visa
Global Talent visas are available to individuals that are either recognised as a leader or an emerging leader in one of the following fields:
Find out more at gov.uk/global-talent
You can find out more about setting up a business in the UK here.
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Whether you’re looking to locate in Cornwall, or to start exporting beyond its borders, get in touch with our friendly team to talk through your needs.