Sole Representative visa going to go wrong

I am in the UK with my family, we are in the 2nd year on a sole representative visa.
The company from overseas that sponsored me is closing down in the next month or 2 and doesn’t look like it can be saved.

We have started the new company in the UK and although it is not big numbers it is enough so I can get a salary and I can support my family.
We are not entitled to any benefits and we are not claiming anything.
I don’t think I can swop to a tier 2 as I don’t have any formal qualifications and also not sure if I will be able to find a company to sponsor me.

If we just keep on trading the way it is and when we renew will there not be some sort of good behaviour/ good citizenship type visa we can fall back or change to, to carry on staying and living in the UK?
Is there any way anyone can think of that I can be able to change or swop to another visa type so we can carry on living in the UK after our first 3 years?

Otherwise ,If not is there not a way we can claim asylum but without any benefits as long as we keep on providing for ourselves through the business we started? Or humanitarian type visa?
We really do not want to return to our home country for the sake of our kids future.
Apologies but I am just trying to grasp at straws to see if there is a way we can stay.
We do not have any claim to any ancestral visas or anything like that also unfortunately.

What is your nationality?

hi, i am also from South Africa

Then asylum will be a waste of time.

will there not be some sort of good behaviour/ good citizenship type

There is nothing like this by the way. The UK would be flooded if there was.

Best option would be to find a Tier 2 sponsor and switch visas. Formal qualifications are not always required as far as I am aware. What are your skills/job etc?

https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/switch-to-this-visa

Switch to this visa
You can apply to change (‘switch’) from another visa to a Tier 2 (General) visa.

You should apply before your current visa expires.

Eligibility
You must already be in the UK under any of the following visas or schemes:

Tier 1 visa
Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa
Tier 2 (Minister of religion) visa
Tier 2 (Intra company Transfer) visa under the Immigration Rules in place before 6 April 2010 and you’re applying to change sponsor
Tier 4 visa - if you have an eligible qualification or you’ve done at least 12 months of a PhD
You can also switch to a Tier 2 (General) visa if you’re:

a dependent partner of someone with a Tier 4 visa
a representative of an overseas business

Otherwise if you have £200k, then a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa to start your own business.

You should bear in mind that if your sponsor withdraws support, your visa will be curtailed/cancelled, giving you only 60 days to remain in the UK. Also note that if your are no longer sponsored, you are not permitted to work.

Thanks, yes it looks like i will have to maybe look very hard for a tier 2 sponsor and hopefully i get something right based on years’ experience?

I have retail management experience as well as B2B and sales executive experience of about 20 years.
I don’t have the 200 000 needed for the tier 1 visa


Do you maybe know how long it will take to get the visa approved once i have a job offer?

Will i look at a general tier 2 visa and then make sure the employer is licensed to offer tier 2 sponsorships?

You need to find a Tier 2 licensed sponsor to find a job. They must do the full Resident Labour Market Test before they can offer you the job and assigned a CoS. Once you have the CoS, you can apply for a visa.

How old are you?

Does your spouse have any substantial skills etc.?

Have you thought about a student visa if you wish to study perhaps?

I am 41 years now and my wife is 37.


Her skils or qualifications is technical financial accountant but through Damlin/ICB.

Thats about the best she's got,

She is willing to study and myself also.

If we do start studying do we look at a Tier4 visa. Will that help us or how should we try to do it?
She can study more accounting and i can do business managent perhaps.
Thanks for the advice and effort trying to help.

You are already in breach of your visa conditions as you have set up a new company and traded it. You can not operate another company or work for anyone else under the sole representative visa conditions. So there goes your good behaviour you have claimed. Just saying

The tier 4 route - forget it - you would both have to have separate visas as you could not be dependent on each other unless one of you is studying masters or above. The Tier 4 route is far from a given in any case, gaining university entrance from existing immigration routes is much more difficult- they will soon work out it is a ploy to stay and not to study as the first choice.
BTW if it is not a degree course you have no right to work so doing a low level course achieves very little.

And if you did get Tier 4 visa - you can’t operate the business so on top of £15k a year uni fees each how are you going to survive?

Have you got British or European grandparents? That might be a possibility if you have on either side.... There could be a route through ancestry.

Thanks For the advice Frontier. The company i started was the one i started for the overseas business. Maybe i explained wrong, but i havent opened companies on my name.
I opened a company for the overseas company on their name and they 100% share holders.

I have no ties to UK with family, all family and grandparents both myself and my wife was born in SA, so no luck there.

I guess we will have to see what happens with the other company . I dont see any other ways to be able to stay but thanks for all the help everyone .

Hello my dear, can you please help me with info, that how did you open the bank account for foriegn owned company?