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BERKELEY | UK ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT
Start Your Business in the United Kingdom
Explore the UK Self-Sponsorship Visa Pathway
Establish a genuine UK business with professional support in company formation, business planning, financial management, banking readiness, operational governance and sponsorship preparation. Designed for entrepreneurs and business owners based outside the United Kingdom.
ABOUT THE SERVICE
Build a Sustainable UK Business
Berkeley provides business and management consulting for overseas entrepreneurs establishing a new UK company, expanding an existing international business or exploring a commercial venture in the UK. Our focus is on credible operations, viable financial plans and ongoing corporate compliance.
Where relevant, Berkeley helps a business prepare its commercial and human-resources documentation for review by an appropriately authorised immigration solicitor or adviser. Immigration eligibility assessments, regulated advice and immigration representation are provided by those authorised professionals, not by Berkeley's general business consultancy.
OUR SERVICES
UK Business Establishment & Advisory
Company Formation
Companies House incorporation, company structure, shareholding and corporate records.
Business Plans & Forecasts
Feasibility, market analysis, business models, cash-flow forecasts and growth plans.
Banking Readiness
Beneficial ownership evidence, banking documents and onboarding preparation; bank approval is discretionary.
UK-Based Management
Review of genuine UK management, responsible personnel and operational control.
Sponsorship Readiness
HR systems, business evidence, sponsor personnel and compliance procedures.
Accounting & Payroll
Bookkeeping, tax administration, PAYE, financial statements and reporting.
Legal Coordination
Coordination with independent authorised immigration and corporate legal professionals.
Ongoing Advisory
Corporate governance, management reporting, financial controls and compliance support.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Explore Attractive UK Business Sectors
Berkeley can assess business ideas based on market demand, the founder's experience, startup capital, regulatory requirements and financial viability. The following sectors may offer commercial opportunities; this is not a ranking of visa approval prospects.
Professional Services
Accounting, audit support, risk, governance and management consulting.
Technology & AI
Software, data analytics, cybersecurity and digital transformation.
Education & Training
Corporate learning, professional training and digital education.
Engineering
Technical consultancy, industrial automation and project management.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Health technology and specialist non-clinical business services.
Clean Energy
Energy efficiency, environmental services and sustainability consulting.
Regulated activities may require additional licences or professional authorisation. Business sector alone does not determine Skilled Worker eligibility. UK Industrial Strategy.
SPONSORSHIP EXPLAINED
Understanding UK Self-Sponsorship
“Self-sponsorship” is an informal description, not a separate UK visa. A genuine UK business may potentially sponsor an eligible owner or employee under the Skilled Worker visa route, if all relevant requirements are satisfied. Company ownership does not itself grant a right to live or work in the UK.
  • A genuine, lawfully operating UK company
  • An approved Home Office sponsor licence
  • Eligible sponsor licence key personnel and suitable HR systems
  • A genuine qualifying job and eligible occupation code
  • The applicable salary threshold and occupation going rate
  • A valid Certificate of Sponsorship and successful visa application
The general Skilled Worker salary threshold is normally £41,700 or the applicable occupation going rate, whichever is higher, subject to specific exceptions and transitional provisions. See official Skilled Worker guidance.
OUR PROCESS
Eight Stages of UK Business Support
  1. Initial consultation: Review the entrepreneur's objectives, professional background, proposed activities and funding.
  2. Business feasibility: Evaluate commercial viability, UK market conditions, business structure and regulatory obligations.
  3. Written proposal: Agree Berkeley's consulting scope, deliverables, fees and responsibilities.
  4. Company incorporation: Support registration, ownership documentation and statutory administration.
  5. UK management and banking: Assess genuine management arrangements, operational evidence and bank readiness.
  6. Business plan and HR systems: Develop financial forecasts, compliance records and employment administration.
  7. Sponsorship and legal coordination: Prepare business information for independent immigration professionals to assess and, where instructed, represent.
  8. Ongoing support: Provide separately agreed accounting, payroll, governance and management services.
GOVERNMENT FEES
Official UK Fees — Overseas Applicants
Fees checked 9 November 2026. Government charges are separate from professional fees; rates, exemptions and eligibility can change. The immigration application table covers applications made outside the UK only.
1. Companies House
Online incorporation
£100
Same-day incorporation via software
£156
Online confirmation statement (12-month payment period)
£50
2. Home Office Sponsorship — Employer Charges
Small or charitable sponsor licence
£611
Medium or large sponsor licence
£1,682
Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship
£525
Immigration Skills Charge — small sponsor
£480 first 12 months; £240 per additional 6 months
Immigration Skills Charge — large sponsor
£1,320 first 12 months; £660 per additional 6 months
The employer must pay applicable sponsorship charges and must not unlawfully recover them from the sponsored worker. Immigration Skills Charge exemptions may apply.
3. Skilled Worker Visa — Applications Outside the UK
Main applicant — up to 3 years
£819
PROFESSIONAL FEES
Consulting, Legal & Operating Expenses
Service Fee basis
Berkeley business consulting, formation support and business planning Written scope-based quotation
Independent immigration solicitor/adviser Separate legal quotation
Accounting, tax and payroll Professional quotation
Registered office, business premises, insurance and technology Actual costs / provider quotation
Genuine UK-based management and operational support Agreed scope and lawful arrangements
Berkeley's professional proposal will identify agreed deliverables, applicable VAT and disbursements. No fixed public consulting fee is advertised.
LOCAL OPERATIONS
UK-Based Management, Banking & Sponsor Personnel
A non-UK entrepreneur can generally own all shares in a UK limited company. A British shareholder or director is not universally required for incorporation or business banking. However, banks apply their own identification, beneficial ownership, operational and risk requirements, and a genuine UK manager or director may be commercially appropriate.
Sponsor licensing has distinct rules for the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User. The standard requirement includes at least one eligible settled-worker Level 1 User who is an employee, director or partner of the sponsoring organisation, subject to specified exceptions. A settled worker may include a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain (ILR), among other qualifying statuses.
All appointments must be genuine. Nominal personnel or arrangements intended only to circumvent immigration requirements are inappropriate. Berkeley can support governance planning and documentation; legal eligibility is for authorised immigration professionals to assess.
FAMILY PLANNING
Relocating with Your Family
Where permitted by the applicable Skilled Worker rules, eligible partners and dependent children may apply from outside the UK. Dependants' eligibility can depend on the sponsored occupation and individual circumstances. Each applicant may incur visa and healthcare surcharge fees, with relationship and maintenance evidence required. An authorised immigration adviser should review the proposed family application before commitments are made.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions from International Entrepreneurs

