TIER 1 GRADUATE ENTREPRENEUR PROCESS GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS

TIER 1 GRADUATE ENTREPRENEUR PROCESS GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS

What is a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa? Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) is a work visa route aimed at graduates with genuine and credible business ideas or entrepreneurial skills. Under this visa route, graduates are offered the opportunity to spend a year (with the potential for a second year) in the UK to focus on starting up and running their own business. When sponsoring a student under this visa route we are confirming to the Home Office that the student has successfully completed a degree qualification (a Cert/DipHE or a PG Cert/Dip are not acceptable for sponsorship in this category) and has demonstrated that they have a sound business idea which they will pursue. To be able to apply for a visa under this route, students must be able to satisfy all of the required criteria. As part of the points based immigration system, graduates must achieve all of the points available in order to be granted a visa in this category. We expect applications to come from individual students who have an original business idea with the potential to add value to the UK economy. In some circumstances, applications to start a business as a partnership between two graduate entrepreneurs will be considered, but the proposal should make it clear how the business will work as a partnership but not for a sole entrepreneur. How does the points system work for Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)? Under this tier of the points based system, points are awarded as follows for SOAS endorsed applicants: Attributes Applicants need to obtain 75 out of 75 points in this category to be eligible to receive a Tier 1 (Graduate 25 points are granted if a graduate is endorsed by a recognised UK Higher Education Institution. 25 points are granted if the graduate has been awarded a recognised bachelor s degree, master s degree or PhD. Non-degree qualifications at degree level (NQF/FHEQ levels 6, 7 or 8) are not accepted (a CertHE/DipHE or PGCert/PGDip are not acceptable qualifications). 25 points are awarded if the graduate presents an endorsement letter from their sponsor (us) that confirms that the graduate has a genuine and credible business idea, the intended business sector and that the graduate will spend the majority of their working time furthering their business idea. English Language Applicants need to obtain 10 out of 10 points in this category to be eligible to receive a Tier 1 (Graduate 10 points will be granted for English language if the graduate is able to demonstrate that they have the required level of English language ability. This will be satisfied if the graduate is from a Home Office recognised majority English speaking country or if the graduate has included a degree which was awarded by their endorser (SOAS graduates use their SOAS degree). Maintenance Applicants need to obtain 10 out of 10 points in this category to be eligible to receive a Tier 1 (Graduate 10 points will be granted for maintenance if the graduate is able to submit evidence meeting the published requirements, which shows that they have enough money to support themselves whilst they further their business idea. If you are applying inside the UK to switch from Tier 4 to Tier 1, you must show that you have held a minimum of 945.00 in your bank account for a period of 90 consecutive days. The evidence must be no older than 31 days on the date you submit your application. If your current visa has expired and you are applying from outside the UK, the requirement is 1890.00 for a period of 90 consecutive days. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Process Guidance for Applicants (August 2018) 1

