Tier 2 (General) Visa and exploring a business idea

Good morning

Is my understanding that exploring a business idea and/or securing a patent for a product is allowed for Tier 2 (General) visa holder correct?

Are there cases where the Home Office has allowed a Tier 2 holder to set up a business after seeking permission from them?

Thank you and I would appreciate your inputs.

Ang

in_angel03 wrote:Good morning

Is my understanding that exploring a business idea and/or securing a patent for a product is allowed for Tier 2 (General) visa holder correct?

Are there cases where the Home Office has allowed a Tier 2 holder to set up a business after seeking permission from them?

Thank you and I would appreciate your inputs.

Ang

Doubt it; from UKVI site...

You’ll need to make a new Tier 2 (General) visa application if you want to do a second job that isn’t in the same sector as your main job or isn’t voluntary work.

You can do a second job (up to 20 hours a week) if it’s on the shortage list without making a new application.

What you need is T1 Entrepreneur visa and £200,000.........

Thank you, but what can we say about this?

From http://www.ukpermits.com/visa-types/tier-2#General

E. What is not allowed?

Tier 2 (General) workers are not allowed to enter self-employment, set-up a business or join another business as a director or partner without obtaining further permission from the Home Office. They are also not allowed to hold more than 10% shares in the company they are working for. Please note that this restriction is not on those workers who are working for a Partnership / Sole Proprietor business.

Hi all,

Any further input about the quoted? Has Home Office ever granted permission after permission from them is sought? This seems to be possible or at least insinuated to have happened in the past, otherwise where would this visa processing organization who wrote about the below have based it on/from? Wrote to this visa process organization but didn't get a response.

in_angel03 wrote:Thank you, but what can we say about this?

From http://www.ukpermits.com/visa-types/tier-2#General

E. What is not allowed?

Tier 2 (General) workers are not allowed to enter self-employment, set-up a business or join another business as a director or partner without obtaining further permission from the Home Office. They are also not allowed to hold more than 10% shares in the company they are working for. Please note that this restriction is not on those workers who are working for a Partnership / Sole Proprietor business.

You can explore any business Ideas, progress patents, research or develope products or intellectual ideas as much as you want in your own time as a Tier 2 migrant. What you can't do is become self employed. You can own a company, but you can't operate it.
Technically you could become an employee of your own company but it would have to meet the conditions for secondary or supplementary employment.
Given your potential self ownership it is very unlikely you could credibly meet the requirements.