Successful Sponsor Licence Application
Efficient and helpful. Amer and his Team are quick to respond to queries, even over the weekends and at night. Sponsor Licence granted after only 4 weeks. Thanks.
Daniel Johnson
UK Start Up Visa
Choose Cranbrook Legal when you require talented and experienced solicitors to assist you in obtaining a Startup visa for the UK. We have an impressive success rate of securing visas for our clients, and will guide you through every step of the process.
Table Of Contents
When you are interested in securing a Start-up visa for you and your family, please don’t hesitate to consult our highly capable immigration lawyers.
The UK Startup visa is aimed at current or prospective migrants to the UK with an interest in establishing a business in the UK for the first time. In this respect it differs from the Innovator visa, which was conceived with more experienced businesspeople in mind.
Our skilled and knowledgeable immigration solicitors in central London can offer creative solutions, and can help prepare business plans to assist applicants in obtaining a Startup visa for the UK.
We have an impressive UK Start up visa success rate, which is largely attributable to the sheer comprehensiveness of our services for clients seeking this visa. We project manage all of our clients’ cases from start to finish, charging a pre-agreed fixed fee, to help ensure both financial predictability for our clients, and a positive outcome from their application.
We realise that the process of attempting to obtain a Start up visa for the UK can be intimidating, and that you may be unsure of your ability to satisfy the Home Office’s requirements.
This is why it is such a good idea to work with skilled lawyers who know how to get endorsement for a UK Startup visa, and who even work closely with Endorsing Bodies to help win endorsement for their clients.
Our solicitors and specialists at Cranbrook Legal are well-informed and experienced in all aspects of immigration law; indeed, we are regularly approached by media outlets to comment on UK immigration issues. You will therefore be in the best possible hands if you choose to work with us when seeking a Startup visa for the UK.
We employ talented Start up visa UK lawyers who have a dynamic and progressive mindset, and who are dedicated to delivering a positive outcome for our clients seeking this visa. This, in turn, helps our clients to carve out a better and brighter future for themselves and their families in the UK.
Another distinctive and advantageous aspect of our service for those interested in securing this visa, is how closely we work with UK Start up visa Endorsing Bodies. This has been a key factor in our strong UK Start up visa success rate, including in securing endorsement for our clients’ businesses or business ideas.
For a more detailed discussion of how our Startup visa UK lawyers can help you get this visa, please don’t hesitate to arrange a consultation with us. With our services in this area ranging from devising creative solutions to helping with the preparation of business plans, we really do offer the complete service for people interested in being approved for this visa.
The Start up visa for the UK was introduced at the end of March 2019. This visa category is aimed at individuals who wish to start a business in the UK for the first time, and differs from the Innovator visa in that it is not designed for more experienced businesspersons. Indeed, there is no financial investment requirement with this visa, and nor must the applicant even have a university degree.
Those coming to the UK on a Start-up visa, or who switch to this visa from another visa while already in the UK, will be entitled to stay in the UK for two years. This visa cannot be extended; if, however, you wish to remain in the UK for longer than the initial two years, you may have the option of switching to the Innovator visa, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
As a holder of the Startup visa in the UK, you will be entitled to do the following:
Start-up visa holders cannot, however:
Successful applicants will receive a complete list of what they do and don’t have the right to do as a holder of this visa.
Applications for the UK Startup visa are open to would-be migrants interested in establishing an innovative business in the UK. “Innovative” means a business or business idea that differs from anything else on the market.
The other Start up visa requirements for the UK include the following:
With regard to the need to support yourself while in the UK, you are required to have had a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days, prior to submitting your application. You will also be subject to this requirement if you have spent less than a year in the UK and are applying to switch to the Start-up visa.
‘Endorsement’ refers to the process by which a Home Office-approved Endorsing Body approves and supports your business or business idea when you are attempting to secure a Start up visa for the UK.
You must obtain an endorsement for your business or business idea from one of the Startup visa UK endorsing bodies on UK Visas and Immigration’s official list, before you will be permitted to apply for the visa itself.
This endorsement process will entail you presenting a detailed business plan, which the Endorsing Body will assess – alongside any supporting documentation –to consider whether your business or business idea satisfies the below criteria:
The Endorsing Body will need to be sure that your UK Start up visa business plan is genuinely innovative, for example, at the same time as meeting market needs or carving out a competitive advantage in an existing market.
