By Nicki Behnamfar – Authorized Affiliate
In This Article
1. Closure of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa
2. Alternate options to the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa: Innovator Founder and Self-Sponsorship Choices
3. Closure of the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
4. Alternate options to the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa: Innovator Founder and World Expertise Routes
5. Closure of the UK Begin-up Visa: Restricted Uptake and Settlement Obstacles
6. Closure of the Innovator Visa: Low Uptake and Transition to the Innovator Founder Route
7. Alternate options to the Begin-up and Innovator Visa Routes
8. Alternative of the Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa: Transition to the World Expertise Route
9. Alternate options to the Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa
10. UK Visa Schemes for Ukrainian Nationals: Overview and Newest Updates
11. Contact Our Immigration Barristers
12. Ceaselessly Requested Questions
13. Glossary
Over the past 10 years, UK immigration coverage has seen main updates with the closure of a number of visa routes or reforms to align with new financial and safety targets. These adjustments have left many candidates not sure concerning the choices accessible for residing, working or beginning a enterprise within the UK. On this information, we’ll break down among the frequent UK visa routes which have closed during the last 10 years, and spotlight probably the most viable options presently accessible to candidates.
1. Closure of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa
The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa, launched in 2008, was a UK immigration route designed for people wishing to determine or take over a enterprise within the UK. To qualify, most candidates have been required to exhibit entry to no less than £200,000 in funding funds and create or take over a enterprise. The funding might have been from one’s personal funds or from a 3rd celebration, and candidates needed to exhibit that that they had entry to it.
The UK authorities scrapped this visa route because it thought-about that many candidates submitted weak or fraudulent enterprise plans, with ventures usually arrange simply to satisfy visa standards fairly than drive actual worth. The House Workplace confronted challenges verifying enterprise legitimacy and lacked sturdy monitoring to make sure compliance. Because of this, regardless of the job creation necessities, the House Workplace view was that the route didn’t ship innovation or job creation at scale. The route was closed to new candidates on 29 March 2019.
Each extension and Indefinite Go away to Stay (ILR) functions on this route are actually closed. Purposes for extension closed on 05 April 2023 and for ILR on 05 April 2025.
- Innovator Founder Visa: The Innovator Founder route is for entrepreneurs aiming to determine and function an modern, viable, and scalable enterprise within the UK. The appliance is a two-stage course of, together with an software to an endorsing physique after which a visa software. Candidates should safe an endorsement from an accredited UK endorsing physique, demonstrating that their enterprise concept is new, distinctive, and has potential for progress. The visa is granted for 3 years, with the potential of extension and eligibility for ILR after 3 years, supplied particular standards are met.
- Self-Sponsorship Expert Employee Visa: Though ‘self-sponsorship’ shouldn’t be a visa route in itself, beneath UK immigration regulation, an applicant can open a enterprise and this enterprise can sponsor their Expert Employee visa. The route entails a person establishing an organization, acquiring a sponsor licence from the House Workplace, after which sponsoring themselves for a talented job inside their very own enterprise. The enterprise should be real, energetic, and able to providing a job that meets the visa’s wage and talent necessities and the function should seem on the UK’s checklist of eligible occupations, in addition to different necessities. As soon as the sponsor licence is granted, the enterprise can situation a Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), which the applicant makes use of to use for the Expert Employee Visa. That is presently a 5-year path to settlement, although this can be topic to vary following the latest White Paper. ‘Self-sponsorship’ is seen as a loophole by the House Workplace, and in April 2025, it launched adjustments to this path to make it harder for individuals to speculate into their sponsoring enterprise. Our article on New Immigration Guidelines for Expert Employees: Additional Challenges for Self-Sponsorship explains these adjustments in additional element.
3. Closure of the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
The Tier 1 (Investor) Visa, also called the “golden visa” was first launched in 2008, to draw high-net-worth people to the UK by providing residency in alternate for vital monetary funding. Its major aims have been to stimulate financial progress, improve the UK’s standing as a worldwide monetary hub, and foster job creation and enterprise improvement.
By the point this route was closed, overseas nationals have been capable of receive a visa by investing a minimal of £2,000,000 in UK share or mortgage capital in energetic and buying and selling UK registered corporations. These investments needed to be made inside three months of coming into the UK or being granted entry clearance.
