22/06/2026
One of the questions we hear most often is:
“Does the UK have a self-employed visa, entrepreneur visa, investor visa, or a digital nomad-style business visa?”
The honest answer is: yes and no.
The UK does not currently have a generic “self-employed visa”, a general “entrepreneur visa”, or an investor visa, where a person can simply invest money, buy property, open a basic business, or move to the UK to work remotely.
Those broad routes no longer exist in that form.
It means the correct route depends heavily on the individual, their business background, any existing business, the strength of the business model, and what they are actually trying to achieve in the UK.
If you have an innovative, commercially viable and scalable business idea, the route may be the Innovator Founder Visa. This route is not designed for ordinary business plans or small-scale self-employment.
If you are a leader, or an emerging leader, in your field, the Global Talent Visa may be highly suitable. This can apply across areas such as digital technology, arts and culture, research and academia. One of the advantages of this route is that, once granted, it can provide flexibility to work, be self-employed, act as a company director and build your professional or business presence in the UK.
If you already own or work for an established overseas business, and that business has a genuine intention and capacity to expand into the UK, the Global Business Mobility - UK Expansion Worker Visa may be relevant.
So yes, there are business immigration routes.
However, they are not generic “I want to move to the UK and start a business” routes. When it comes to an Investor Visa, the position is even clearer. The UK Tier 1 Investor route was closed to new applicants on 17 February 2022.
At Immigration Connection, we assess business and talent-based immigration cases carefully. Sometimes the answer is found elsewhere.
We can help you find the best destination and the best route to achieve your dreams.
