Turkish Businessperson Visa

What is the Turkish Businessperson Visa?

The Turkish Businessperson visa previously allowed Turkish citizens to establish or run a business in the UK, granting them the right to live and work there. Visa holders could operate their businesses, start or close businesses, become partners in existing ventures, study, and engage in voluntary work in the UK.

The initial Turkish Businessperson visa was typically granted for 12 months. After this, holders could apply for a three-year extension, provided their business was still operating in the UK. If they could not provide evidence of ongoing business activity and profits sufficient for self-support, a 12-month extension could be granted instead.

The visa route was conceived under the Ankara agreement, also known as the Turkish Association Agreement or the European Community Association Agreement (ECCAA). This treaty between the European Union and Turkey established a framework for cooperation.

New applications for this visa closed on December 31, 2020, after the transition period for the UK leaving Brexit concluded. However, extending a Turkish Businessperson visa is possible if you are already in the UK and meet certain eligibility criteria.

It is also possible for child dependents to make new applications under this visa route.

Ankara Agreement

The Ankara Agreement, signed in 1963 between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC), created a framework for cooperation and set the groundwork for Turkey's potential EEC (and later EU) membership. It aimed to foster economic ties, establish a customs union, and enhance political and economic collaboration.

When the UK joined the EEC in 1973, it became part of the Ankara Agreement's framework, allowing Turkish nationals certain rights related to business, self-employment, and residence in the UK under its provisions. The Agreement offered a pathway for Turkish nationals to apply for work or establish businesses in the UK and other EEC countries, contributing to long-term EU-Turkey relations.

Dependents

New Applications

Only dependents of individuals already holding a Turkish Businessperson visa in the UK can apply under this route. Child dependents must be under 21 and can apply to join their parent or guardian in the UK under this visa. If their application is approved, their visa will expire on the same date as yours.

Visa Extension

Your partner and children can apply to extend their stay in the UK as your dependents, provided they meet the eligibility requirements and hold a valid dependent visa.

Dependent Partner

A dependent partner is defined as:

• Your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner.
• Must have been in a committed relationship with you for at least 2 years, either living together or, if not, with valid reasons for living separately.

Dependent Child

A dependent child is someone defined as:

• Under 21 (or over 21 if already a dependent in the UK).
• Living with you (unless in full-time boarding education).
• Unmarried, not in a civil partnership, and without children.
• Financially supported by you.

Visa Pathway

Holders of the Turkish Businessperson visa do have a potential route to permanent settlement. This right was documented in Appendix ECAA of the immigration rules in July 2018.

After five years of continuous residence in the UK, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This status allows them to live, work and study in the UK indefinitely and, after 12 months, apply for British citizenship.

Historic Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Turkish Businessperson Visa, applicants had to be Turkish citizens intending to establish or manage a business in the UK. The applicant's role could not be disguised as employment. Historic requirements for the visa included:

• A genuine intention to establish a viable business.
• Sufficient personal funds or assets to start the business.
• Ability to cover your share of business expenses.
• The expected earnings from the business would be enough to support you and your family without requiring another job or public funds.

If joining an existing partnership or company, applicants also need to show the following:

• An active role in managing the business.
• A genuine need for their services and investment.

Extension Eligibility Requirements

It is possible to extend the visa for people already holding a valid Turkish Businessperson visa. To apply for an extension, you must:

• Keep running a viable business.
• Continue paying your share of the costs of running the business.
• Demonstrate that the business's earnings are still enough to support you and your family without requiring another job or public funds.
• Show you have complied with the conditions of your visa and have not broken any immigration laws

If you join an existing business or partnership, you must show that you still actively manage it.

Extension Documentation Requirements

When you apply online, you will need to provide personal documentation as well as documentation related to your business.

