At the end of March, UK Visas and Immigration closed both the
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) and Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) routes,
replacing them with two new visa categories, the 'Start-up'
and the 'Innovator', which are contained within a new
Appendix W of the Immigration Rules.
The new visas are heralded as a route for genuine entrepreneurs
to enter the UK and establish businesses that are viable,
innovative and scalable; however, it is likely that many existing
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa holders will fail to meet the new
requirements, and there are concerns as to how many people will be
able to utilise this route.
While the initial investment required has dropped from
£200,000 to £50,000, taken in aggregate, the criteria
for those wishing to settle in the UK on an entrepreneurial visa
have become more difficult to meet. For example,
'Innovator' visa holders are now required to employ ten
settled workers on a full time basis (or five if they are all being
paid more
