How To Apply For A UK Self-Employee Visa from India?

Being an Indian citizen, if you also want to move to UK from India for business purposes, a UK self-employed visa, also known as the self-sponsorship route, can help you. It is evident that the United Kingdom offers tremendous benefits to non-UK and non-EEA citizens. This country offers outstanding job and business opportunities, top-notch healthcare facilities, enticing educational opportunities, and much more. The United Kingdom is known as the world’s largest economy, and that’s one of the primary reasons why Indian entrepreneurs and business owners want to expand or establish their businesses in this country.

However, to stand out in the UK market, it is crucial to obtain a genuine visa first. Although many business visas exist for self-employment, there is only one route: self-sponsorship. This route allows you to set up your own business without the requirement of a UK sponsor. However, you must fulfil various eligibility criteria and requirements. In this comprehensive guide, we have mentioned some of the steps that can help you take this route. So what are we waiting for? Let’s go through this informative piece and learn about a robust application process.

An Overview of UK Self-Employed Visa

Before proceeding with the application process, you must know this route. The UK self-employed visa is also known as the self-sponsorship route. It is not a primary visa route but a pathway that combines two UK immigration routes: a Sponsor licence and a Skilled worker visa. The combination of these two is known as the self-sponsorship visa route. This route eliminates the requirement for a UK sponsor; you can become your sponsor and set up your business in the United Kingdom. This is an ideal route for Indian business owners and entrepreneurs who want to move to the UK from India. It’s a crucial route that requires two applications: one is for a sponsor licence, and the second one is for a skilled worker visa. Once you obtain these two visa routes, you can obtain this pathway. However, it is essential to meet the eligibility criteria and requirements of the UK visas and immigration to obtain this pathway. Since it’s a combination of two paths, it is crucial to fulfil the eligibility criteria for both immigration routes.

Eligibility Criteria For Skilled Worker Visa

Here in this section, we have mentioned some of the crucial eligibility criteria for the skilled worker visa route.

• To obtain this visa, you will first need to create an offer letter based on your established company in the United Kingdom.
• You will be required to issue yourself a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). This certificate is essential to work in the United Kingdom; it clarifies that you have a valid job offer in hand.
• You must also fulfill the financial requirements for UK visas and immigration. It means you must have sufficient money in your bank account to support your stay in the United Kingdom.
• The salary threshold for the Skilled worker visa route will change on April 4, 2024. So, if you are going to apply for this visa, you must know about it. As per the latest update, the salary threshold for this visa route will increase from £26,200 to £38,700. So, you must fulfil it to obtain this visa route.
• Another requirement is the language requirement; you must know the English language. You may also have to show a certificate for the English language test.

Eligibility Criteria For Sponsor Licence

Knowing the eligibility criteria for obtaining a sponsor licence is also crucial. Here are some of the specific eligibility criteria for this licence.

• You must have a genuine business in the United Kingdom to obtain this licence. Your vision should be clear and consistent regarding establishing a thriving business, and your business must contribute to the UK economy.
• Your business must have legal permission to operate in the United Kingdom. To obtain this licence, you must first complete all the legal processes necessary to establish a business in the United Kingdom.
• You must have an appropriate human resource team to sponsor global workers through this licence. It is one of the most crucial requirements of having this licence. An HR team is responsible for fulfilling all the sponsor duties, such as monitoring your employees, keeping their records up to date and managing compliance.
• If you want to establish your business in the United Kingdom, your business must not be involved in overruling immigration laws or have a history of non-compliance.
• The eligibility requirements of this licence are that you must have enough funds to establish your business in the United Kingdom and pay a certain amount as a salary to all your sponsored employees.

Once you meet all the eligibility requirements for both of these two routes, you will be able to obtain them. Conclusively, having these two opens the path to a UK self-employed visa. In this way, you can move to the UK from India and establish a genuine business there. However, it can be a complex and time-consuming process involving two immigration routes. It requires you to seek professional help from immigration solicitors in London. Several legal immigration law firms in the United Kingdom, such as A Y & J Solicitors. They have a compelling team of immigration solicitors who can help you immensely with the entire process. Hence, seeking professional help to obtain this pathway is essential if you want to establish or expand your business in the United Kingdom.