In its resolution to shut the route in February 2022, the UK authorities cited considerations that the scheme facilitated the entry of people who could have acquired their wealth by way of illicit means, together with corruption and organised crime. Regardless of earlier reforms geared toward strengthening due diligence procedures, the House Workplace concluded that the route remained weak to abuse and insufficiently safeguarded towards the switch of illicitly obtained wealth into the UK.
Though the route is closed to new candidates, these already on the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa route and who want to apply for a visa extension, are nonetheless in a position to take action till 17 February 2026. Those that have already accomplished their steady interval of residence could also be eligible to use for ILR. Purposes for ILR as a Tier 1 Investor could be made till 17 February 2028.
4. Alternate options to the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa: Innovator Founder and World Expertise Routes
- Innovator Founder Visa: As above, a substitute for the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa is the Innovator Founder visa.
- World Expertise Visa: The World Expertise visa is a UK immigration route designed for distinctive and promising people in fields akin to science, engineering, humanities, medication, digital know-how, and humanities and tradition. It permits migrants to stay and work within the UK with minimal restrictions, providing vital flexibility in comparison with different visa varieties. The visa could be granted for as much as 5 years, with the choice to increase. Candidates could apply for ILR after 3 years if making use of as a frontrunner or 5 years as a possible chief.
5. Closure of the UK Begin-up Visa: Restricted Uptake and Settlement Obstacles
The UK Begin-up Visa was a short-term immigration route created for first-time entrepreneurs aiming to determine a brand new and modern enterprise within the UK. It was first launched in 2019 and in contrast to different enterprise visas on the time, it didn’t require upfront funding funds, making it accessible to a broader vary of entrepreneurs.
These visas weren’t eligible for extension and the class didn’t straight result in settlement. The route closed in 2023, attributable to its restricted uptake—solely 377 have been issued in 2022. A key situation was its lack of a direct path to settlement, and strict necessities for innovation, scalability, and endorsement could have discouraged candidates.
6. Closure of the Innovator Visa: Low Uptake and Transition to the Innovator Founder Route
Launched on 29 March 2019, the earlier Innovator Visa was a UK immigration route that succeeded the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa. It was meant for skilled entrepreneurs aiming to determine a enterprise in the UK that was modern, viable, and scalable.
It attracted restricted curiosity, as many candidates struggled to satisfy the strict necessities, significantly the £50,000 funding threshold and complicated endorsement course of, and an onerous path to ILR. It restricted holders to work solely on their endorsed enterprise which lowered its enchantment to entrepreneurs needing monetary flexibility.
Those that have held or maintain permission beneath this route can nonetheless prolong or apply for ILR beneath the Innovator Founder Visa class.
7. Alternate options to the Begin-up and Innovator Visa Routes
- Innovator Founder Visa: In 2023, the Innovator Founder Visa changed the Begin-up and Innovator Visas, which consolidated and streamlined the UK’s entrepreneurial immigration routes. This visa is the principle choice for entrepreneurs who’ve an modern enterprise concept, just like the necessities beneath the outdated Begin-up and Innovator routes. The enterprise will nonetheless should be modern and scalable.
- Self-Sponsorship Expert Employee Visa: As above, another choice could also be making use of for a Sponsor Licence for your online business, issuing a Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), after which making use of for the Expert Employee Visa.
8. Alternative of the Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa: Transition to the World Expertise Route
The Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa was an immigration route launched in 2011 geared toward attracting world expertise to the UK. It was for extremely expert people recognised as leaders or rising leaders in particular fields together with science and the humanities. The Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa functions have been famous to be overly complicated and acted as a deterrent to potential candidates. The route additionally had an annual cap of two,000 functions and this restrict was by no means reached. The route was changed by the World Expertise Visa in 2020.
This route led to a 5-year path to settlement for these beneath the ‘Distinctive Promise’ class and 3-years for these beneath the ‘Distinctive Expertise’ class.
In case you are somebody who holds a Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa you possibly can apply for an extension and ILR within the World Expertise route. There isn’t a particular deadline for extensions or settlement functions for these with Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) go away.
