Holders of a dependant visa can live, study, work, and start a business in the UK, but there are important rules to know before setting up a business.
Firstly, their stay and right to run a business depend on the main visa holder’s status in the UK. If the main visa holder’s permission expires, dependents must apply for their visa to stay.
Secondly, there are limits on business activities; for instance, they can not work as professional athletes or coaches, except if they are dependants of someone with a UK Ancestry visa.
Thirdly, they won’t get the same business support as those on other visas, like the Innovator Founder visa which offers business help.
Also, if running a family business, dependant visa holders may not employ the main visa holder due to job change restrictions and the need for a sponsor license for the main visa holder to work.
Switching to a business visa
If you do not want these limits and want to start a business, you can change to a different visa, like:
Innovator Founder visa
This is for people from other countries who want to start a business in the UK. You need to be 18 or older, speak English well, and have a new and exciting business idea that an organization approves of. If you get this visa, you can stay for 3 years and then either stay longer or apply to live in the UK forever.
UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
This lets people come to the UK to open a new part of an overseas business. You need a special job offer and to have worked for your company for a year. You can stay for up to 12 months and extend it to 2 years, but you can not use this visa to live in the UK forever.
Self-Sponsorship visa
This is not officially a visa type, but you can start a business in the UK, have your business sponsor you, and then apply for a Skilled Worker visa. You need to show you have a certain job and meet the salary and English requirements. You can stay for 5 years and then apply to live in the UK forever or renew your visa.