It’s not often we write about visas here (okay, never) but Adam Sinfield of Osborne Clarke is one of those lawyers who not only knows the UK Immigration Rules inside out, he also understands start-ups and scale-ups and the challenges and opportunities they face in the UK market.

But more than that, he believes that to really succeed here in the UK, businesses need to get their PR and marketing sorted.  And that’s why we thought it was worth asking him to explain the overhaul of immigration rules that happened a couple of months ago.

“Largely due to the dreaded “B” word (Brexit in case you missed it) and the dominance of immigration in the debate, the Government has sought to overhaul the UK immigration system and as a result, published its White Paper on the “Future Skills Based Immigration System”. The first of these changes affected not only high net worth individuals looking to relocate to the UK, the so called “golden visas”, but also the entrepreneurs wishing to establish themselves or develop their business in the UK. The old Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route is out, and has been replaced with the Start-up and Innovator categories.

“Who is suitable for these visas is indicated by their title; the Start-up route is designed for those who have a good business idea and wish to use the UK as their base, whereas the Innovator route is for those with a more developed business idea and wish to start or grow in to the UK. Whichever option is suitable however, both application routes rely on endorsement from a suitable body, as approved by the Home Office, which will involve a thorough evaluation of their plan for its viability, scalability and innovation.

“The way I see it therefore, these changes make marketing an integral part of the endorsement process, because now, more than ever before it’s about credibility, scalability, viability and PR is a great way to achieve that.”

If you’d like to see Osborne Clarke’s information sheet on the Tier 1 immigration rules, drop us a line and we will send you the link.  And, as always, if you’d like to chat about how best to promote your business efficiently and cost-effectively, then give us a call.