Ankara Agreement – Turkish business person Visa (ECAA)
Ankara Agreement is a treaty providing special opportunity to live and do business in the United Kingdom for citizens of the Republic of Turkey.
The Treaty of Ankara Agreement was signed in 1963 between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Other countries included in the agreement were outside the scope of the agreement because they were members of the European Union. ECAA is based on Immigration Act 1971. The rights and responsibilities for Turkish citizens set out from the Act.
Turkish citizens able to obtain Settlement and British passport within 6 years of lawfully staying on this visa in the United Kingdom.
Overview of the requirements for a visa as a Businessperson (Ankara Agreement Visa);
• You must be a Turkish national (holding Turkish Passport) – AND If you are coming to establish a business in the UK;
• You have a genuine intention to set up a viable business
• You are require to show evidence that you are bringing money of your own or provided (gifted) by 3rd party to set up the business
• You need to bring enough funds to establish the business
• Your new business idea must be supported by presenting the business plan
• Your business must support you and your dependants financially without the need to take employment
If you want to join a business already established in the UK:
• You have a genuine intention to join the existing business
• You require to show evidence that you are bringing money of your own or provided (gifted) by 3rd party to set up the business
• You will be responsible for your share of the liabilities (this means you can pay the share of the business costs by yourself)
• The profit share made from the business must be enough to support you and your dependants
• You will be actively involved in the running of the business
• There is a genuine need for your services and investment (for instance you have a lot of experience in “risk management” and the business would need this)
• Financial Statements of the business for previous years must be provided (the accounts for the company you would like to join in UK)
Advantages of Ankara Agreement Visa
This visa is one of the most appropriate and less complex in regards of compliance and other requirements for Turkish citizens who would like to relocate to the UK and start their own business.
• No low limit on capital for starting the business
Applicant must invest amount of money based on business proposal and industry requirements and average expenses to operate such business in the UK.
• No language requirements
Applicant require to provide evidence that they can communicate in English language at the level convenient to operate the business in the UK, however UKVA has not set up clear requirements for it.
• Obtain British Passport after 6 years of staying in the UK
Applicant will get settlement visa after 5 years of staying lawfully on ECAA and then able to apply for British Passport after 1 year.
• No employment required
Applicant is not required to employ staff during the start of the business, however UKVA is expecting from applicant to develop the business and employ member of staff and grow the company within next 5 years.
Our clients who already obtain Ankara Agreement Visa with us running businesses in following industries:
• Alternative Medicine Hospital
• Bookkeeping & Accounting Firm
• Restaurant
• Car Repair Garage
• Dental Practise
• Hairdressing Salon
• Civil Engineering Consultancy
• Property Agency
• Construction Company
• Website & Digital Design Agency
• Architect Solutions
• E-commerce Business
• IT Solutions
• Private Tutoring Consultancy
• Pet Grooming Consultancy
• Veterinary Hospital
• You must be a Turkish national (holding Turkish Passport) – AND If you are coming to establish a business in the UK;
• You have a genuine intention to set up a viable business
• You are require to show evidence that you are bringing money of your own or provided (gifted) by 3rd party to set up the business
• You need to bring enough funds to establish the business
• Your new business idea must be supported by presenting the business plan
• Your business must support you and your dependants financially without the need to take employment
If you want to join a business already established in the UK:
• You have a genuine intention to join the existing business
• You require to show evidence that you are bringing money of your own or provided (gifted) by 3rd party to set up the business
• You will be responsible for your share of the liabilities (this means you can pay the share of the business costs by yourself)
• The profit share made from the business must be enough to support you and your dependants
• You will be actively involved in the running of the business
• There is a genuine need for your services and investment (for instance you have a lot of experience in “risk management” and the business would need this)
• Financial Statements of the business for previous years must be provided (the accounts for the company you would like to join in UK)
Advantages of Ankara Agreement Visa
This visa is one of the most appropriate and less complex in regards of compliance and other requirements for Turkish citizens who would like to relocate to the UK and start their own business.
