If the UK Border Agency has any concerns regarding your Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) application, or if they simply require further information in order to assess whether you are a genuine entrepreneur, then you may be invited to attend an interview as part of the application process.

Our experience shows that at the interview, increasingly referred to by applicants as ‘the entrepreneur test’, you will be expected to demonstrate relevant academic qualifications and/or work experience in relation to your chosen business sector. You can expect to be questioned about your existing business experience and, particularly if you have none, whether or not you have sought the advice of a business advisor about setting up and running a business in the UK.

You can also expect to be asked questions that are designed to test your knowledge of your business plan and your proposed market. You may, for example, be asked to provide a summary of your business plan and to answers questions on key issues such as your plans in terms of staff recruitment and your proposed marketing methodology. The UKBA will be looking to assess whether the information that you provide to them matches the information that is set out in your business plan. However, their questions may go beyond your business plan. For example, if you propose to set up an internet-based business, then you should be prepared to demonstrate a good level of knowledge of online marketing strategies. Alternatively, if your business plan indicates that attending film festivals is significant to the expansion of your business, then you may be expected to demonstrate a good knowledge of the main film and TV festivals that are held in London in each year.

You should not regard the entrepreneur interview as a test as such, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate that you are both able and genuinely intend to establish a business in the UK. That said, an applicant who is well prepared for the interview is likely to more easily persuade the UKBA that their application is credible and that they satisfy the genuine entrepreneur requirement of the new Immigration Rules.

For further advice or assistance with preparing an application for entry clearance or leave to remain as a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant, or preparing for an entrepreneur interview, contact our immigration team on 02036274777