Applicants must also convince the Endorsing Body of the viability of their business idea, including by showing that they possess, or are developing the skills needed to run a successful business. Evidence will need to be presented, too, to show that the business has sufficient opportunity for growth through structured planning. For more information, please call 0208 215 0053.
Why Customers Love Us ?
Successful Sponsor Licence Application
Efficient and helpful. Amer and his Team are quick to respond to queries, even over the weekends and at night. Sponsor Licence granted after only 4 weeks. Thanks.
Daniel Johnson
Care Home Sponsor Licence Application!
We used Cranbrook Legal for the processing of a Sponsor Licence Application. We are a Health Care provider and have faced huge difficulties in recruiting for our Care Homes. Amer and his team were quick to identify the documents needed for our specific case and they were able to prepare a really strong application. I have no doubt that the really good Cover Letter convinced the Home Office to approve our Application. Thanks again, superb work!
Sophie Barton
ILR Application
Thanks to Amer and team for all help given to me my indefinite visa and British citizenship : so many solicitor tell me that British Nationality is impossible for me but Amer looked at my file and took care and fight with Home Office and in the end they give up and give me British Nationality .thank you for Amer and Cranbrook team
Hossan Ali
Before you will be able to apply for a Start up visa in the UK, you are required to receive endorsement for your business or business idea from a Home Office-approved body known as an Endorsing Body. A list of approved Endorsing Bodies for the UK Start up visa can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Our Startup visa UK solicitors at Cranbrook Legal have an excellent track record of helping our clients to secure endorsement from Endorsing Bodies, so that they can then proceed to the visa application itself. We achieve this through a combination of specialised knowledge, creativity, and our close relationships with Endorsing Bodies, which enables us to understand what is required to produce a positive outcome from a bid for endorsement.
We treat all of our clients with care, dignity and total transparency, and project manage their cases from start to finish, to help achieve the best possible result for their needs. Our work with clients in this area includes assisting with the preparation of business plans, so that the client can be confident of winning endorsement.
If an Endorsing Body has assessed your business or business idea and concluded that it fulfils the requirements for endorsement, it will issue you with an endorsement letter. You will then need to provide this endorsement letter to the Home Office as part of your application for a UK Start up visa.
The endorsement letter that you include in your visa application must include all of the below information:
Our Start up visa UK lawyers can advise you on this stage of seeking to achieve this visa, including ensuring that the endorsement letter you receive complies with the rules.
Achieving endorsement will not be your final point of contact with the Endorsing Body, as the rules require that you then remain in touch with the Endorsing Body at certain intervals. If contact is missed, or if you fail to make reasonable progress with your business during your time on the visa, the Endorsing Body is required to inform the Home Office of this.
Please note that if at any point during your stay in the UK, your endorsement letter is withdrawn by the Endorsing Body, this may result in your visa being cut short. That, in turn, would mean you having to apply again with a new endorsement letter prior to the expiry of your current visa. Even if you are successful in being endorsed again and being granted a new visa, you will only be permitted to stay for a total of two years.
Why Choose Us For Your Start Up Visa?
One of the most important documents you will need to submit to the Home Office when you apply for a UK Startup visa, is an endorsement letter from one of the approved UK Start up visa Endorsing Bodies. This letter will serve as proof that an Endorsing Body has assessed and approved your business or business idea.
As an applicant for this visa, you will also be expected to provide:
If your documents are in a language other than English or Welsh, a certified translation of these documents must also be provided.
If either of the following conditions apply, you will need a blank page in your passport for your visa:
Please note that the above is not necessarily an exhaustive rundown of all the documents you will require when applying for a UK Start up visa; further documents may be requested, depending on your circumstances.
In order to secure a UK Startup visa, you must obtain endorsement for your business or business idea from one of the Home Office’s approved Endorsing Bodies.
You will not, however, be able to get endorsement unless the Endorsing Body is convinced that your business venture is genuinely innovative, viable and scalable, in line with the Start up visa requirements for the UK.
This will necessitate you preparing a genuine, original business plan that satisfies new or existing market needs, and/or creates a competitive advantage. This business plan must also be realistic and achievable in light of your own available resources.
As an applicant for the Startup visa for the UK – and for endorsement –you are also required to possess, or to be actively developing, the skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness needed to be successful in running the business. In addition, you must present the Endorsing Body with evidence that you have planned your business in a structured way, and of potential for job creation and growth into national markets.
