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Why choose Imperial & Legal?

As the UK immigration legislation is changed every year, rules of obtaining visas and permits to live, work or just come to stay in the country are getting stricter.

We provide support in getting UK visas of any kind to and help with a wide number of immigration issues both EU nationals and citizens of third countries. Imperial & Legal is regulated by the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner), which is the UK public immigration regulator.

No matter whether you wish to come to the UK to work, study, set up and run your business, reunite with your family, etc., our qualified immigration experts will assist you at every stage of obtaining your UK visa and after. We are experienced in business immigration into the UK and specialise in legal assistance in obtaining related visas.

Our experts will not only provide legal support in obtaining UK visas, but will also help you to relocate your family and to deal with a good number of issues – from nursery and school placements to search for a property not far from your office.

TIER 1 INVESTOR VISA >

This is the best choice for affluent foreigners who want to move to the UK. Under this route, a minimum investment of £2,000,000 in the British economy is required. Your family members, including your spouse and children, may be included in your Tier 1 Investor visa application. There are no requirements with regards to language level or work experience. Under this route you are allowed to work, study or run a business in the UK, but you are under no obligation to do so.

TIER 1 ENTREPRENEUR VISA >

This visa was designed for entrepreneurs who wanted to invest in their business in the UK. This included investment in starting a new or running an existing business. The minimum investment was £200,000. From 29 March 2019, the Home Office stopped accepting new applications for this type of visa, but those who had received their visa before that date may extend it or apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain.

REPRESENTATIVE OF AN OVERSEAS BUSINESS VISA >

A representative of an overseas business visa is ideal for those who occupy a senior position in a company whose headquarters are located in a foreign country and that is planning to set up its representation in the UK. No investment is required under this route, but there are requirements with regards to your work experience and English skills.

INNOVATOR VISA FOR ENTREPRENEURS >

This visa is a great solution for experienced entrepreneurs who wish to invest in starting a new or running an existing business in the UK. The minimum investment is £50,000. The main applicant must also have relevant experience in running a business and get endorsement by the relevant body.

START-UP VISA FOR ENTREPRENEURS >

This visa is designed for a new entrepreneur or a group of them, who want to set up a company in the UK without any initial investment. This company must be your first business in the UK, and your business idea needs to be endorsed by the relevant body.

FAMILY VISAS – SPOUSE, FIANCÉE AND CIVIL PARTNER VISAS >

This route is aimed for spouses, civil partners (including same-sex partners) and fiancés/fiancées of a British national or a person granted the UK ILR.

EUROPEAN NATIONALS AND THEIR FAMILIES >

Because of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, all the EU nationals had to secure a special status to continue staying in the UK. Under exceptional circumstances Europeans and their family members may apply for this till June 2022.

Benefits of life in the UK

High quality of life
The United Kingdom provides its citizens with comfort and safety at the level unachievable in the majority of countries. Life in the UK is not cheap, but it is more than outweighed by high income and high standards of living.
Education system
You may be sure that at all the stages, from school to university, your children will receive an education which is both modern and of high-quality. A degree from a British university is highly rated all over the world. When you pay for your children’s education in the UK, you guarantee their future success. Besides, one is never too old to learn, so you might develop your own professional skills. After all, the UK is exactly the place where a good number of well-known business administration programmes originate from.
Healthcare and social protection of the country
In the UK you can always count on cutting-edge and high-end medical services. Efficiency of the social protection system in the country is fully demonstrated by the measures put in force during the coronavirus crisis, with the state not just supporting businesses, but also helping ordinary people who found themselves in a difficult financial situation due to the lockdown.
Business and investment opportunities
Mainly because of its great geographical position and ancient traditions of entrepreneurship, the UK has always been and remains a country with a favourable climate to run a business. Here, boundless markets, minimum government intervention in the economy, transparent corporate and tax legislation, developed infrastructure and highly qualified workforce make up for fierce competition. Acknowledged as one of the world financial centres, the UK is regularly rated among the top five countries to invest in.
Tax benefits
Those who are going to live in the UK and therefore to become British tax residents, will be interested to learn the specific features of the British laws which make tax benefits possible. In the UK, tax reductions are allowed by the laws, so they are totally legal and have nothing to do with tax evasion. Tax optimisation is also available for small and medium enterprises, provided that:
- a suitable type of legal entity has been chosen for the enterprise;
- core business activities of the company take place outside the British Isles.
Rule of law and independent courts
The British take pride in nearly total absence of corruption in the country and independence of the judicial system from the executive branch of power. In the UK you may count on a just court decision on a great number of economic and immigration issues, even if you go into litigation with the government.
Benefits of the British passport
If an immigrant has lived several years in the UK, they can get ILR, and in a year’s time submit the necessary documents and become a citizen of the UK. A British passport gives a wide range of opportunities of travelling all around the world. After the Brexit the British nationals can still visit 184 countries without a visa or enjoy a simplified procedure, namely, get the visa when crossing the border.