• No low limit on capital for starting the business
Applicant must invest amount of money based on business proposal and industry requirements and average expenses to operate such business in the UK.
• No language requirements
Applicant require to provide evidence that they can communicate in English language at the level convenient to operate the business in the UK, however UKVA has not set up clear requirements for it.
• Obtain British Passport after 6 years of staying in the UK
Applicant will get settlement visa after 5 years of staying lawfully on ECAA and then able to apply for British Passport after 1 year.
• No employment required
Applicant is not required to employ staff during the start of the business, however UKVA is expecting from applicant to develop the business and employ member of staff and grow the company within next 5 years.
Our clients who already obtain Ankara Agreement Visa with us running businesses in following industries:
• Alternative Medicine Hospital
• Bookkeeping & Accounting Firm
• Restaurant
• Car Repair Garage
• Dental Practise
• Hairdressing Salon
• Civil Engineering Consultancy
• Property Agency
• Construction Company
• Website & Digital Design Agency
• Architect Solutions
• E-commerce Business
• IT Solutions
• Private Tutoring Consultancy
• Pet Grooming Consultancy
• Veterinary Hospital
Process of obtaining Passport via staying on Ankara Agreement Visa
Direct Family members obtain British Passport
Applicant’s spouse and children under 21 years of age will have the right to settle in England, however rules stay that they must live 6 years in total from the time they entered the UK on dependant visa.
Permission to work for your family dependants
Applicant can bring wife and children under 21 years old to the UK on join application. They can work and/or run other businesses without any exemptions.
Initial ECAA 2 visa is granted for 12 months. Once the visa is granted, applicant can enter into the UK or continue to live in the UK, if switching from another visa category. It is a general requirement that Turkish Businessperson visa holders and their dependents should live in the UK for at least 6 months
Applicant must set up company or register as sole trader and earn a certain amount of income to be able to extend visa after 12 months being in the UK
Turkish business people have option to operate the business activities as a sole trader or under a limited company. Applicants should start to set up and run the business as soon as they have their National Insurance Number and the relevant rights to work in the UK. In the first year they are expected to make enough profit to maintain themselves and the dependents and pay the tax liabilities as required. The success of an extension application is based on whether the applicant was able to establish a credible business in the UK in the past 12 months and whether this has generated enough income to cover the applicant’s costs of living in the UK and operating the business.
Process extension of Ankara Agreement Visa for further 3 years
The extension visa is normally granted for 3 years, where success of the business is clear, and the company has been able to show healthy profits. Where the credibility of the business is yet to be proven, the applicant is likely to receive an extension for only 12 months, providing the Home office with a chance to check up on the progress of the applicant’s business again in a year’s time.
Recent changes in Ankara agreement ILR application (from July 2018)
After the completion of 4 years of successful self-employment in the UK applicants were able to apply to Indefinite Leave to Remain, however this has been extended to 5 years following the Aydogdu case heard in March 2018. This means that at present the successful applicants will need to make at least 3 applications from the point of relocating to the UK until securing Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. The applicants wishing to secure settlement in the UK as Turkish Business Persons are now also required to pass the relevant English Language and Life in the UK Test to be successful.
Once applicants are granted the settlement, they are free to take any type of employment in the UK and will no longer need to make any further applications to continue residing in the UK.
Obtaining British Passport
Indefinite leave to remain holders can apply for naturalisation one year after the grant of settlement and become British Citizens. The requirements for citizenship are as follows:
• The applicant must have passed English Language and Life in the UK test;
• The applicant must be of good character and not have breached any immigration rules in the UK;
• The applicant must have spent no more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5 years before the application;
• The applicant must have not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12 months before the application.
Direct Family members obtain British Passport
Applicant’s spouse and children under 21 years of age will have the right to settle in England, however rules stay that they must live 6 years in total from the time they entered the UK on dependant visa.
Permission to work for your family dependants
Applicant can bring wife and children under 21 years old to the UK on join application. They can work and/or run other businesses without any exemptions.
