You can apply for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa if you:

• are a graduate who has been officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea
• are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• meet the other eligibility criteria

You must be endorsed by either:

• the Department for International Trade (DIT) as part of the elite global graduate entrepreneur programme (Sirius)
• a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) if it’s an authorised endorsing body

You can switch into Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur category from inside the UK if you are already be in the UK as a:

• student
• student nurse
• student re-sitting an examination
• student writing up a thesis
• Tier 4 (General) visa holder
• postgraduate doctor or dentist
• Tier 2 (General) migrant working as a post-doctoral researcher

You must meet all of the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa’s eligibility requirements.

You can’t switch to this visa if you’ve already had a visa under one of the following categories:

• Tier 1 (Post Study Worker)
• Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme
• International Graduates Scheme (IGS)
• Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme

Only the authorised endorsing bodies can endorse your application for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur leave. Please visit the link below for updated list of endorsing bodies who can endorse an application for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur category:

updated list of UKVI authorised endorsing bodies in the UK

As a result of your initial application for leave to remain as a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur, you will be granted initial leave to remain for 12 months.

You can submit an application for extension of stay as Tier 1 Entrepreneur, prior to the expiry of your initial leave and you will be granted further leave to remain for another 12 months period.

No, you cannot apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain under Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur category as this category does not leave to permanent settlement. However, you can switch from Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur to other categories which would lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) e.g. switching into Tier 1 Entrepreneur or switching into Tier 2 General visa category.

You can challenge the refusal of your Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur application by filing an Administrative Review (AR) against the decision of the Home Office UKVI to refuse your application.