Point Based System(PBS) Visas

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa if:

• you want to set up or run a business in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

You can come to the UK with a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months. You can apply to extend this visa for another 2 years if you’re already in this category and 3 years if you’re switching to it from another category. You may be able to apply for settlement (known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) once you’ve been in the UK for 5 years. You must have access to £50,000/£2,00,000 investment funds to apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa.

Your funds must be: You can apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa if you have access to £50,000/£200,000 in investment funds and you can prove that the money is either:

• held in one or more regulated financial institutions for £50,000 category
• free to spend (‘disposable’) on business in the UK
• your own or
• made available to you by other people (‘third parties’), such as a spouse, partner or investor in a joint account with your spouse or partner but only if they aren’t applying for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa for £2,00,000 category
• The funds must be held in the UK if you’re applying for leave to remain

What you can do

• set up or take over the running of one business or more
• work for your business, including being self-employed, but you should check your work meets the conditions of being self-employed
• bring family members with you


Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:

• you want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
You must have access to at least £2,000,000 in investment funds to apply.
You can come to the UK with a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months.

What you can do:
• invest £2,000,000 or more in UK government bonds, share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies
• work or study
• apply to settle after 2 years if you invest £10 million
• apply to settle after 3 years if you invest £5 million

You must have at least £2,000,000 investment funds to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa.
You must:
• be 18 or over to apply for this visa
• be able to prove that the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner
• have opened a UK bank account

Your funds must be:
• held in one or more regulated financial institutions
• free to spend (‘disposable’) in the UK
Your money can be in the UK or overseas when you apply.

You may be able to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if you’re already in the UK and you’re:
• a Tier 4 (General) visa holder
• a student nurse
• studying, writing up a thesis or re-sitting an exam
• a postgraduate doctor or dentist
• an overseas qualified nurse or midwife
• a student sabbatical officer

You must have unconditional agreement in writing from your financial sponsor to re-enter or stay in the UK if your course fees and living costs were paid by either:
• a government
• an international scholarship agency

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa if you:
• are a graduate who has been officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea
• are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

You must be endorsed by either:
• the Department for International Trade (DIT) as part of the elite global graduate entrepreneur programme (Sirius)
• a UK higher education institution (HEI) if it’s an authorised endorsing body

The eligibility requirements for this visa depend on who is endorsing you.

Endorsement by a UK higher education institution (HEI)

You need all of the following to be eligible:
• a UK-recognised bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD awarded before your date of endorsement
• endorsement from an authorised UK higher education institution issued in the past 3 months
• £945 in savings if applying from inside the UK, or £1,890 if applying from outside the UK - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply
• to meet the English language requirement
• permission to remain in the UK from your financial sponsor if they’re a government or an international scholarship agency and have paid your course fees and living costs in the past 12 months

Endorsement by the Department for International Trade (DIT)

You need all of the following to be eligible:
• a degree qualification that’s recognised as being equal to a UK bachelor’s degree
• criteria set by DIT
• endorsement from DIT issued in the past 3 months
• £945 in savings if applying from inside the UK or £1,890 if applying from outside the UK - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply
• to meet the English language requirement

Extend your visa

You can apply to extend your stay in the UK under the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa. You should include any dependants who are on your current visa on your application to extend - including children who have turned 18 during your stay. A Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa can be extended for one year.

You may be able to switch into a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa at the end of your 2 years as a Graduate Entrepreneur if your business is successful.

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa if you’ve been endorsed in your field in science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology or the arts as:

• A recognised leader (exceptional talent)
• An emerging leader (exceptional promise)
You must also be from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Application process
• There’s a 2-stage application process to get this visa.
• You first need to apply to the Home Office for endorsement as a leader or an emerging leader in your particular field.
• Then, once you have been endorsed, you can apply for the visa.
• There are limited places available under this visa category, with 500 places released on both 6 April and 1 October each year.
• A Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa can be extended for up to 5 years.

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply to come to the UK as a representative of an overseas business if you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland and you’re either:
• the sole representative of an overseas company planning to set up a UK branch or a wholly owned subsidiary for an overseas parent company
• an employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation posted on a long-term assignment to the UK
You can come to the UK for an initial period of 3 years.
You may be able to extend your visa for another 2 years.
After you’ve been in the UK for 5 years, you can apply for permission to settle permanently in the UK.

You can:
• work for your employer, full time
• bring your family (‘dependants’) with you to the UK
• extend your visa multiple times
• apply to settle in the UK after you’ve been here for 5 years
• stay in the UK if your company’s circumstances change and you’ve been here for more than 2 years (for example if they appoint a superior in the UK)

You can’t:
• work for yourself or any other business
• stay in the UK if the sole representative arrangement is ended by your employer
• switch to this visa from any other visa category
• get public funds

Eligibility
To be eligible for this visa you must:
• apply from outside the EEA
• have enough money to support yourself without help from public funds
• meet the English requirement

If you are coming to the UK as a sole representative you must:
• be recruited and employed outside the UK by a company whose headquarters and principal place of business are outside the UK
• have extensive related industry experience and knowledge
• hold a senior position within the company (but not be a major shareholder) and have full authority to make decisions on its behalf
• intend to establish the company’s first commercial presence in the UK, eg a registered branch or a wholly owned subsidiary

You may also be eligible if the company has a legal entity in the UK that doesn’t employ staff or transact business.
If your company has been working to establish a UK branch or subsidiary, but it is not yet set up, you can replace a previous sole representative.

