Prospective Entrepreneur Visa Guidance Leading to Tier 1

[harryisback]

Hi everyone,

I am a freelance software developer working in industry from couple of years. I co founded software company with friends in UK but i work remotely from Pakistan. The software company is expanding and it took us an year to build the software product. Now we are marketing the product. A VC firm is willing to invest 50k in the company and back me up. They have sent me the investment letter(FCA regulated firm) and i am preparing my visa application. I have shares in the company and i don't draw salary every month. I am going to attach company house stocks document with my application. Can it jeopardise my application? I have good savings plus i work as a freelance and earn 100K Pakistani rupees average/month from other projects, i am going to attach one of my current clients company details whom i am working for as a freelance. Can anyone please advice what is the best way to present my case?

Thanks.

[zimba]

First you need to read the Tier 1E visa official guide and familiarise yourself with the rules and requirements of this visa. Having a UK investor is quite a good sign and could work in your favour. I highly recommend to read guide very carefully and prepare your documents and particularly your business plan meticulously.

[harryisback]

Hi Zimba88,

Thanks for quickly getting back to me. I have prepared business plan and everything mentioned in the guide. I am just confused how to present my case as i have been working with the company and have shares. Can you please read my first message in the thread again and advice me what would be the best option? I want to go on prospective ent. and after two-three months i will apply for tier 1 within the country.

Thanks.

[CR001]

I want to go on prospective ent

There is no such visa. If you mean a 'business visit visa', then you CANNOT switch to Tier 1 Ent within the UK, you still have to apply from home country.

No one can tell you how to present your case, we don't have sight of all your documents or have any idea about your business.

[harryisback]

Hi CR,

Under visitor visa you can apply for prospective ent. type as per the requirements on the https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/overview and also you can switch to tier 1 from within country. I am just confused about how to show my economic relation with the company as i am one of the co-founders and shareholder.

Anyways, thanks for your time & help guys.

[CR001]

How do you think HO will view you as a 'prospective ent' when you already have an existing co-founded business in the UK?

[harryisback]

I will pitch it in a way that i want to negotiate investment deals and do site visits of the company. Do you think it can backfire?

[zimba]

There is no pitching involved. You must submit your evidence with the visa application as required in Visit Guidance. You will be able to switch to Tier 1E visa while in the UK, however I am not sure the Tier 1E forum is the right place to get proper advice on how to apply for a Visit Visa.

Based on the Immigration rules, in order to come as a Prospective Entrepreneur with standard visit visa you simply must:

show support from:

(a) one or more registered venture capitalist firms regulated by the financial conduct authority; or
(b) one or more UK entrepreneurial seed funding competitions which is listed as endorsed on http://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio ... -in-the-uk; or
(c) one or more UK Government Departments; may come to the UK for discussions to secure funding from one of the above sources which they intend to use to join, set up or take over a business in the UK.

[harryisback]

I fulfil the criteria option (a). I have the letter from VC firm.

I will take your advise and ask my friend to consult any good solicitor in London.

Thanks zimba for the help. I will update about the decision of HO.

Cheers - fingers crossed!