The UK Self-Sponsorship visa is an ingenious visa route that allows you to come and settle in The United Kingdom to work for your own company without the requirement of having a “UK Sponsor.” This route is an ideal alternative for several conventional visa routes including the Innovator visa and the Start-up visa.
While the Innovator visa is for seasoned entrepreneurs looking to launch a new company in The UK and the Start-up visa is for first-time business owners who want to launch a company in The UK, both have their own limitations.
Both the Innovator visa and Start-up visa demand your business to be fresh and unique, completely different from anything else on the market. Moreover, your business or business idea has to be endorsed by an approved body, also known as an ‘endorsing body’.
The Self Sponsorship method may be the best approach to work and live in The UK if you want to start a business there or extend your present foreign operation to The UK. It is crucial to remember that there isn’t a real “Self Sponsorship Visa,” it is only a way to enter The UK under the Skilled Worker Visa category.
The Self Sponsorship Visa will enable you to establish a UK company that will sponsor your entry and employment in The UK (with the assistance of a UK resident Director). You can own shares in the business and there is no minimum investment requirement, unlike the Innovator Visa.
One of the most significant benefits of self-sponsorship is that it enables business owners to run and manage their companies in The United Kingdom without worrying about their visas being revoked.
This visa option is best for seasoned businesspeople or someone who has researched The UK market and seen a chance to launch a new company here. In order for the Company to sponsor you, you must first get a Sponsor Licence.
StatsRef:
A total of 1,311,731 UK visas were granted in 2021, and the skilled worker visa route that was established in late 2020 accounted for 148,240 or 62% of all work-related visas issued and 98% of all skilled labour grants in 2021.
Meanwhile, there are currently 33 UK organisations that offer endorsements, of which only a small number of the Innovator endorsing bodies currently accept open applications. Many of them have very limited information about their process that is publicly accessible, and many of them only accept applications from individuals who are already a part of their organisation.
As a result, the category is effectively closed to the vast majority of potential applicants. Some certifying organisations have admitted that they are either not prepared, do not have the necessary documents, or are not yet ready to begin accepting applications for endorsement. Before this path was established, the Home Office provided the majority of endorsing bodies with minimal instruction regarding their responsibilities. The visa path provides the impression of a lack of planning and preparation on the part of the traveller.
Since A Y & J Solicitors came up with this alternative visa route, we have a good understanding of the intricate details that others might not be aware of.
We can:
Anyone who satisfies the qualifications below are eligible for self-sponsorship:
Here’s a tabled guide:
| Self Sponsorship Visa | Innovator Visa | Start-up Visa |
| You can be the director and 100% shareholder of your company. | Although these routes do not have a shareholding requirement, applicants should be aware that certain endorsing bodies for the Start-Up and Innovator visas need a portion of stock in the firm before giving an endorsement. | Although these routes do not have a shareholding requirement, applicants should be aware that certain endorsing bodies for the Start-Up and Innovator visas need a portion of stock in the firm before giving an endorsement. |
| Any business can qualify for the self-sponsorship route | This business is for experienced businesspersons | This business is for new entrepreneurs |
| No Endorsement letter required | Endorsement letter is required | Endorsement letter is required |
| No such requirements | Your business idea has to be something unique that is not already existing in the market | Your business idea has to be something unique that is not already existing in the market |
| Valid for 4 years as per the conditions of The UK Skilled Worker visa | Valid for 3 years | Valid for 2 years |
| You can apply if you are a successful businessperson, and you have identified a business opportunity in The UK. | You cannot join a business that is already trading | You cannot join a business that is already trading |
| No possibility of visa termination as you’ll be your own sponsor. | If your endorsement is revoked, your visa might terminate. | If your endorsement is revoked, your visa might terminate. |
A Y & J Solicitors basically helped me through coming into the UK by using the self-employment sponsorship rule, which made me into having a company of having 100% shareholders in the company to run it on my own.
Mr X has owned and run one of the oldest newsagents on his local high street for almost a decade. Having recently refurbished the store, he has been working on steadily expanding the range of products available and growing his business. Mr X’s wife supports him with the day-to-day operations but following an accident she…
I never thought I could find a visa route. I have been told by every solicitor under the sun that there just wasn’t an avenue for somebody who is self-employed, such as myself. I own a small business, so I gave up on it for several years, and then I was connected to Yash and his crew, and here I am.