If an applicant is able to satisfy the requirements to obtain all of the required points under this visa route, they will generally be considered eligible to be granted a Tier 1 (Graduate As with any application under the points based system, even if the full points requirement is met, applications can still be refused on the Home Office s general grounds for refusal. Other issues to keep in mind Graduates must be aware that if they have received official financial sponsorship during the 12 months preceding their Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur application they need to obtain unconditional written permission from the financial sponsor to stay in or return to the UK. Written consent must be on the sponsor organisation s headed paper with an official stamp and issued by an authorised official of the organisation. Students are considered to have received financial sponsorship if they have been given an award by a government or international scholarship agency which wholly covered the student s course fees and living expenses during the 12 months preceding the Tier 1 application. This visa route is open to Tier 4 students and SOAS sponsored Postdoctoral researchers on Tier 2 visas. Irrespective of the applicant s previous visa category, applicants will still need to satisfy the general requirement for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur as well as the general immigration rules established by the UK Home Office. Students who have previously held a Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa are ineligible for sponsorship under the graduate entrepreneur rules. Under this visa route, applicants are allowed to bring their dependents with them (spouse/partner and/or children under the age of 18). Dependents will need to submit their own application for leave as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) dependent and will be subject to the conditions of application published by the Home Office for this visa route. More information about making a dependent application can be found on the Home Office website 1. How do I apply for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa? If you are interested in applying for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa, your first step (after having a great idea for a business) is to complete the registration form available from the SOAS website 2. You should also read the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur section of the SOAS website in full and check the current information available from the Home Office 3 to make sure that you are fully aware of the requirements. Once you have registered your interest, you should make an appointment to discuss your visa status and the immigration requirements of your proposed application with John Hitchman, Student Advisor (Immigration and Finance). Contact can be made via email at studentadviceandwellbeing@soas.ac.uk. You will also need to book an appointment with a student enterprise representative by emailing studententerprise@soas.ac.uk to discuss your business idea and get feedback on your application form before you submit your final application. In order to be able to submit a full application you will need to submit the graduate entrepreneur business idea form 4 which also requires you to upload the basic cash information spreadsheet 5, your CV highlighting relevant experience (you contact the Careers Service if you need help writing a CV), a covering letter explaining your reasons for applying along with why we should endorse you, as well as any other supporting documentation you feel relevant to your application. Please discuss with a student enterprise representative if you're unsure about what to submit and make sure that you take the opportunity to get feedback before making your final submission. Applicants who do not discuss their idea with the Student Enterprise team or who do not confirm their eligibility for this visa route with the Student Advisor (Immigration and Finance) will not be considered upon 1 https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-graduate-entrepreneur-visa/family-members 2 https://docs.google.com/a/soas.ac.uk/forms/d/e/1faipqlsfkelquussy8ym2yeskvlj3ct7lk- Z_HrCFX1WGcaLID7f0qw/viewform?formkey=dDBkTWdZWTdDdWN1SlJpVXhucTUwZGc6MQ#gid=0 3 https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-graduate-entrepreneur-visa 4 https://form.jotformeu.com/62164457550355 5 https://www.soas.ac.uk/studentadviceandwellbeing/students/immigration/psw/tier1ge/file106448.xlsx Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Process Guidance for Applicants (August 2018) 2

submission of their application and will not be entitled to receive any feedback other than to state that they did not meet the basic requirements of the application process. What happens after I apply? Applications received by the published deadline are considered by a carefully selected panel of SOAS staff against a standard set of shortlisting criteria. The shortlisting criteria include: Clarity of business plan Evidence of market research Evidence of customer analysis Evidence of competitor analysis Marketing plan Clarity of financial forecast Anticipation of achievable growth How your CV and covering letter support your business idea Successful first stage applicants will be notified after the panel has considered all the in-time applications. If you are shortlisted, you will be required to present your idea to the panel. You will be informed of the time and date for your presentation. Specific timeslots are allocated so remember to check carefully and plan ahead. You will be asked to give a 10 minute presentation, followed by a short Q&A. For those applying outside the UK, the presentation will be conducted via Skype. During the enquiry and application stage of the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) cycle, Student Enterprise will maintain a record of each applicant s details and their business idea which will include a record of the panel s reasons for supporting the applicant. This record will be maintained throughout the period of sponsorship for each applicant, during which time it will also be used to record details of supervisory meetings. Successful applicants will then be provided with an endorsement letter from SOAS and should consult the Home Office website 6 to make an application for a graduate entrepreneur visa within 3 months of receiving their endorsement letter. Once you have submitted your Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa application you are able to start work straight away on your business idea whilst you wait for your application to be processed. Applicants who are not shortlisted for consideration, or are unsuccessful at presentation can ask for feedback on their application/presentation and will be able to re-apply, subject to there being visa endorsements available and within the specified time frames. Once they have been endorsed, applicants will need to set up a legal entity for their business as part of their engagement with the process. Permitted types of legal entity are; sole trader, partnership or a company registered in the UK. Applications for businesses concerned with property management or property development will be refused. It is important to note that even with thorough preparation and support from SOAS, it is the Home Office who make the final decision as to whether you are granted a visa or not. The Home Office will inform you of their decision but will not inform us so it is important that you notify us as soon as possible once you have received the decision on your application. If your visa is refused, we cannot guarantee that we can endorse a second application as we are only able to issue a limited number of endorsements each year and each endorsement can only be used for one new application. What do I do once I have my visa? By the time you receive your visa, you should be working towards fully establishing your business. Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa holders are expected to spend the majority of their working time establishing and running their business. Visa holders are permitted to undertake some paid work, but this cannot take up more time than the setting up and running of the visa holders own business and should not be the main reason for pursuing a Tier 1 (Graduate 6 https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-graduate-entrepreneur-visa Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Process Guidance for Applicants (August 2018) 3