Advantages of relocation to the UK with Imperial & Legal

Thorough analysis of the case and the client’s circumstances
Selection of the most suitable UK immigration visa
Lower risk of UK visa refusal
Assistance in preparation of the necessary documents
Legal support and consultations at all stages
Integrated support in relocating to the UK
School placement and search for property to rent and/or buy
All types of related services for businesses and individuals
Assistance in obtaining the UK ILR and citizenship
Full confidentiality

Immigration into the UK with Imperial & Legal

With the assistance of our qualified experts you can relocate to the UK and get naturalised within just several years. The whole process from getting a visa to obtaining a British passport can be divided into 5 stages. Legal experts at Imperial & Legal can provide comprehensive support at all the stages of the process.

Book an appointment with Imperial & Legal

Timeframe: 1 day

You can meet with an expert from Imperial & Legal in our office or have a talk over the phone, or a video call on WhatsApp/Zoom/Skype. Our experts will help you to choose the best visa solution for you to immigrate to the UK and will walk you through the process. As soon as the client agreement is signed, our lawyers will thoroughly analyse your case in order to eliminate the possible visa refusal right at the preparatory stage and to present your personal circumstances in a favourable right.

Prepare and submit UK visa application

Timeframe: 1–4 weeks

Our lawyers will prepare all the supporting evidence to apply for the visa you have chosen. All supporting evidence shall be translated into English. At this stage a large amount of information required under your visa route must be submitted.

Have your application reviewed by the government

Timeframe: 1–2 months

The British Home Office will consider your application and decide whether the visa will be granted or not. Sometimes, if it is a complex case, an applicant may be asked to attend an interview. If you wish to, you can apply through the accelerated procedure – it is offered for a fee and is not available in all countries.

Get your visa and relocate to the UK

Timeframe: 2–4 weeks

Our experts will deal with all the relocation-related issues – property search, school or university placements for your children, registering a company, bank account opening, bookkeeping, tax planning and tax payment, etc.

Extend your visa and get the UK ILR

Timeframe: 2–5 years

It depends on the type of your visa and some other factors whether you will have to extend your visa or to get the UK ILR. Our lawyers will prepare and submit all the necessary papers to have your visa extended or your ILR granted. Besides, they will help you to prepare for your English test and Life in the UK test – both are necessary to get ILR.

Apply for British citizenship and a UK passport

Timeframe: 5–6 years

As a rule, in a year’s time after you have received your ILR, provided that you have lived in the UK for at least 5 years, you may apply for naturalisation. Our experts will prepare all the necessary documents to apply for British citizenship. As soon as you have passed the necessary tests and taken the Oath of Faith or Allegiance, you will become a British citizen and get a British passport.

Important UK visas and immigration issues

Does Tier 1 Investor visa give me the right to get ILR in 2 years’ time?

Yes, it does, provided that you have invested in real economy of the UK at least £10,000,000. The following table shows how the sum invested is related to the time frame of getting ILR under the Tier 1 Investor visa route.

Sum invested	ILR granted
£2,000,000	After 5 years
£5,000,000	After 3 years
£10,000,000	After 2 years

As you can see, the more you have invested, the sooner you can get ILR. But you must remember that you will need to do more than just invest your money. ILR is only granted to investors who are integrated in the UK society, have at least a basic level of English and are familiar with the way of life in the country where they are planning to settle.

What do I need to get my business idea endorsed by a relevant body for UK Start-up visa and UK Innovator visa?

In order to have your business idea endorsed by a relevant body, it must comply with 3 criteria:

Innovativeness.
Viability.
Scalability.

To put it simply, your business must:

Bring to the British market completely new goods or services without getting into fierce competition with the myriad companies in the market niches which have already been taken.
Be prospective and demonstrate that the owner has enough intellectual and/or material assets to make the project successful.

Possess growth potential or, in other words, generate more taxes and create jobs for British residents.

Which visa route should I choose to come to London for a short-term course?

Some time ago your only solution would be a short-term student visa. But due to changes in the immigration legislation, which were brought into force on 1 December 2020, now you only need a visitor visa to stay in the UK for educational purposes for up to 6 months.

What should I do if I get a visa refusal?

There is nothing pleasant in this, but it still can be fixed, if the reason for the refusal was not providing willful misrepresentations to mislead a caseworker. The first thing to do is to get in touch with qualified immigration advisers. They will thoroughly consider the refusal letter and come up with a strategy.

If you got the refusal because some required documents had not been provided or an error had been made while filling in the application, an adviser will help you to correct all the mistakes, and once the fee is paid, you can reapply.

If it clearly was a mistake of a Home Office caseworker which resulted in the refusal, experts from Imperial & Legal will assist you in preparing and submitting a request for reconsideration. Fortunately, the process of getting a visa is highly formalised, and requires little involvement of a caseworker. So, if there really was an error made by a caseworker, your problem will be willingly solved.

If the adviser decides that the refusal seriously violated your rights, you can file an appeal with an independent British court and hope for justice. Statistically the British Home Office loses such cases in up to 75% of cases.

Here you can find detailed information with regards to what you should do if you are refused a UK visa.