When I came to the UK, I thought I would get a degree here and then go back home. But as time went by, I realised that it was the place where I could reach my potential and implement my ideas because the UK is a land of opportunities. But there was a problem: my UK Student visa was about to expire, and I had virtually no idea what to choose instead. I am so happy I found information about Imperial & Legal and got in touch.
Avetis Vagharsh spent several years in the UK on a UK Student visa. When it was about to expire, the young man found himself in need of another permit to stay in the UK. Avetis was going to set up his own business in the UK, so he decided to apply for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa. However, this visa route turned out to have been closed.
Avetis Vagharsh booked a consultation with Imperial & Legal to find a suitable visa route, and our experts recommended he apply for a UK Start-up visa. This visa route is designed for inexperienced entrepreneurs who lack the financial resources to realise their business idea but have a burning ambition to implement it.
The young man knew very little about this new visa route, so he chose to rely completely on Imperial & Legal’s experienced immigration advisors.
Avetis Vagharsh is a 25-year-old from Armenia. The idea of models of investment in financial markets – something he wants to do – goes back to his student days. As ambitious as any young person, Avetis has great plans and is sure that the UK is just the place to fulfil his potential.
To draft a business plan and prepare documents to apply for a UK Start-up visa.
Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors are always up to date with immigration news from the Home Office. That’s why when this new visa route was officially announced, they knew right away that the university where Avetis Vagharsh studied was one of the endorsing bodies that assess business ideas for this visa type. This was undoubtedly a huge advantage, so our experts suggested that the client should apply to this university for an endorsement as they would likely make a decision in his favour.
Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors had a meeting with the client to assess his professional interests, education, experience, intentions, etc., and draft a suitable business plan for him.
As a student, Avetis already had ideas about his future business, so we decided to stick to an algorithmic trading start-up, which involved creating mathematical pricing models for cryptocurrencies. In the future, this would ensure active and fruitful cooperation with hi-tech companies, hedge funds and investment banks.
Before a business plan was finished, Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors carried out comprehensive market research to show how promising the start-up was for the British economy. Our experts also made sure the business plan was innovative, viable and scalable.
Our advisors explained to Avetis that a UK Start-up visa is issued for two years and was not subject to extension, but later on he would be able to switch to a UK Innovator visa. The latter would allow him to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK and British citizenship. So, a UK Start-up visa would be the first step towards his own business in the UK and settlement.
It is a two-stage process, and there is a reason behind it. Novice entrepreneurs on a UK Start-up visa are only allowed to start their business in the UK. The majority of such businesses are expected to succeed and stay active after two years in the UK. This visa is a nursery of business ideas where only the strongest survive. Young entrepreneurs must fully dedicate themselves to developing their businesses during these two years. At the same time, they are allowed to get another job to earn a living while the business is growing.
Soon after Avetis Vagharsh applied to his university, listed among one of the approved bodies, he obtained an endorsement letter to apply for a UK Start-up visa. Thanks to Imperial & Legal’s professional support he was one of the first applicants to get a UK Start-up visa.
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