Turkish Businessperson visa

Printable version

1. Overview

You can apply to extend your Turkish Businessperson visa if you already have permission to stay in the UK as a Turkish Businessperson.

You can:

  • continue running your business in the UK, and start another one
  • continue to help run an established business in the UK

You must meet the eligibility requirements.

New applications for the Turkish Businessperson visa have closed. Only children under 21 (‘child dependants’) can apply to join you in the UK on this visa.

Eligibility

You can only extend your visa if you’re already in the UK. You’ll need to meet the eligibility requirements to extend your visa.

How long you can stay

You can apply to extend your visa for up to 3 years.

If you want to stay longer in the UK

You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’). This gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.

How to apply

You must apply to extend your visa online.

Your partner and children (‘dependants’) can apply separately to extend their dependant visas, if they already have them.

If your children or your partner’s children want to join you from outside the UK, they’ll need to apply as your dependants.

How long it takes

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents. You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa extension within 6 months.

How much it costs

There’s no fee to apply to extend your visa.

What you can and cannot do

With a Turkish Businessperson visa extension you can:

  • keep running your business in the UK, and start another one
  • keep being a partner in an existing business which you’ll have an active part in running
  • apply to extend your stay if you meet the eligibility requirements
  • study
  • do voluntary work
  • apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

You cannot:

  • apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
  • change jobs or employer

If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Turkish Businessperson visa.

2. Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for an extension of your Turkish Businessperson visa you need to:

  • have a valid Turkish Businessperson visa
  • show you have not broken any immigration laws
  • keep running a viable business
  • keep being able to pay your share of the costs of running the business
  • show that your share of the profits continue to be enough to support you and your family without your needing to have another job

If you are part of an existing partnership or company you’ll need to show that you still have an active part in running the business.

3. Documents you’ll need to apply

When you apply to extend your visa you’ll need to provide:

  • a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
  • proof that you can support and house yourself and your dependants during your stay, for example bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
  • proof of your living costs, such as a tenancy agreement, mortgage agreement, utility bills, council tax statement, bank statements, documents relating to transfer of money to relatives abroad
  • proof of state benefits you’ve received in the UK
  • a biometric residence permit showing your Turkish Businessperson visa

You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa.

Proof for your business

You should provide proof that you’re currently running your business

If you’re continuing to run a business or partnership

You may need to provide proof such as:

  • insurance documents
  • business accounts prepared by a chartered accountant or approved by an auditor
  • HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) documents (including evidence of payment)
  • qualifications for running the business, such as relevant formal qualifications or evidence of previous relevant experience
  • evidence of your finances and your investment in the business, such as UK or overseas bank statements, overseas money transfers, and bank loans
  • evidence of any financial assistance from a third party (for example family member), such as bank statements or other financial documents as evidence of their finances, and a legal or other document confirming their involvement in and share of the business
  • a document setting out the terms of your involvement in the business

If you’re establishing another business or partnership

You may need to provide proof such as:

  • a business plan
  • evidence you are investing money of your own into the new business
  • documents for your business premises
  • partnership agreements

4. Extend your visa

You can usually apply to extend a Turkish Businessperson visa if you’re in the UK and all of the following are true:

  • your business is still going
  • you’re still able to pay your share of the costs of running the business (its liabilities)
  • your share of the profits will be enough to support you and your dependants without you needing to have another job

Your partner or children will need to apply separately, including children who have turned 21 during your stay.

You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.

Fees

There’s no fee to apply to extend your visa.

Proving your identity and providing supporting documents

As part of your application you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and the type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

Apply to extend your Turkish Businessperson visa

You must apply online before your current visa expires.

Once you’ve started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.

Apply now

Continue your application

You can sign back into your application if you’ve saved it. Find out how to sign in to your account.

How long it takes to get a decision

You’ll usually get a decision within 6 months of your application date.

You’ll be contacted if your application will take longer, for example because:

  • your supporting documents need to be verified
  • you need to attend an interview
  • of your personal circumstances, for example if you have a criminal conviction

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision - you’ll be told if you can when you apply.

After you apply

If you need to change something in your application after you’ve sent it contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

You can ask to cancel your application. You’ll only get your fee refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.

You’ll get an email or a letter containing the decision on your application. This will explain what you need to do next.

5. Your partner and children

Your partner and children can apply to extend their permission to stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible. To do this, they must have a valid dependant visa.

Your children or those of your partner can apply to come to the UK if you have a Turkish Worker visa. They’ll need to apply for a visa as your dependant.

If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.

Your relationship

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

  • your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
  • your child under 21 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
  • your child over 21 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Your partner

You must be able to prove one of the following:

  • you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK

  • you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply

  • you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

  • communicate regularly with each other

  • support each other financially

  • care for any children you have together

  • spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events

Your child

Your child must:

  • live with you (unless they’re in full-time education at boarding school, college or university)
  • not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
  • be financially supported by you

If your child lives with you, you’ll need to provide evidence of their address such as:

  • a bank statement
  • credit card bills
  • driving licence
  • NHS registration document
  • an official letter from their university or college

Documents you must provide

For each family member in the UK applying to extend you must have:

  • a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP) showing their current dependant visa
  • proof that you have sole responsibility for any dependants aged under 21 if the other parent will not be in the UK, for example written permission or relevant legal documents
  • proof that you can support and house yourself and your dependants during your stay, for example bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months

Applying inside the UK (extend)

Your partner or children who are already in the UK can apply to extend their visa.

You can either:

  • include your dependants on your visa extension application
  • ask your dependant to apply separately

How to apply

If the dependant is your partner, they must apply online as a partner.

You need to apply online for your child.

They’ll need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

Proving their identity

As part of their application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They’ll either:

They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 6 months.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision - they’ll be told if they can when they apply.

Applying from outside the UK

Your children or those of your partner can apply to come to the UK if you have a Turkish Businessperson visa. They’ll need to apply for a visa as your dependant.

If you’re already in the UK and want your child to join you, they must apply online for a dependant visa.

Proving their identity

As part of their application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They’ll either:

They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 6 months.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision - they’ll be told if they can when they apply.

Children born in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You can apply online for their dependant visa. You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with your child.

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

You must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18 if they want to stay in the UK.