Self Sponsorship Visa UK

There is no official UK visa route called the self sponsorship visa. However, foreign company founders may self sponsor themselves to come and work in the country for their UK-based companies.

Such a company will first need to apply for a ‘Worker’ sponsor licence to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to their overseas owners, who can then apply for a Skilled Worker visa to come and work in the UK for themselves. Since the foreign owner is being effectively sponsored by their own UK-based business entity, this option is known as a self-sponsored work visa route.

Alternatively, you may explore the Innovator Founder visa option to set up and run your own business in the UK. In this case also you will be self-sponsoring yourself. If you fulfil the eligibility criteria for this immigration pathway and do not already have your own UK company that can sponsor you for a Skilled Worker visa, an Innovator Founder visa may be your preferred option.

Both of the above options eventually lead to settlement in the UK. You can also bring your dependent family members to the UK via these routes.

Page Contents

• What is a Self Sponsorship Visa for the UK?
• Self Sponsorship Skilled Worker Visa Route
• Innovator Founder Visa for Self Sponsorship
• Set Up a Business in the UK
• Get a Sponsor Licence in the UK
• Financial Requirements for the Self Sponsorship Route
• Challenges You Could Face with Self Sponsorship in the UK
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

If you already have set up a new business or have acquired an existing business in the UK, and your company holds an A-rated ‘Worker’ sponsor licence, you can sponsor yourself for a Skilled Worker visa through your said business.

To be eligible for this route, you must:

• Have an established, active and genuine business in the UK that holds an A-rated sponsor licence
• Have a genuine vacancy (that you will fill) in the said business that matches your skills
• Have a valid CoS, as assigned to you by your UK company, to perform the role
• Have access to sufficient personal savings when you arrive in the UK
• Be paid at the minimum salary threshold or above, as applicable for the role
• Have sufficient knowledge of the English language (i.e. B1 level or higher on the CEFR scale)
• Be 18 or over
• Have a valid passport
• Have no general grounds for visa refusal, such as a previous visa refusal or deportation
• Submit a criminal record certificate

The Innovator Founder visa is for foreign entrepreneurs with a unique business idea who want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK. To be eligible for this visa, you must:

• Have a business offering that is different from anything already existing in the market, has potential for growth, can create jobs in the UK, and can expand nationally and internationally
• Have the business idea endorsed by a competent UK entity, known as an endorsing body
• Meet the other eligibility criteria, such as:
• • You are 18 or over
  • You meet the English language requirement
  • You have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family (if any) in the UK

The first requirement for both the self sponsorship options is to have your own business in the UK. If you do not already have a company established in the UK, you must set up a new business or acquire an existing one. Your UK company must be registered with Companies House, have a UK business bank account, and meet all legal and tax obligations as applicable.

If you are exploring the self-sponsored Skilled Visa route, your UK company will then need to obtain a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. Upon successfully obtaining the same, your company will issue a CoS to you, asserting the genuineness of the job offer and the salary details.

On the other hand, if you want to take the Innovator Founder visa route, you must have an innovative business idea meeting the relevant requirements. Your business plan must then be endorsed by one of the designated UK innovator visa endorsing bodies. Once you receive the endorsement letter, you can go ahead and apply for your Innovator Founder visa.

For a sponsor licence application, your UK company will have to satisfy the Home Office that it is:

• A genuine organisation operating lawfully and actively trading in the UK
• An honest, dependable, and reliable business entity, which is not, and has never been, engaging in criminal activities
• Capable to carry out the sponsorship duties as specified by the Home Office, having appointed required Key Personnel and putting in place an appropriate sponsor management system (such as HR systems, policies and processes)
• Offering a genuine job to you that meets your skill level as well as the salary level requirements of the Skilled Worker route

While considering the self sponsorship route, you will need to keep in mind the associated financial requirements among other conditions. For the Skilled Worker route, your UK-based company must pay you a salary that matches at least the minimum salary rate for the type of work you will be doing in the UK.

Currently, the minimum salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa is £41,700  per year or the ‘going rate’ for your type of work (whichever is higher). In addition, you must submit evidence of sufficient personal savings when you come to the UK.

For the Innovator Founder route, you must be able to satisfy the designated UK endorsing body that you have enough funding and declare its source. In addition, there must be at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you either apply for an Innovator Founder visa or switch to the same if you have been in the UK for less than a year prior to that.

Self-sponsoring their way to the UK may prove ideal for overseas entrepreneurs who are looking to expand their business footprint in the country. However, this immigration strategy comes with its own challenges.

When your UK company applies for a sponsor licence to sponsor you for a Skilled Worker visa, it subjects itself to rigorous scrutiny by the Home Office. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will thoroughly check your company’s history and background, as well as that of your Key Personnel in charge of managing your sponsorship responsibilities, to assess whether your company is eligible for such a licence.

UKVI personnel may visit your business premises at any time during the application process, and even after the licence has been granted, to ensure that your company is eligible to be a sponsor and is diligently performing its sponsor duties once a licence has been granted. If your company fails to meet the compliance requirements, you may face severe penalties.

As for the Innovator Founder visa route, getting a designated UK body to endorse your business plan in the first place requires long-term, strategic planning. You must be able to satisfy the endorsing body of the innovativeness, sustainability, and growth potential of your business offering, as well as the Home Office of the genuineness of your visa application.

Moreover, your visa validity may be cut short in case the endorsing body withdraws their endorsement of your business at a later stage.