Tier 1 Entrepreneur – Main Refusal Reasons

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Tier 1 Entrepreneur Main Refusal Reasons

Today we look at the main reasons why Tier 1 Entrepreneur applications are generally refused;

A failure to meet the stringent requirements as laid out by the Home Office – The Home Office requirements are clear about how an applicant should follow the application process to the letter
All documents must be presented exactly as the rules stipulate in terms of format and type of information required

Documentation must be an acceptable form of evidence
Originals of supporting documents must be submitted, or where acceptable, officially certified copies of these.

The conditions regarding the funds – must be fully met, for example; the minimum fund thresholds for investment and for the maintenance purposes which must be held within regulated financial institutions, and proven with acceptable forms of evidence

The ‘genuine entrepreneur’ test – Having been introduced under this category since January 2013 it has contributed to the increased figures of refusals for this visa type

This Test has attracted quite a lot of criticism in that the caseworker responsible for making a decision on such applications would have the competency to recognise a viable business when presented with a business plan and to have the expertise to judge the future success of a business venture, so if an applicant is not able to present their business idea extensively, coupled with perhaps the lack of knowledge about a business type by the caseworker making the decision – then this could lead to being refused.

Weaknesses in business plan – Put simply you must have a strong business plan in place as you will need to convince that your business idea is viable and will be successful in order to justify your entry to the UK

Failed Interview – It is very often that applicants’ fail at the point of interview even if their supporting documents are sound, this is due to having the lack of full knowledge about your business idea, business plan and therefore not being able to fully illustrate your business idea.

Lack of time in application preparation – Perhaps this may sound somewhat obvious; however it is imperative to spend a good amount of time to materialise your business idea thoroughly via your business plan and provide the supporting documents in the exact format required by the Home office and having full knowledge about your business idea which should be put forward comprehensively