Can I set up a company in the UK whilst on a Skilled Worker visa?

The United Kingdom has long been an attractive destination for professionals seeking career opportunities. If you are a Skilled Worker visa holder and are considering setting up your own company in the UK, this blog will provide you with an overview of the possibilities and limitations you may encounter.

The Skilled Worker visa primarily focuses on enabling individuals to work for a specific employer in an occupation that meets the designated skill level and salary requirements. However, it does not entirely restrict visa holders from exploring entrepreneurial ventures outside of their sponsored employment.

Skilled Workers are permitted to establish their own companies in the UK, but in running that company it is crucial that you abide by the ‘supplementary work’ rules.

The current Skilled Worker rules allow supplementary work outside of your ‘sponsored’ work hours, but only where it is for no more than 20 hours per week , and it must be related to the same occupation code as your main job, or in a job that is on the shortage occupation list.

As can be seen, the rules on supplementary work are, therefore, narrow. If it is your goal to run your own UK business full-time, you should consider switching to a more appropriate visa category, such as the Innovator Founder or Global Talent route.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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