New Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Judicial Decision

The Immigration & Asylum Chamber of the Upper Tribunal, chaired by the President of the Chamber Mr Justice McCloskey, has provided further judicial guidance on Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) entry visa applications. The Upper Tribunal has ruled as follows in the case of Arshad and Others (Tier 1 applicants – funding – “availability”):

• “The effect of the amendment of the regime in paragraph 41/SD of Appendix A to the Immigration Rules via HC628, dated 06 September 2013, is that any application for entry clearance or leave made before 01 October 2013 is to be decided in accordance with the Rules in force on 30 September 2013.

• Every applicant for Tier 1 Entrepreneurial status bears the onus of proving satisfaction of all of the material requirements of the Immigration Rules.

• The Rules stipulate that every Tier 1 Entrepreneurial applicant have available £50,000 to invest in the proposed business venture. “Available” in this context denotes that the applicant must be in a position to invest this money in his business consequential upon a positive decision of the Secretary of State. The clear import of the Rules is that the investment must be capable of being made almost immediately thereafter.

• A mere intention on the part of a Tier 1 Entrepreneurial applicant to invest £25,000 at the outset of the business venture, coupled with a further intention to invest the balance of £25,000 at some unspecified future date from some unspecified source, does not satisfy the Rules.”

If you require assistance with your Tier 1 visa, please contact us and speak to one of our immigration lawyers.