Tier 1 (graduate entrepreneur) - 4 May deadline

Posted: 03/05/2012

In March 2012 the UKBA wrote to Higher Education Institutions (HEI) inviting them to take part in the Tier 1 (graduate entrepreneur) route as an endorsing institution. The deadline for HEIs to submit the request is tomorrow 4 May 2012 and places are limited to the first 100 HEIs to register. The UKBA has placed an overall limit of 1,000 approvals under this new route for the first year which will be divided equally between participating HEIs, up to a maximum of ten places per institution.

HEIs wishing to register with the UKBA under this scheme must email the Tier 1 (graduate entrepreneur) team at Tier1GradEntAdmin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk to confirm that the institution:

• wishes to endorse graduate entrepreneurs under this route;
• is content for its name to be published on the UK Border Agency website in a list of endorsing institutions; and
• accepts the duties and responsibilities of endorsing institutions in the route.

Details of the duties and responsibilities were provided in the email sent by the UKBA to HEIs in March. If you are an HEI and your authorising officer/ key contact has not received this email, please contact the UKBA.

Under this route, graduates will be able to apply for leave to remain for an initial period of 12 months on completion of their studies providing their application is supported by an endorsement from an endorsing institution only. This will enable the graduate to work for their business, and to do other work for up to 20 hours a week to support them while they are developing their business.

HEIs who submit their request to become an endorsing institution by 4 May 2012 will receive confirmation from the UKBA as to whether they have been accepted and, if so, details of their allocation of places within the 1,000 limit. HEIs that do not reply by this date will be unable to endorse any entrepreneurs in this route until next year's allocations are decided.

For further details on this route and the duties and responsibilities placed on HEIs, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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