Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

Visas, Immigration & Nationality

Application for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa

Documents Required

Please find below a list of the documents required for your application.

It should be noted that the Home Office will only accept original documents. If no original is available, photocopied documents must be a stamped certified true copy of the original. Where a document is not in English or Welsh, the original must be accompanied by a fully certified translation by a professional translator. This translation must include details of the translator’s credentials and confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document. It must also be dated and include the original signature of the translator.

Please note that documents listed are carefully explained whether they are mandatory or optional. You should collect as many documents as possible and use it as a checklist to ensure all documents where possible have been sent as soon as possible. Where you are unable to provide the original documents, please explain the reasons by adding your comments.

The documents we will require from you are as follows:

Evidence of setting up, joining or taking over one or more businesses in the UK

Document Notes Type
HMRC document showing registration as self-employed:
Must have been registered within 6 months of entering the UK as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
-Original welcome letter from HMRC; or
-An original Exception Certificate from HMRC; or Mandatory
-National Insurance bill; or
-Bank statement showing direct debit payment of NI to HMRC
Companies House document showing registered as a director of a new or an existing business
Must have been registered within 6 months of entering the UK as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
-A printout from Companies House of the company’s filing history page; AND Mandatory
-A printout of a Current Appointment Report listing you as a director of a company that is actively trading and showing the date of your appointment as a director of that company

Proof of £200,000 being invested and used in your business

Document  Notes  Type
Business Bank Statements
IF you have moved on to other businesses and no longer involved in the business you initially invested in, the following evidence is still required to be shown that money was invested in that business.
Audited accounts for businesses required to produce audited accounts Mandatory
Unaudited accounts with accounts compilation report from a regulated accountant (if not required to produce audited accounts) Mandatory
IF invested in the form of a Director’s Loan – this must be shown in the accounts AND you must provide a legal agreement between you and the company showing the loan is unsecured and is subordinated in favour of the third-party creditors. Mandatory

Evidence that money is invested in UK business(es)
IF you are investing or have invested in more than one business, you must show the following for each business

IF Self-employed:
-Registration with HMRC to show that the business is based in the UK
-Business has a United Kingdom bank account of which you are a signatory:
a) Personal bank statement showing transactions for your business;
b) Business bank statement; or
c) A letter from the UK bank, on its headed paper, confirming that you have a business and act through that bank for the purposes of that business.
-You must be registered as self-employed for National Insurance (NI) assessment and provide proof from HMRC.
IF Director of companies:
-Printout of a Companies House document showing the address of the registered office in the UK, or head office if it has no registered office, AND your name as a director.
-Company bank statement showing that the company has a UK account; or A letter from the UK regulated bank, on its headed paper, confirming that the company has a bank account and you are a signatory of that account.
-Business must be registered for corporation tax and you must provide documentation from HMRC:
CT41G from HMRC or a completed HMRC tax return document showing the tax reference number for the company. If the reporting is done online, you should provide a printout of the form and sign it as correct.

Credibility Proof
Please provide whichever document applies to you

A curriculum vitae (CV) to assess the applicant’s previous experience in the field and in business
A business plan and any market research (if the business is in its infancy) to assess how much consideration the applicant has put into starting up. Plans that appear general may not be useful.
Evidence of appropriate accreditation, registration or insurance for the relevant business section
Financial information overseen by a bank, for example a small business loan
Hierarchy charts of larger businesses
Evidence of advertising
Contracts showing trading, if the business is established
Tax documentation (for example, returns or evidence of registration with HMRC) but only if the business is actually trading; non-trading businesses may still be registered
Affidavit from any mentors – for example if the applicant is being mentored by a member of the British Business Angels Association
Evidence of previous businesses owned by the applicant
Details of trading premises, and permissions if the business is trading in the applicant’s home.

Evidence showing you are genuinely employed as a director of the business you have invested in or working in a self-employed capacity

Document  Type
Documents which show you are being actively involved in the running of the business(es) Mandatory

Job Creation

Document  Type
If you have established new businesses, those businesses must have, between them, created the equivalent of two extra full-time (30 hours per week) paid jobs for at least two people who are settled in the UK and those jobs must have existed for at least 12 months each. Mandatory

All documents should be posted or scanned and emailed to us to make sure they meet the requirements.

If you are posting the documents, they should be sent to: iam (immigration and migration), Suite 8, 225 Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf, London Docklands E14 9FW. Please send this as recorded or special delivery for tracking purposes. You are not required to inform us. You can track your parcel with Royal Mail (track and trace) http://track2.royalmail.com.

Please let us know if you cannot provide anything listed and we can discuss alternative documents you may provide. Once we have received the documents, we will inform you via e-mail and update your application in our records.