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What a great idea! With your own UK company serving as your sponsor, the UK Self Sponsorship Visa route provides a way for business owners to enter the UK to launch or join their active UK enterprises.
Although it may appear to be a difficult procedure, knowing the timetable can help to make it rather feasible. Let's examine how long this journey often lasts.
A number of factors will affect the actual time required, including the level of document preparation you have done and the processing times at UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) at the time of your application.
Generally speaking, the entire process of getting your UK Self Sponsorship Visa, which includes obtaining a sponsor licence and the visa itself, typically takes around 1 to 2 months or 8 weeks. It guides you through every step, from preparing your initial documents to the potential issuance of your visa.
Let's look at each step in turn to give you a better understanding:
Prior to starting any official applications, you must arrange your affairs.
This includes:
If you do not already have a business in the UK, you will need to start one. The good news is you can even do this from outside the UK!
There's no requirement for a director to be a British citizen. This initial step will require some time for paperwork and registration.
The creation of documents is a fundamental requirement. For both your sponsor licence and visa applications, a complete and accurate set of supporting documents is necessary and directly influences the processing timeline.
Applying for a Sponsor Licence from the Home Office is a crucial next step after starting your business in the UK. This demonstrates that your business can support qualified workers, like you.
To hire foreign nationals, UK employers must be on the Home Office Sponsor Licence register.