Initial ECAA 2 visa is granted for 12 months. Once the visa is granted, applicant can enter into the UK or continue to live in the UK, if switching from another visa category. It is a general requirement that Turkish Businessperson visa holders and their dependents should live in the UK for at least 6 months
Applicant must set up company or register as sole trader and earn a certain amount of income to be able to extend visa after 12 months being in the UK
Turkish business people have option to operate the business activities as a sole trader or under a limited company. Applicants should start to set up and run the business as soon as they have their National Insurance Number and the relevant rights to work in the UK. In the first year they are expected to make enough profit to maintain themselves and the dependents and pay the tax liabilities as required. The success of an extension application is based on whether the applicant was able to establish a credible business in the UK in the past 12 months and whether this has generated enough income to cover the applicant’s costs of living in the UK and operating the business.
Process extension of Ankara Agreement Visa for further 3 years
The extension visa is normally granted for 3 years, where success of the business is clear, and the company has been able to show healthy profits. Where the credibility of the business is yet to be proven, the applicant is likely to receive an extension for only 12 months, providing the Home office with a chance to check up on the progress of the applicant’s business again in a year’s time.
Recent changes in Ankara agreement ILR application (from July 2018)
After the completion of 4 years of successful self-employment in the UK applicants were able to apply to Indefinite Leave to Remain, however this has been extended to 5 years following the Aydogdu case heard in March 2018. This means that at present the successful applicants will need to make at least 3 applications from the point of relocating to the UK until securing Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. The applicants wishing to secure settlement in the UK as Turkish Business Persons are now also required to pass the relevant English Language and Life in the UK Test to be successful.
Once applicants are granted the settlement, they are free to take any type of employment in the UK and will no longer need to make any further applications to continue residing in the UK.
Obtaining British Passport
Indefinite leave to remain holders can apply for naturalisation one year after the grant of settlement and become British Citizens. The requirements for citizenship are as follows:
• The applicant must have passed English Language and Life in the UK test;
• The applicant must be of good character and not have breached any immigration rules in the UK;
• The applicant must have spent no more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5 years before the application;
• The applicant must have not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12 months before the application.
How Mann’s Solutions work
1. Conversation with Our Immigration Consultant
Our aim with this session is to make your case optimally strong, show all your strong points as a professional and future business owner.
2. Receiving legal agreement from us
We will send you our Customer Care Letter (CCL) which states all legal information about how we work as an Immigration Law Firm.
3. Payment
You will receive our automated email with invoice attached. Payment of 50% of the invoice value needs to be done before we start your application process. Remaining 50% needs to be paid 3 days before submission of your case to Home Office.
4. Working on your case
We will send you a ’tailored’ list of documents which you need to provide for your application, Our solicitor will consult you and fully assist on arranging all documents, prepare case strategy and fully comply with UK immigration law for your application form, then prepare professional and detailed Representation letter to support your case in Home Office.
5. Submitting application to Home Office
Submitting from TURKEY
Our adviser will submit all necessary forms online and arrange an appointment date for YOU to attend UK Visa Centre in your city to bring all original documents.
Your Passport can be taken back at the time of your application in British Visa Centre, if you would like to do so, by giving the consulate an of extra fee £ 60.
Submitting from the UK Our adviser will collect all documents from you and we will keep it in our London office, submit all necessary forms online and then book an appointment for you to be attended for scanning documents.
In general, after 2-4 weeks our office receives a letter on your name to provide finger prints in the nearest post office. We will provide original of this letter to you to attend it within the allocated time period.
6. Obtaining results from Home Office
Decision from Turkey The Home Office will announce the result of your application via email to you after 2-3 months of attending visa appointment by you, but in some cases this period can be longer.
Once you get positive decision via email, you are required to attend British Visa Centre and collect all documents.
Decision from the UK
The Home Office will send your documents and the result of your application to our office after 4-5 months of submitting your application via post, but in some cases this period can be longer.