Conditions of endorsement It is important to remember that Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) is still a sponsored visa route and there are a number of conditions under this category which all Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa holders are required to comply with. The following conditions are applicable to Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa holders: You must maintain contact with Student Enterprise representatives with a minimum contact of once every three months. A formal record of this contact will be made. If you are unable to make an agreed contact you must inform the Student Enterprise representative within 24 hours, explaining why an alternative date is required. You must actively work on developing your business in the UK. The Student Enterprise representative will assess your progress at each contact. You must be aware of all the conditions of your leave and ensure that you keep to these conditions throughout the duration of your visa. You are not entitled to claim UK state benefits. Although you are permitted to undertake some additional work, you cannot take employment as a Doctor or Dentist in training or as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach). If you are required to register with the Police, you must ensure that your Police Registration Certificate is kept up to date with any changes in accordance with the published Home Office guidance. Whether or not you are required to register with the Police, you must still inform the Home Office and SOAS of any change in your circumstances (e.g. change in contact details, dependants details, your name, nationality, appearance) within 7 days of the change occurring. Continued monitoring and engagement During your time as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa holder, a representative of the Student Enterprise team will be assigned to you to offer mentoring support. You will be informed of the expected time scale of progression meetings. As a minimum these will be held quarterly but may be required on a more regular basis, depending on the progress you make in establishing and running your business. The first meeting should be held following your successful approval and endorsement to UKVI. Times and dates of subsequent meetings will be confirmed at the initial meeting with your mentor. Please bring with you a copy of your visa to the first meeting. As part of the initial meeting, your mentor will establish the format and level of evidence required of you to demonstrate that you are making progress in establishing and running your business. You should expect that the minimum requirement will be a quarterly written report of your progress against your established milestones. Whilst this is a minimum requirement, it may be decided that more frequent or detailed reports may be required. As your sponsor, we must remain satisfied that you are developing the business and working towards its growth and progression. As required by UKVI, we will maintain a record of all documentation submitted and evidence of meetings held. Please note that we have the right to revoke your endorsement and report you to UKVI in the case of lack of communication or engagement, non-attendance at the quarterly meetings or submission of unsuitable evidence of your business progress. We will also report to UKVI if we find out that you are no longer actively engaged in the development of your business or if you are no longer working for that enterprise and have taken up permanent employment elsewhere. Extending your leave Under this visa route, graduates are initially sponsored for 1 year and will have the option to apply to have their visa extended for a second year if they can demonstrate that they have made good progress with their business. At the end of the second year, Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa holders will need to obtain leave in an alternative category if they wish to remain in the UK. If their business has gone particularly well and they are able to satisfy the published requirements they could apply as a Tier 1 (Investor) or (Entrepreneur). Alternatively, if they are able to find a suitable professional role with a licensed Tier 2 sponsor, Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa holders could apply to switch to Tier 2 at the end of their period of Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) leave. Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Process Guidance for Applicants (August 2018) 4