What are my options for staying in the UK after my Start-up visa?

The Start-up visa category closed to new applicants on 13 July 2023. For those who obtained a Start-up visa prior to this cut-off date, you will need to find an alternative immigration route in order to extend your stay in the UK.

The Start-up visa category was aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs and required an endorsing body to approve their UK business concept. On approval, this type of visa was granted for a period of no more than two years, with no provisions for extension or settlement in the UK.

Current holders will need to find an alternative visa option to continue living in the UK beyond the expiry of their current visa, but may be eligible to switch into the Innovator Founder category in order to continue developing and running their UK business.

Similarly to the Start-up visa, the Innovator Founder category requires your business to be endorsed. The endorsement criteria focus on innovation, viability and scalability. Obtaining endorsement will require a detailed business plan to demonstrate how you meet these criteria.

Unlike the Start-up visa, the Innovator Founder category can lead to settlement after three continuous years of UK residence under that 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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