1. What is UK self-sponsorship?
It is an informal term for a potential arrangement in which a genuine UK business sponsors an eligible owner or worker under the Skilled Worker route. It is not a separate visa category.

2. Can a foreign national own 100% of a UK company?
Generally yes. Company ownership alone does not provide UK immigration permission.

3. Is a British director or shareholder mandatory?
Not universally for incorporation or banking. Sponsor licence personnel are governed by separate eligibility requirements.

4. Can a new UK company obtain a sponsor licence?
Potentially, if it meets all applicable requirements and can demonstrate genuine lawful operations, appropriate personnel and compliance systems.

5. Can an entrepreneur work for their own company?
Potentially, if the company is an approved sponsor and the proposed job, salary and immigration application satisfy the applicable rules.

6. Does any business sector qualify for sponsorship?
No. Sponsorship depends on an eligible genuine role, occupation code, salary and sponsor compliance, not simply the sector.

7. What salary is required?
The standard threshold is generally £41,700 or the applicable occupation going rate, whichever is higher, subject to specific exceptions and transitional rules.

8. What is a Certificate of Sponsorship?
An electronic sponsorship record assigned by an approved employer to an eligible worker.

9. How long does sponsor licence processing take?
Standard processing is usually around eight weeks, but preparation, verification and further enquiries may increase the total time.

10. Can a foreign-owned company open a UK bank account?
Potentially. Each bank assesses ownership, identification, management, business operations and its own risk criteria.

CONTACT BERKELEY
Start Your UK Business Journey
Request a personalised consulting proposal for UK company establishment, business planning, banking readiness, sponsorship preparation and ongoing business management.
Do not collect passports, bank statements or other sensitive documents through the public enquiry form. Use the site's existing secure submission, privacy and anti-spam controls.
Official UK Government Resources
Important: “Self-sponsorship visa” is a marketing description, not an official immigration category. Berkeley offers business consulting and does not guarantee a sponsor licence, bank account, visa or settlement outcome. All fees and immigration rules should be checked before any application. Last fee review: 9 November 2026.
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