If you currently lack a business plan or are not convinced that your present business plan would satisfy the requirements, please don’t hesitate to book a consultation with our Start up visa UK solicitors.
We have an excellent success rate when it comes to preparing and assisting with applications for endorsement and this visa. We can help prepare your business plan, bringing our own creativity and specialised knowledge, while working closely with your chosen Endorsing Body to maximise your chances of securing endorsement.
Applications for the Start up visa for the UK must be submitted online. The process of applying for the visa differs depending on whether you are outside the UK and are coming to the UK, or you are already in the UK and seeking to switch to the Start-up visa from a different visa.
It is also possible to include your partner and children in your application to remain in the UK, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements.
You will be required to pay the relevant Start-up visa application fee, which differs depending on the applicant’s circumstances and where they are applying from.
The current fees are below; this fee must be paid for each person who applies at the same time as you, or who applies at a later date to join you in the UK.
| Who you’re applying for | Apply (outside the UK) | Switch (in the UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Yourself | £363 | £493 |
| Your partner and children | £363 | £493 each person |
The above application fee for your own particular situation will be automatically £55 less if you are from one of the below countries:
Please note, however, that the above discount will only apply to your own application for a UK Startup visa. The full fee will still need to be paid for your partner and children’s applications for this visa.
It is also necessary for applicants for the UK Start up visa to pay the healthcare surcharge. You can use the GOV.UK website to calculate the amount you will be required to pay, prior to lodging your visa application.
If you are already in the UK and you are applying to switch to the Start-up visa, you may also need to pay £100 to £200, so that you can have your biometric information – including fingerprints and a photograph – taken.
The process of applying for a Startup visa for the UK will necessitate you gathering the documents the Home Office expects for this application, including in order to prove your identity.
It is therefore important to allow the time required for you to do this, especially if an appointment is required. You’ll learn if you need to arrange an appointment when you begin your application.
Once you have submitted your online application for a UK Start up visa, in addition to proving your identity and supplying the required documents, you can generally expect the following timeframe for a decision on your visa:
If it is necessary for you to attend an appointment, you might have the option of paying for a quicker decision. The process for requesting this differs depending on whether you are inside or outside the UK. For more information, please call 0208 215 0053.
What Our Customers Say About Us
Excellent service from Cranbrook Legal! They were incredibly patient, thorough, and detailed with my endorsement application. Their support and guidance throughout the entire process were invaluable.
Paing Phyo Thiha
Very good experience, despite never even meeting or seeing the lawyers (phone/zoom/email). They were very meticulous in checking all our documents were complete, and my VISA
Auri
The British spousal visa process is a horrendous ordeal full of incomplete and misleading information, traps and pitfalls designed to make only the smartest (or richest)
Tom Dennehy
Excellent experience with Cranbrook and Bilal - acquired our visa sponsorship license and then sponsored a candidate with their assistance. Whole process was very smooth and
Ben Anderson
If the Home Office is convinced that you satisfy all of the suitability and eligibility requirements for the UK Start up visa, the application will be approved.
In the event of your visa application being refused, you will be entitled to apply for Administrative Review of this decision. If this is your situation, please contact our Startup visa UK lawyers for a more detailed discussion of how we can assist you in achieving a positive outcome.
As a holder of the Start-up visa, whether you come to the UK on this visa or you switch to this category from another visa while already in the UK, you will have the right to stay in the country for two years. It is important to note that this visa cannot be extended, so you will need to consider your options if you wish to remain in the UK for longer.
Our capable and experienced Startup visa UK lawyers can assist and advise you, so that you take the route that best suits the needs of you and your family. You might have the option of applying for an Innovator visa, for instance, which can lead to settlement in the UK. However, progressing onto an Innovator visa will depend on fulfilling certain requirements, including having established a business while on a Start-up visa, and having a day-to-day involvement in it.
It is also important to be aware that if at any point during your two years on the Start-up visa, your Endorsing Body decides to withdraw their endorsement of your business, your visa may be cut short. This would necessitate you reapplying with a new endorsement prior to the expiry of your current visa. However, even if the Home Office does grant you a new visa with a new endorsement, you will still only be permitted to stay for a total of two years.
