Update: The category has been withdrawn on 12 March 2020. It was superseded by Start-up and Innovator visas.
The Prospective Entrepreneur Visa has recently undergone few changes and is now part of the Standard Visitor visa.
Under the Standard Visitor visa, you can still apply to come to the UK for up to 6 months. You can then switch to the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa category if you fulfil the conditions.
Learn more about the Prospective Entrepreneur Visa, required documents, and other guidelines in this detailed article.
If you need help making an application, contact our experienced UK immigration lawyers in London who can help and guide you in making a successful application.
Prospective Entrepreneur Visa Overview
The Prospective Entrepreneur Visa is for those applicants who would like to apply for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa, who have a business plan and who are already being considered for investment funding by an officially recognised UK venture capitalist firm, entrepreneurial seed-funding competition or by a UK Government department.
Applicants may only apply from outside the UK, and the visa allows them to stay in the UK for up to six months to hold meetings and research into setting up their business, but it does not allow them to start running the proposed business. An applicant may apply in the UK to switch their visa to a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa when they are ready to do so.
There is no English language requirement for Prospective Entrepreneur Visa applicants, but they do have to meet an English language requirement if they apply to switch to a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa.
Prospective Entrepreneurs are not able to bring their dependants with them to the UK.
Applying for Prospective Entrepreneur Visa
Prospective Entrepreneur visa has been established to help individuals to come to the UK to set up their businesses. The UKVI expects individuals to carry out business related activities during the 6 months and apply to switch to the Tier 1 Entrepreneur category within 6 months.
To make an application for Prospective Entrepreneur visa, you will still need to apply for standard visitor visa citing the prospective entrepreneur activities that you will be undertaking during your visit.
Your intention of such prospective entrepreneur activities also needs to be backed by supporting documents that fulfil the visa conditions.
The appendix 3 paragraph 8 of appendix V: visitor rules state that the visitor can take part in meetings and discussions to obtain funding for their business and once funding is secured they must apply for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa before they undertake any work as an entrepreneur.
UK Immigration rules on visitor visas specifies that a prospective entrepreneur should be able to;
- show support from either registered venture capitalist firms regulated by the financial conduct authority or one of the UK Government Departments, or the UK government endorsed entrepreneurial seed funding competitions
- Engage in discussions to secure funding from one of the above sources which they intend to use to join, set up or take over a business in the UK.
The UK government endorsed entrepreneurial seed funding competitions as listed on this page include TechStars London, Oxygen Accelerator, Seedcamp, Wayra, Collider, Emerge Education Accelerator, StartPlanet NI, Pi Labs, Founders Factory, and Deep Science Ventures.
Nee Help Applying as Prospective Entrepreneur?
The recent changes in the prospective entrepreneur visa have made the application process complex. As mentioned above you will need to provide specific supporting documents relating to your activities of a prospective entrepreneur during your stay in the UK.
At Edmans & Co, we have extensive experience of applying for UK Entrepreneur Visas. We have helped several applicants successfully obtain prospective entrepreneur visa under the latest rules.
Contact us to discuss your case and see how we can help with your application.
