Challenges of moving from the US to the UK involve complex immigration laws and visa applications. Just one misstep — delay or even denial of entry could affect your personal and professional plans. Let an expert team of immigration solicitors help you with your relocation. Leave all your worries behind and rest assured regarding having every aspect of your move managed efficiently and in compliance with UK regulations. From securing an appropriate visa to enter the country to understanding the minutiae of residency in the UK, our services help you to move seamlessly.
The Success Story: Read about how A Y & J Solicitors helped this US client relocate to the UK and made the process easy, ensuring timely entry into the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we've helped thousands of new and experienced business owners move to the UK from around the world. We understand the typical challenges that come along with your visa application for self-sponsorship UK and know how to mitigate them. We walk you through step by step, showing you how to self-sponsor a work visa in the UK. Instead of going it alone, let our lawyers take the weight off your shoulders, so you can rest easy knowing you'll be able to bring your business (and family) to the UK.
Kate Corey, Founder of 6 Degrees
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the British system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
"The team has been incredibly helpful and provided great support with regard to guiding me through the immigration process. Everyone was responsive, enthusiastic and diligent. I could not recommend them more."
"Excellent service, top-notch communication and a highly experienced, knowledgable team of solicitors. Would recommend to any one looking for peace-of-mind with their immigration."
"I would recommend this firm. Ikra was professional, reliable and a good communicator."
"“I write to express my sincere and heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for your highly professional and competent services, provided in both a friendly and accessible manner."
"Very professional service highly recommend"
"I would like to share my great experience on the service I had. For my case, it is complicated and unusual but the attentive service and advice in every step from the lawyer: Mr. Imad made clearly process. My Visa has proved within just a week, OMG this is amazing. I can give just Five Stars because this is no star number Six. Thank you very much for your assistance.🙏"
The traditional way that overseas investors could gain UK nationality by investment was through the Tier 1 Investor Visa (sometimes called the ‘Golden visa’). This route is no longer open to new applicants, but existing visa holders can still extend their stay. Likewise, the old Entrepreneur and Start-up visas, which were designed to encourage overseas investors to establish a new business in the UK, have also been closed to new applications. The good news is that there is another way to get UK citizenship by investment, as we explain in the next chapter.
While there is no longer a Tier 1 Investor Visa in the UK, the Entrepreneur and Startup visas have been replaced by the Innovator Founder Visa. The UK Innovator Founder Visa allows overseas entrepreneurs and investors to set up a new innovative business in the UK and settle after just 3 years. This provides a fast track to British citizenship, given that holders of other visa types normally have to wait for at least 5 years before applying.
To qualify for an Innovator Founder Visa, you must:
Most importantly, you will need to demonstrate that you have enough funds (and show the source of the funds) to establish your new venture. There is no minimum level of investment funds needed; what matters is that you have enough to get your business off the ground. You will not need to show proof of investment funds if your business is already established and has been endorsed for an earlier visa or if you have changed your business and already agreed this with your endorsing body.
In 2024, the UK remains an ever-popular destination for overseas investors who wish to invest and grow their capital. In large part, this is due to the enormous opportunities of establishing a new and innovative business to tap into the UK and European markets. Understandably, many overseas investors dream of gaining citizenship in the UK by investment, allowing them to remain for the rest of their lives and bring their family members with them. While it is not possible to gain British citizenship immediately by investing in the UK, it is possible to get on a fast track to citizenship by choosing the right visa route. In this guide, we will explain how you can get UK residency by investment and citizenship by investment in London or any other part of the UK.
If your Innovator Founder visa is approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), you will be able to stay for an initial period of 3 years, at which point you can extend your visa or apply for permanent residency (PR), also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain. To gain PR by investment in the UK through the Innovator Founder Visa route, you will need to demonstrate to UKVI that:
You can submit your application for ILR up to 28 days before you become eligible. It is important not to apply earlier than 28 days because your application may be refused.
There are strict requirements that must be met before you apply for PR on the basis of your Innovator Founder Visa. Firstly, your business venture must be properly registered with Companies House, and you must be a director or member of the company. Your company must also be currently actively trading and must be able to continue to do so for the next 12 months. The rules also state that you must be able to demonstrate that you meet at least 2 of the following requirements:
Once you have PR, after 12 months, you can apply for British citizenship. This means that the total amount of time between arriving in the UK and gaining citizenship is 4 years. Once you have British citizenship, you will have the full rights and privileges of a person who was born in the UK, including the right to vote and claim benefits
The Self-Sponsorship route is an increasingly popular UK immigration route that allows foreign nationals to relocate to the UK without needing to work for an employer but rather by setting up their own company. The Self-Sponsorship route provides a direct pathway to permanent settlement in the UK and, after a further 12 months, British citizenship. If you need any information on self-sponsorship, speak to an immigration Solicitor who can guide you through the process.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with all types of visa applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or at contact us today. We’re here to help!