The UK officially left the European Union (EU) on 31January 2020; the subsequent transition period, during which the UK continued to adhere to many EU rules, continued until 31 December 2020.
These changes have had certain implications for would-be and existing migrants in the UK, including those taking advantage of the Start-up visa route.
If you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, and you or a family member began living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be entitled to apply to the Government’s free EU Settlement Scheme.
For most people, the deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021. You can still apply to the scheme if either of the following conditions apply:
If for any reason you are not able to still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, you will need a visa in order to work in the UK. Please note that if you are an Irish citizen, you do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Unlike the Innovator visa, the UK Startup visa is not subject to a financial investment requirement, as it is aimed at less experienced businesspeople and prospective entrepreneurs.
What the Start-up visa does have in common with the Innovator visa is a need for the applicant to set out a business idea that is innovative, viable and scalable, differing from anything else presently on the market. Achieving this is likely to depend on having a certain level of investment funds available to draw upon.
In addition, some Endorsing Bodies may refuse to endorse you unless you have a particular amount of funds.
It is also important to note that the Home Office requires candidates for the Start-up visa to be able to adequately support themselves during their time in the UK. You must have had a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days prior to applying for the visa, or if you have spent less than a year in the UK and are applying to switch to this visa.
You must secure endorsement for your business or business idea from a valid Endorsing Body, before you will be allowed to apply for a Start up visa for the UK.
UK Visa and Immigration – which is part of the Home Office –maintains a list of Endorsing Bodies that are authorised to give endorsement to applicants for this visa category.
Achieving endorsement from one of these Endorsing Bodies depends on you convincing the Endorsing Body that your business or business idea meets the Home Office’s requirements – including that it is innovative, viable and scalable.
Our Start up visa UK lawyers enjoy a close relationship with Endorsing Bodies, which – together with our client-centred service, creativity and help with preparing business plans – has enabled us to achieve a high success rate when it comes to ensuring endorsement for our clients. Please get in touch with our immigration solicitors and specialists today to find out more.
If you decide that the UK Startup visa is the most suitable route for you and your needs, an application process is necessary in order to obtain this visa.
Even before you will be permitted to apply, however, you will be required to win endorsement for your business or business idea from an authorised body known as an Endorsing Body. UK Visas and Immigration maintains a list of approved UK Start up visa Endorsing Bodies.
Depending on your circumstances, requirements and level of business experience, the Start-up visa may not turn out to be the most suitable route for you. The GOV.UK website provides a handy tool for determining whether you require a visa in order to visit, study or work in the UK, and it may be that an alternative – such as the Innovator visa – represents a better match to your needs.
You will not be able to obtain a Start-up visa – and before that, the associated endorsement –unless you have a business or business idea that satisfies the Home Office’s requirements.
If you are to secure endorsement on the way to being granted the Start-up visa itself, not only must your business be innovative, but it must also be viable and scalable. With regard to the requirement for innovation, your business plan must be genuine and original, meeting new or existing market needs and/or creating a competitive advantage.
Our lawyers can help you to put together a genuinely innovative UK Startup visa business plan that will stand a strong chance of success with Endorsing Bodies.
We can help you to ensure your business or business idea is innovative enough to satisfy the Start up visa requirements for the UK. This will include making sure the business is offering something more than mere competition for similar local traders, and that there is a need for your business that is not already being fulfilled in the UK market.
Subject to them meeting the eligibility requirements, it is possible for your partner and children to apply to join you, or to accompany you in the UK as your ‘dependents’.
If your partner or child is successful in being approved to join you through this route, their visa will expire on the same date as yours.
For the purposes of applying for a visa for them through this route, a dependant partner or child is considered to be any of the below:
The Home Office will expect you to supply evidence of your relationship with your dependents as part of the application.
UK Start up visa Endorsing Bodies vary widely in terms of the fees that they charge, and what form these charges may take. Your chosen Endorsing Body might charge a specific fee, or no fee at all.
Our Start up visa UK lawyers can help maximise financial certainty for you during the process of seeking to obtain this visa, by charging a fixed fee for the complete service. We work closely with Endorsing Bodies to secure endorsement for our clients, and will agree a fee with you at the outset of your case, before project managing your case from start to finish.
By choosing to work with our Start up visa UK solicitors, you will have the assurance of benefitting from the highest level of expertise, with no hidden charges or costs. To learn more about our complete service, please call 0208 215 0053.
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