Newspaper, news agency or broadcast employees

As an employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation, you can come to the UK if you’re being posted here on a long-term assignment.
You can prove your knowledge of English by either:
• passing an approved English language test with at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening
• having an academic qualification that was taught in English and is recognised by UK NARIC as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD Family members

Your family members (‘dependants’) can come with you when you come to the UK on this visa. Your family members must have a visa if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:
• your husband, wife or partner
• your child under 18

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if:

• you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

You need to be employed by a licensed sponsor to apply to live in the UK.
Your sponsor checks that you can do the job they’re hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They’ll assign you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this.
They must also give you other information you need when you apply, for example how much you’ll be paid.
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you’re due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
You can come to the UK with a Tier 2 (General) visa for a maximum of 5 years and 14 days, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 1 month, whichever is shorter.
You can apply to extend this visa for up to another 5 years, as long as your total stay is not more than 6 years.

You can do:
• work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship • do a second job in certain circumstances • do voluntary work • study as long as it doesn’t interfere with the job you’re sponsored for • travel abroad and return to the UK • bring family members with you

You can’t do:
• own more than 10% of your sponsor’s shares (unless you earn more than £159,600 a year) • get public funds • apply for a second job until you’ve started working for your sponsor

You must have current permission to enter or stay on a Tier 2 (General) visa.
You must also meet the following conditions:
• you have the same job as when you were issued your previous permission to enter or stay in the UK
• you’re still working for the employer who assigned your certificate of sponsorship
• you’re still earning an ‘appropriate salary’ - read the guidance if you’re not sure

You must be in the UK to extend your visa.
Your family members (‘dependants’) can come with you when you come to the UK on this visa. Your family members must have a visa if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:
• your husband, wife or partner
• your child under 18
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

You can take a second job on this visa if you’re working up to 20 hours a week in either:
• the same profession as your main job and at the same level
• a profession on the shortage occupation list

You can also do unpaid voluntary work.
Otherwise, you’ll need to apply for a new visa. You’ll need to be sponsored by your second employer and get a new certificate of sponsorship. Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker - Charity Worker) visa if:
• you want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

You must have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer before you can apply to come to the UK to work.
The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.
You can stay for up to 12 months or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter.
You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date of your job.

You can do:
• study - for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate)
• work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• do a second job in the same sector at the same level as your main job for up to 20 hours per week
• do a job on the Tier 2 shortage occupation list for up to 20 hours per week
• bring family members with you

You can't do:
• receive any payment for work
• take a permanent job
• get public funds

To be eligible for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker - Charity Worker) visa you need:
• a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your UK sponsor
• £945 in savings - this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply

You won’t need £945 in savings if your fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll certify your maintenance and that you won’t claim benefits during your stay.

You can apply to extend your Tier 5 (Temporary worker - Charity Worker) visa.
You should apply before your current visa expires.
Your family members (‘dependants’) must apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
• your partner
• your child under 18
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.

You can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
• have been offered a place on a course
• can speak, read, write and understand English
• have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
• are from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland

When to apply
The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before you start your course.
You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. You can check visa processing times for your country.

You can
• study
• work as a student union sabbatical officer
• apply from inside or outside the UK
• apply to extend your stay
• work in most jobs - depending on what level your course is and what kind of sponsor you have

You can’t:
• get public funds
• work in certain jobs, for example professional sportsperson or sports coach
• study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school)

Eligibility
You must have: • an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Tier 4 sponsoring institution
• enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstances

Your course
You can do a course that’s one of the following:
• full-time leading to a qualification that’s at least level 6 on the Ofqual register
• an overseas course of degree level study that’s equal to a UK higher education course and is being run by an overseas higher education institution
• full-time, with at least 15 hours per week of organised daytime study, leading to a qualification which is at least level 3 on the Ofqual register
• a recognised foundation programme as a postgraduate doctor or dentist

Postgraduate doctors and dentists
You can apply for this visa if you’re sponsored to do a recognised foundation programme and you’ve:
• finished a recognised UK degree in medicine or dentistry
• received that degree from a registered Tier 4 sponsor
• spent your final year and at least 1 other year of studies leading to that degree in the UK

Confirmation of acceptance for studies
Your education provider will send you a reference number called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) once they’ve offered you a place on a course. You’ll need to enter this on your visa application. You must apply for your visa no more than 6 months after you receive the CAS.

Further study in the UK
You can only get a CAS for a new course if you’ve studied in the UK before and you’re:
• re-sitting exams or repeating modules
• applying for the first time to a new institution to complete a course you started at an institution that’s lost its Tier 4 sponsorship
• applying to complete a PhD or other doctorate that you started studying under your last Tier 4 (General) student visa
• studying for a new qualification at a higher academic level
• studying for a new qualification at the same level and related to your previous course or career aspirations - it must be degree level or above at a Higher Education Institution (HEI)
• applying after working as a student union sabbatical officer to complete a qualification you started studying under your last Tier 4 (General) student visa

Our team can conduct the eligibility assessment on your case and offer the best advice to prepare and submit the visa application with end to end support. As we are authorized to legally represent your application, we can offer our professional and dedicated services to ensure the success of your visa application.