9. Alternate options to the Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa
- World Expertise Visa: Essentially the most viable various to the Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa is its successor, the World Expertise Visa. Three primary variations between the visas routes are:
| Tier 1 (Distinctive Expertise) Visa | World Expertise Visa |
| Solely allowed for two,000 functions per yr. | No cap on the variety of candidates. |
| A smaller variety of endorsing our bodies with narrower areas of specialisation. Typically criticised for having a sophisticated and unclear software course of. | A extra streamlined endorsement course of that includes sector-specific endorsing our bodies and clearer software steering. |
| Targeted on a narrower set of fields (tech, arts, science, engineering). | Broader scope and extra outlined standards throughout educational, analysis, and digital sectors. |
| Customary endorsement course of solely. | Gives fast-track routes for sure candidates (e.g. fellowship holders, UKRI-endorsed researchers). |
- Excessive Potential Particular person (HPI) Visa: If you happen to have been planning on making use of within the science, engineering, medication, and academia classes, this can be an choice for you. The Excessive Potential Particular person (HPI) visa is designed for latest graduates of high world universities who want to work or search employment within the UK with out the necessity for a job provide. It’s accessible to people who’ve accomplished an eligible diploma inside the previous 5 years. This can be a route for non-UK graduates. In case you are a UK graduate, the Graduate or Expert Employee Visa could also be a viable choice for you. Whereas the visa doesn’t lead on to settlement and you can’t apply to increase. Nonetheless, it provides flexibility in employment and permits visa holders to change to different long-term UK immigration routes.
10. UK Visa Schemes for Ukrainian Nationals: Overview and Newest Updates
In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the UK launched particular visa schemes for Ukrainian nationals. The three primary schemes embrace the Ukraine Household Scheme, Houses for Ukraine Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme. These preliminary schemes are actually closed, nevertheless there could also be various schemes for Ukrainian nationals that are nonetheless open to new functions. You will need to spotlight that none of those schemes supplied a path to settlement, and neither do any of the remaining schemes mentioned beneath.
Houses for Ukraine Scheme
The Houses for Ukraine Scheme, launched by the federal government on 14 March 2022, allows UK residents to sponsor a selected Ukrainian particular person or household to return and stay with them, so long as they will provide acceptable lodging. Underneath this preliminary scheme, candidates have been granted 36-months of permission to remain within the UK.
The Houses for Ukraine Scheme has not been absolutely closed, however vital adjustments have been made on 19 February 2024 to streamline the immigration course of. Key updates embrace stricter sponsor eligibility, now requiring sponsors to be British or Irish residents, or have settled standing, as an alternative of permitting these with no less than six months’ permission to remain. Moreover, the preliminary 36-month keep for Ukrainian arrivals has been lowered to 18 months for brand spanking new candidates. These adjustments purpose to strengthen the UK’s humanitarian response and make sure the sustainability of the scheme.
Ukraine Household Scheme
The Ukraine Household Scheme was a UK visa route launched in March 2022 to assist Ukrainians be part of relations already residing within the UK following Russia’s invasion. It allowed eligible Ukrainian nationals with a UK-based relative to use free of charge and keep for as much as three years, with full rights to work, examine, entry healthcare, and declare advantages. The scheme closed to new candidates on 19 February 2024.
If you happen to have been beforehand eligible for the Ukraine Household Scheme, you might be eligible to use beneath the Houses for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.
The Ukraine Extension Scheme
The Ukraine Extension Scheme was a UK immigration route launched on 03 Might 2022 to permit Ukrainian nationals and their shut relations already within the UK to increase their keep. Purposes have been accepted till 16 Might 2024, however the scheme closed to all functions on 04 February 2025, and launched the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme.
New Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
In case you have been given permission to be within the UK beneath one of many Ukraine Schemes, you might be able to apply for an additional 18 months permission to remain within the UK beneath the brand new Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Purposes needs to be submitted when 28 days or fewer stay in your present permission to keep away from delays or lack of entitlements. The appliance is free and could be accomplished on-line. Candidates should confirm their identification, affirm their presence within the UK, and supply particulars about their lodging and any time spent outdoors the UK or Ukraine since receiving permission beneath the Ukraine Schemes. Youngsters born within the UK after 18 March 2022 to Ukrainian nationals with permission beneath these schemes are additionally eligible. Profitable candidates will obtain an up to date eVisa, granting continued rights to stay, work, examine, lease property, and entry public funds within the UK for the extension interval.
In recent times, the UK’s immigration coverage has undergone vital revisions, with a number of key visa routes being closed or restructured to satisfy altering financial and safety priorities. As at all times, navigating the complexities of the UK immigration system requires cautious authorized steering, and our barristers are right here to assist our shoppers perceive probably the most appropriate immigration choices accessible.
For skilled UK immigration recommendation on probably the most appropriate visa to your state of affairs, our professional immigration barristers in London are right here to assist. Get in contact right this moment at +44 (0)203 617 9173 or fill out our on-line enquiry kind for tailor-made steering in your immigration considerations.
