There are several additional Start-Up visa requirements the person has to comply with in order to get approved. First of all, the applicant has to be at least 18 years old. Also, it will be necessary for them to pass an English language test, which is a requirement for almost every other type of visa as well.

It is also necessary for the applicant to prove they possess the sufficient amount of funds to afford relocation to the United Kingdom. Specifically, unless they have been living in the UK for at least a year before the application, the government requires the person to have £1270 or more in their bank account for twenty-eight days in a row unless their endorsing body confirms they have been awarded funding of at least this amount. This criterion is especially important, as the holders of the Start-up business visa in the UK are not eligible to receive any benefits or public funds.

The most vital and the most tricky criterion relates to the letter issued by the Start-up visa endorsing bodies in the United Kingdom. It requires that every person desiring to obtain the visa should first have their business idea reviewed by one of the authorized bodies. The full list of such bodies is available on the official website of the UK government, and it includes a wide range of organizations, from businesses of all kinds to  the leading universities in the UK.

Endorsement criteria for a UK Start-Up visa

The idea must be innovative, viable and scalable, which has a specific definition under the immigration rules. Choosing the correct endorsing body is crucially important. On the official list of authorized organizations, there are bodies that focus on different markets and industries. It is crucial to study them before making the final decision, as they might have different approaches to taking on applicants. For example, some of them do not issue endorsement letters all year round or only approve entrepreneurs within their niche. Some of the organizations might also offer funding or paid support.

The application process is essentially divided into two stages. The first stage relates to getting an endorsement letter from one of the authorized bodies. In most cases, the person has to contact the organization, provide it with all the required details on the future enterprise and receive an endorsement letter in the positive case scenario. Before contacting an endorsing body, it is necessary to make sure the selected organization is suitable for the company; otherwise, the letter might not be issued.

The second stage relates to obtaining the Start-Up visa itself. The applications are made online on the official website of the UK authorities. It involves providing all the required documents, including the endorsement letter, the proof of having sufficient savings, passing the language test, and others.

As the process is divided into two stages, it is reasonable to divide it into two separate timeframes as well. Forgetting the endorsement letter, the period required for response heavily depends on the organization selected. Some of them review applications extremely fast, while others might require weeks to have everything checked.

As for the Start-Up business visa itself, its time of review depends on whether the person is making the application from within the UK or from overseas. Entrepreneurs who apply from outside the United Kingdom normally get their decisions within three weeks. In case the application is made in the United Kingdom, the period may take up to eight weeks.

Submitting the application correctly is key to receiving the decision quickly. In case the immigration authorities find an issue in the application, they will either need to contact the person to clarify some details or simply refuse to issue the visa. In either case, the process will be prolonged, causing it to exceed the mentioned timeframes.

There are two main fees associated with the process of obtaining the visa. First of all, the visa application fee itself is payable. For those who apply from outside the UK, it costs £435, and the same amount will be charged for every additional person such as the partner and children. In case the person is switching to this visa within the UK from another permitting visa, the fee is £508 for themselves and £508 per additional person.

The second fee is also common for most visas, the Healthcare Surcharge. It must be paid upfront and costs £624 for every adult, and £470 for every child who is under the age of eighteen at the time of application, per year of the visa applied for. The relevant information can be always found on the official website of the authorities as well.

Most commonly, the document is valid for two full years both in cases where the the visa is obtained outside the UK and when it is obtained inside the UK. An exception is where the endorsement is withdrawn. In rare cases, the endorsing bodies are able to contact the authorities and cancel their endorsement, which would result in the visa term being reduced.

It is not possible to extend this visa. The only available option for entrepreneurs who wish to stay in the United Kingdom after their Start-Up visa ends is to switch to the Innovator visa. This is the option for successful entrepreneurs who have managed to build a sustainable business during the period of their lawful stay in the UK.

To obtain the Innovator visa, an approval from the endorsing body will be required. Moreover, the enterprise would need to be operating, while the applicant would need to be actively involved in the business on a daily basis.

This visa allows the applicant to immigrate with their family. It is available both for their partners and children, while the conditions are the same. The dependants will be charged the same fee for the visa. In case the Start-up visa-holder becomes eligible for an Innovator visa, the dependants will also be eligible to switch to dependants on the Innovator visa.

Even though the visa by itself does not lead to settlement in the United Kingdom, it is a part of a route to settlement. It is only valid for two years, but the entrepreneur may later switch to the Innovator visa, which will allow them to apply for the Indefinite Leave to Remain after a qualifying period.

Applying for ILR is not possible immediately after switching to the Innovator visa, as one of the requirements states that the person has to live in the UK with an Innovator visa for at least three years. There is a set of other additional requirements to receive ILR, which are available on the official website of the UK authorities.

G Solutions & Partners offers professional Start-up visa guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs. Our consultants have dozens of successful cases with this specific permitting document and are ready to provide their assistance on every step of the route. Starting from choosing the endorsing body and ending with submitting the application, we are ready to maximize your chances of being approved.