University of Nottingham

Start-up visa

Visa2

The Start-up visa allows a limited number of eligible students from The University of Nottingham to remain in the UK for  two years to start new business ventures.

Who can apply for the Start-up visa?

  • Current students who graduate from the UK campus within six months
  • Former students who graduated from the UK campus within 12 months 
  • Tier 4 (Doctorate Extension Scheme) visa holders are eligible to switch into this visa route, providing that they have an innovative, viable and scalable  business plan.
The University of Nottingham will only endorse the business plans of its own students or graduates.
 

How do the visas work?

The Ingenuity Lab works in partnership with  The University of Nottingham's Visa and Immigration Team.

The applicant will be expected to:

  • submit a business plan to the head of The Ingenuity Lab for consideration and once satisfied The Ingenuity Lab will refer the applicant to the Visa and Immigration Team for visa advice, document checking and issuing of the endorsement letter. 
  • attend regular meetings with The Ingenuity Lab to monitor your progress and the continued development of your business.
  • spend the majority of your time on your business venture and not work more than 20 hours per week on other jobs.
Engaging in this process with the University is essential from a business and immigration perspective. If you are no longer engaging with The Ingenuity Lab or working on your business, the University will be required to report a change in your circumstances to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and this is likely to have implications for your visa. Subject to satisfactory progress, at the end of the 6 and 12 months of endorsement, assessments will be undertaken to determine whether the University will continue to be your immigration sponsor for your business venture.

The visa has allowed me to run my business, Kohl Kreatives, from The Ingenuity Lab. It’s great that I can develop my business in the UK now that I’ve finished studying, as this is where Kohl Kreatives began.

Trishna Daswaney (BSc Management, 2015) 

 

Apply to Visa Pitch

Contact our team

+44 (0) 115 951 5204

Visas guide

The UK visa website

 

University of Nottingham

University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5151
fax: +44 (0) 115 951 3666
email: Contact us