Once you hear positive decision from us, you are required to attend our office and collect all documents and new visa or we can send all documents to you by post within the UK.
7. Guiding you for Next Steps in the UK
Our Immigration adviser will guide you with next steps in regard to immigration law and compliance with Ankara Agreement Visa.
8. Consulting Services
Our partners will guide you with next steps to be undertaken prior to starting business in the UK:
1) Accommodation
2) Open UK Personal Bank Account
3) Formation of Limited Company
4) Obtain National Insurance Number
5) Open UK Business Bank Account
6) Book Meeting with Accountant Firm
Mann’s Solutions Services included:
1. Taking full instructions of your circumstances
2. Providing you with a full list of documents required for you to provide
3. Preparing your business plan in line with your prospective business idea in the UK
4. Completion of the Home Office online application form (assisting with “Keep My Passport When Applying” Service in Turkey)
5. Full Document check
6. Once all the documents are satisfactory, we will begin to prepare our legal representation letter for your application – called letter of representations to accompany your application to the Home Office
7. Your application will be thoroughly revised by our senior immigration advisor of Mann’s Solutions
1. Conversation with Our Immigration Consultant
Our aim with this session is to make your case optimally strong, show all your strong points as a professional and future business owner.
2. Receiving legal agreement from us
We will send you our Customer Care Letter (CCL) which states all legal information about how we work as an Immigration Law Firm.
3. Payment
You will receive our automated email with invoice attached. Payment of 50% of the invoice value needs to be done before we start your application process. Remaining 50% needs to be paid 3 days before submission of your case to Home Office.
4. Working on your case
We will send you a ’tailored’ list of documents which you need to provide for your application, Our solicitor will consult you and fully assist on arranging all documents, prepare case strategy and fully comply with UK immigration law for your application form, then prepare professional and detailed Representation letter to support your case in Home Office.
5. Submitting application to Home Office
Submitting from TURKEY
Our adviser will submit all necessary forms online and arrange an appointment date for YOU to attend UK Visa Centre in your city to bring all original documents.
Your Passport can be taken back at the time of your application in British Visa Centre, if you would like to do so, by giving the consulate an of extra fee £ 60.
Submitting from the UK Our adviser will collect all documents from you and we will keep it in our London office, submit all necessary forms online and then book an appointment for you to be attended for scanning documents.
In general, after 2-4 weeks our office receives a letter on your name to provide finger prints in the nearest post office. We will provide original of this letter to you to attend it within the allocated time period.
6. Obtaining results from Home Office
Decision from Turkey The Home Office will announce the result of your application via email to you after 2-3 months of attending visa appointment by you, but in some cases this period can be longer.
Once you get positive decision via email, you are required to attend British Visa Centre and collect all documents.
Decision from the UK
The Home Office will send your documents and the result of your application to our office after 4-5 months of submitting your application via post, but in some cases this period can be longer.
Once you hear positive decision from us, you are required to attend our office and collect all documents and new visa or we can send all documents to you by post within the UK.
7. Guiding you for Next Steps in the UK
Our Immigration adviser will guide you with next steps in regard to immigration law and compliance with Ankara Agreement Visa.
8. Consulting Services
Our partners will guide you with next steps to be undertaken prior to starting business in the UK:
1) Accommodation
2) Open UK Personal Bank Account
3) Formation of Limited Company
4) Obtain National Insurance Number
5) Open UK Business Bank Account
6) Book Meeting with Accountant Firm
Mann’s Solutions Services included:
1. Taking full instructions of your circumstances
2. Providing you with a full list of documents required for you to provide
3. Preparing your business plan in line with your prospective business idea in the UK
4. Completion of the Home Office online application form (assisting with “Keep My Passport When Applying” Service in Turkey)
5. Full Document check
6. Once all the documents are satisfactory, we will begin to prepare our legal representation letter for your application – called letter of representations to accompany your application to the Home Office
7. Your application will be thoroughly revised by our senior immigration advisor of Mann’s Solutions
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