Call us on +44 20 3384 3075

English
Chinese
Russian

05 Dec ECAA extension for Turkish nationals

Posted on December 5, 2014 in Other Visas by
0 Likes

Turkish nationals, who have been granted 12 months leave to enter or to remain under the Ankara Agreement, are entitled to apply in country for further leave to remain, which should be normally granted for a period of 3 years. However, if their business has experienced difficulties during the initial 12 months of operation, an extension of stay might be granted for an initial 12 months rather than the full 3 years period. The applicant would then be required to apply again for further extension at the end of that period.

When preparing an application, it is important to ascertain that the money has been invested or spent in the business within the initial 12 months period rather than just transferred to their business bank account.

Therefore, an applicant needs to provide sufficient evidence to show that the business was set up within a reasonable time frame such as proof of registration with Companies House, company’s financial accounts, registration with HMRC as well as relevant insurance documents etc. The application should be supported by documents to evidence that the applicant has been able to cover his/her living cost. Many applications tend to fail as the applicant is deemed to be in disguised employment rather than self-employment. However, there is no specific financial or maintenance requirements to be satisfied unlike applications made under the Points Based Scheme.

Family members applying for further leave to remain will also need to do so at the same time as the Turkish ECAA businessperson and must be able to show that there has been no recourse to public funds.

A migrant will be eligible to apply for settlement having spent lawfully 4 years in the UK as a Turkish Businessperson, subject of meeting the requirements.

If you have any question regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact us on  +44 20 3384 3075 or via email  [email protected] .

The content of this article is for general use and information only. Since each case should be prepared on its own merit and in light of the constant amendments to the Immigration Rules, it is important to note that the information provided must not be relied upon unless Migra & Co has either given written consent or has been officially engaged in relation to a specific immigration matter. As a result, Migra & Co will take no responsibility for any damage, cost or loss resulting from relying on the information contained in this article, blog and website.