Personal Documentation

• Valid passport or identity document with a blank passport page for visa placement
• Proof of financial self-sufficiency, such as bank statements or payslips from the last six months
• Evidence of living costs, including tenancy or mortgage agreements, utility bills, or council tax statements
• Documentation of any UK state benefits received
• Biometric residence permit showing Turkish Businessperson visa

Business Documentation

• Proof of active business operation, such as insurance documents, business accounts, HMRC documents, qualifications, and evidence of financial investments
• If establishing a new business, a business plan, financial investment proof, premises documents, and partnership agreements

Extend Dependents Documentation Requirements

When you apply for a dependent to extend their visa, or when you are applying for a child dependent to join you, the following documentation will need to be provided:

• Valid passport or identity document for each dependent
• Biometric residence permit (BRP) showing current dependent visa
• Proof of financial support and accommodation for dependents, such as bank statements or payslips from the last six months

Relationship Documentation

• Evidence of relationship to the visa holder, such as marriage or civil partnership certificates, or proof of a minimum two-year cohabitation or relationship commitment if not married

Children’s Documentation

• Proof of sole responsibility for any dependents under 21 if the other parent is not in the UK (e.g., written permission or legal documents)
• Proof of the child’s residence with the visa holder (if applicable), except for those in full-time boarding education

New Dependents Documentation Requirements

Children applying outside the UK to join their parent or guardian in the UK and already have a Turkish Businessperson visa must verify their identity through fingerprints and photos at a UK Visa Application Service or use the ID Check app.

Children born in the UK to Turkish Businessperson visa holders are not automatically British citizens. You must apply for a dependent visa, including a full UK birth certificate, to travel with them in and out of the UK. Applications must be submitted before they turn 18 to remain in the UK.

Processing Times

After applying, you’ll typically receive a decision on your visa extension within 6 months.

Priority Service

For new child-dependent applications made outside of the UK, getting a priority service for an additional fee may be possible. If this is possible, it will be stated during the application process.

Application Fees

There is no fee to apply for a visa extension.

How to Apply for a Turkish Businessperson Visa Extension

Main Applicant

All applications to extend your Turkish Businessperson visa are made online via the Home Office website. Applications must be submitted before your current visa expires.

1. Prepare documentation
2. Complete the Turkish Businessperson Visa Extension online application form
3. Upload documentation
4. Sign the declaration.
5. Await a decision from the Home Office.

Dependent Extensions

All applications to extend your Turkish Businessperson visa are made online via the Home Office website. Partners must make their own applications, and the current visa holder must make a child's application. Applications must be submitted before any current visa expires.

1. Prepare documentation
2. Complete the Turkish Businessperson Visa Extension online application form
3. Upload documentation
4. Sign the declaration.
5. Await a decision from the Home Office.

New Dependent Application

Children outside the UK must apply online for a visa as your dependent. As part of the process, they must provide fingerprints and photographs so that they can get a biometric residence permit.

1. Prepare documentation
2. Complete the online application form to apply as a child dependent of a person with a Turkish Businessperson visa.
3. Upload documentation
4. Complete the declaration.
5. Arrange your biometric appointment.
6. Complete and submit Appendix 1 paper form
7. Await a decision.

Applying for ILR as an ECAA Businessperson Visa Holder

After 5 years of continuous residence in the UK, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as an ECAA Businessperson visa holder. This new application is subject to separate eligibility criteria and fees.

The eligibility requirements for this require you to abide by all of your visa requirements and meet additional eligibility criteria, including:

• Being a Turkish national with ECAA leave to remain for business purposes.
• Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK (KoLL) requirement.
• Being able to financially support any dependents without using public funds.
• Do not fall under the General Grounds for Refusal criteria.
• Actively operate a viable business you have established, taken over, or directed.
• Intend to continue running one or more businesses in the UK.

Get Help With Applications, Extensions or Alternative Visa Routes

While new applications for the Turkish Businessperson Visa are closed, existing visa holders and their dependents can still apply to extend their stay. The only new application permitted under this route is for dependent children who are not yet in the UK.

Alternative routes are available for Turkish nationals who would have previously qualified under this visa to enter the UK, establish a business, or manage an existing one.

QC Immigration offers expert legal advice, guiding you through eligibility requirements and crafting a solid application. Visa applications can be complex and stressful, but our UK visa lawyers ensure a smooth, compliant process, giving you peace of mind. To schedule a no-obligation immigration consultation, contact QC Immigration today.