Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa rules are almost like a living organism, which changes and evolves all the time, hence we have to keep up and constantly remain up-to-date. It is indeed the case of “blinking” and missing a small but important nuance in the Rules, which may in turn ruin the whole application.
More visa applicants are invited for an interview, so this post sheds more light on the subject of the questions that may be asked at an Entrepreneur interview.
Most importantly, it is crucial that you remain consistent in your answers, consistent with what is written in your business plan. If your answers differ from what is written in your business plan, it is likely to be stated in a refusal letter.
Previous experience and qualifications
You may be asked some questions to examine whether you possess the necessary experience and skills that required for your business idea, as mentioned in your business plan.
Examples:
- Can you provide more details on your work for Company A?
When did you complete your degree?
Looking at your CV, can you explain how your previous experience will help you with your business venture?
How is your educational background linked to the business?
If your experience or degree is not linked to your business, what transferrable skills will you employ in your business?
Why do you only want to do this business?
Why you want to do business in UK?
During your last period of leave, what genuine credible steps have you taken to prepare, plan, develop and launch your business in the UK?
Are there any team members in your business plan?
How did you become a team?
What will be the role for each team member in the business?
How will each team member contribute to the business?
The interviewer will check that you genuinely propose to operate a business in the UK as you have discussed in your business plan. These questions might be quite detailed and can include questions on the legalities of running a business in the UK.
You must study the business plan in depth as you are expected to have clear understanding of the business.
Typical questions:
- Do you have business insurance?
Can you provide more details on your outline agreement with Company A or Company B?
What is the minimum wage in the UK?
Who wrote the Business Plan?
What is your business plan?
What sort of Insurance and how much coverage do you require for your business?
As you are providing services to the public, have you already gained your employers liability insurance?
What kind of premises would you acquire/let and what are their dimensions?
How many employees do you intend to recruit at the start of business and what annual salaries and wages do you intend to pay them
What is your marketing strategy and what means of marketing you will use?
Your future plans for business?
Have you registered your business with the appropriate UK bodies? If so, who?
Typical questions:
- In your business plan, why do sales revenues increase substantially in Year 3?
How much profit will you make per sale?
How many competitors to your company are there in the UK?
Why the profit increase
In your business plan, how will profits change from year 1 to year 2 and why?
How much profit will you make per sale?
How many competitors to your company are there in the UK?
What market research have you undertaken in relation to the area in which your business will be located?
What part of UK do you intend to establish this business and why specifically this area why not somewhere else?
How will you cover unexpected additional running cost for your business?
Would you then sell its shares to public and for how much?
How confident are you that the business will generate profits in first year?
What advantage or edge would you have over them and where do you see yourself or your Business in three years’ time?
There is serious competition in the specified business area, there are people doing business brilliantly. What makes you think you will survive or thrive?
These questions will usually focus on where you have lived/worked and whether you have visited the UK before.
Typical questions:
- Why is there a different surname on your US visa?
Why did you stay in the UK in 2013 after your leave had expired?
How many times have you visited the UK and for what reasons?
Why did you stay in the UK in previous years? How many times have you visited the UK and for what reasons?
Did you ever contemplate extending your existing visa?
What have you done since you moved away from the UK?
What was the last time you travelled to UK?
What was the purpose of stay?
Do you have any relatives in the UK?
Who helped you put in the application?
Can you give me a brief history of your immigration status in the UK?
What are your long-term aims of remaining in the UK?
Do you intend to apply for settlement or do you plan on returning to your country of origin?