It is never late to change your life! Igor revisits his values and political views, sells his company and decides to leave Kazakhstan to settle abroad. After careful deliberation, he chooses European quality and stability. The United Kingdom has once seemed to Igor as something unreachable, but now it looks like the best place for a new home.
The deciding factor in choosing to move to the UK was the English language that Igor speaks quite well thanks to high-quality education received in the Kazakhstan State University and later business experience on the global market.
Besides, London is very similar in its vibe and dynamics to Almaty where Igor lives, so he is sure he will feel like home there.
Igor plans to study and get an MBA degree. And London is a big business hub that offers endless opportunities to start and develop various business projects.
Igor has been planning to move to Western Europe for a long time, but only now he has started taking necessary steps, including selling his business in Kazakhstan. Therefore, he has made it his priority to prepare for the relocation to Great Britain and get a UK visa that will meet the following requirements.
Immigration lawyers from Imperial & Legal gave Igor detailed advice as to what routes are open for international businessmen in the European and other countries worldwide. Considering he has colossal plans and ambitions, the best option was an investor visa.
In Igor’s mind, with all the documents and preparation involved, the whole pre-application process will take at least three months; so, he was pleasantly surprised when it took the team at Imperial & Legal only a week and a half to prepare and submit a visa application, including opening an investment account. An even more pleasant surprise was a super priority service available in Kazakhstan that Igor could use. Thanks to the professionalism of immigration advisers, he got a decision on his visa the following day and was able to start preparations for relocation.
Next thing that Imperial & Legal team took care of was Igor’s assets. UK taxation laws are tougher than most people would think, but there are many opportunities to reduce tax burden. Future tax residents should be aware of the so-called clean capital that includes funds owned by them and not subject to UK taxation.
It is very important to hold clean capital on a separate bank account in the UK or another European country to prevent its mixing with other funds. Following Imperial & Legal’s advice, Igor opened a separate bank account for the proceeds from the sale of the company.
Igor is happy with the professional support of immigration lawyers because they help him with so many issues. When he was not sure where to start looking for a university, they gave him a helping hand.
Study at 48? In London? MBA degree? Why not! A perfect age and a perfect county to get a European education and open up new horizons for a business. Imperial & Legal’s team managed to find and shortlist suitable universities, assist with attending interviews, support Igor in preparing and submitting all documents until he was admitted to the university of his choice.
The next challenge for Igor was to find a place to live. He was not sure whether he wanted to buy or rent, whether it would be a flat or a house, and in which area of London. Property advisers at Imperial & Legal recommended the best option, to rent a flat in central London close to the university where he would be studying. It would give Igor time to think and get to know the city.
Opening a bank account was another important thing that Igor needed quite urgently. Which bank to choose, private or retail? Igor realised he knew absolutely nothing about the British banking system. UK banks are not known for their flexibility in opening accounts to non-UK residents. And again, professionals from Imperial & Legal were there to help him. It was decided to go for a private bank for transactions with the main capital and a retail bank for personal day-to-day transactions. Two accounts were opened quickly and hassle-free.
London is bursting with potential. Though it is renowned for its tough competition, Igor was attracted by its cultural diversity. Besides, there are so many people with similar ideas and start-up ambitions. Igor was thinking about setting up a hospitality and restaurant business. He would start with a restaurant offering Kazakh cuisine. He used to have a small café back in Kazakhstan; it was more like a hobby, but it gave him experience to start something bigger. Business advisers at Imperial & Legal explained to Igor all the details of running a business in the UK, focusing on pitfalls in terms of taxation and corporate law. Armed with that knowledge, Igor has already led his business to bear first fruits.
Igor is not going to stop at what he has already achieved. He plans to relocate his 25-year-old son and his Kazakhstan business to England. Besides, Andrey has already lived in Europe while studying for an MBA degree in Malta. Imperial & Legal’s team is helping Andrey remotely with all issues and matters. After talking to his father and analysing business potential of the market, Andrey decided to apply for an Entrepreneur visa. London is waiting!
With the help of Imperial & Legal, Igor manages to solve many issues that would normally be required for a busy and successful businessman moving to the UK.
Immigration lawyers assisted Igor in obtaining an investor visa that not only gives unlimited access to the UK but also an opportunity to apply for settlement in 3 years. Igor’s assets were also prepared and protected so that he would not lose money when UK tax authorities started treating him as a UK tax resident.
Once in the UK, Igor continued a mutually beneficial cooperation with Imperial & Legal. They found him a university, a flat to rent and opened a UK bank account in a private bank. Besides, our entrepreneur was eager to dive in to the business world and he needed consultations for corporate and taxation laws straight away.
Next on a to-do list is to relocate Igor’s son and his business from Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom. Imperial & Legal has already started working on this task.
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