Immigration
United Kingdom.
Three Routes In. Only Two Lead Anywhere Permanent.
London is a global financial centre and the UK runs three work-and-business routes that reach it. They are not variations on one another: the salary floors differ by twenty thousand pounds, the terms by four years, and one of the three cannot lead to settlement at all. This page is here to tell you which is yours.
Pick on the Ending, Not the Entry.
The cheapest of these three visas costs £259 and runs out after two years with nothing at the end of it. The most expensive reaches settlement in three. Compare the last row first.
Term · Up to 5 years, extendable without limit
Settlement · Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years Read the full route → Route 2 of 3 Expansion Worker Visa Opening a UK branch of an overseas business not yet trading here. Entry · £45,800 a year, or the going rate for the role
Term · 12 months, renewable once — 2 years in total
Settlement · None. This route cannot lead to settlement Read the full route → Route 3 of 3 Innovator Founder Visa Founding a new, scalable business endorsed by an approved body. Entry · From £50,000 of investment, and an endorsement
Term · 3 years, extendable by a further 3
Settlement · Indefinite Leave to Remain after 3 years Read the full route →
| Skilled Worker | Expansion Worker | Innovator Founder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is for | A qualifying job with a Home Office–approved UK employer. | Opening a UK branch of an overseas business not yet trading here. | Founding a new, scalable business endorsed by an approved body. |
| What gets you in | £26,200 a year, or £10.75 an hour — whichever is higher | £45,800 a year, or the going rate for the role | From £50,000 of investment, and an endorsement |
| You need | A job offer and a certificate of sponsorship | A job offer, and to already work for the overseas business | An endorsement, and capital |
| English | Level B1 (IELTS 4.0) | Not stated on the source page | Level B2 (CEFR) |
| Visa term | Up to 5 years, extendable without limit | 12 months, renewable once — 2 years in total | 3 years, extendable by a further 3 |
| Settlement | Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years | None. This route cannot lead to settlement | Indefinite Leave to Remain after 3 years |
| Visa fee | £625 – £1,423 per person | £259 | £1,036 – £1,292 per person |
| Healthcare surcharge | £624 per person, per year | £624 per person, per year | Not stated on the source page |
The One Difference That Outlasts the Others
The Expansion Worker visa cannot lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Not slowly — not at all. It runs twelve months, renews once, and then it is finished; reaching settlement from it means switching onto a different visa first and starting that route's clock. The other two reach ILR in five years and three years respectively.
That matters because the Expansion Worker route is the cheapest of the three to apply for, at £259 against £625 and up. If the plan is to end up British, the £259 is the most expensive of the three.
Residency in the United Kingdom
The right to live in a country with among the highest living standards in the world, and to work or run a business there.
Healthcare and Education
Access to premium healthcare and education once UK residency is granted.
Spouse and Children Included
The principal applicant brings a spouse and children onto the same route, subject to their meeting the criteria.
Business Opportunities
A solid banking system, real financial services, and markets to expand a business into across Europe.
A Route to British Citizenship
After holding Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least a year, and five years' residence, citizenship can be applied for.
Every Route, One Panel
Whichever of the three you take, the file is the same file — and if you switch routes it follows you. The Bayat Group panel keeps your documents, your eligibility across all three, and your advisor's notes in one place, guided by Pathinnova AI and reviewed by our legal team.
Talk It Through. Then Choose.
Our concierge answers your UK questions in minutes — starting with the one this page exists for, which is which of the three routes actually fits. When you are ready it opens your application where the conversation ends.
Sending opens your secure Bayat Group account, where an advisor picks the thread up.
Assessed against your own circumstances, in about five minutes.
- It asks about your circumstances, not your paperwork
- It names the trade-offs before you commit to a route
- It ends with the programs you actually qualify for
A scripted example. Your own assessment is private, and takes about five minutes.
Assessment
An adviser that reads your circumstances, then the rulebook.
40+ official programs, each with its own arithmetic. The assessment maps those rules to your situation in a short conversation and tells you where you actually stand.
- It asks about you, not about paperworkWhere your family is going, what your work needs, what you would not give up. Navigating the rules is our business, not your burden.
- Clear, unbiased reasoningWhen options pull in different directions, it calls out the compromise, detailing what each path costs you before you decide.
- A shortlist tailored to youNo generic marketing. Just the programs your profile actually unlocks, with realistic timelines and capital commitments.
Step one of three
Where should we send your code?
One address, one five-digit code. No password to invent, and nothing sent to you that you did not ask for.
Step two of three
Check your email
We sent a 5-digit code to . It expires shortly, so it is worth doing now.
Setting up your assessment…
One moment.