Background
Tier 1 entrepreneur, exceptional talent, general and graduate entrepreneur visas, tier 2 intra company transfer and general, minister of religion and sportsmen visas, tier 4 general student and child student visas, and tier 5 youth mobility scheme temporary migrant and temporary worker migrant visas were abolished in 2020. Immigration rules 'Part 4: work experience' has also been deleted, as has 'Part 5: work permits', eg highly skilled migrants, sector based schemes, international graduates scheme, journalists, overseas business representatives, religious ministers and UK ancestry, as also has 'Part 6: self employed & business' for innovators and mostly for investors, writers, composers and artists.
Rules remain for new and existing domestics, and existing overseas government employees and airport staff (five year route to indefinite leave to remain), and their partners.
There are transitional points based rules for tier 1 entrepreneurs and investors. Those who are entrepreneurs or investors or were in the last 12 months might be able to apply by 06/04/23 to extend for 2 years or for indefinite leave to remain by 06/04/25; there are other rules for graduate entrepreneurs and startups who could get 3 years extension.
There are, however, still numerous specialist and temporary visas, and the long term business routes as at Jan 2021 are tier 1 investor visa, global talent visa, startup visa, intra company visa and skilled worker visa. Some 'part 6A: point based system' rules also remain. Basically you either need to already have an entrepreneur or investor visa, or be a multi millionaire or have a sponsor employer with qualifying job or endorsing body with qualifying business idea. These new visas need a TB test, passport, bank statements for maintenance, NHS surcharge of £624, and allow dependents.
Investor visa costs £1,623. You need £2M and a clean criminal record for 10 years. It lasts 3 years 4 months and can be extended for 2 years, with settlement after 2-5 years depending whether you invested £2M, £5M or £10M. You can also work or study.
Global talent visa costs £152. You need to be endorsed as a potential leader in academia, arts, culture or digital technology, and the endorsement costs £456. It lasts up to 5 years at a time, with settlement after 3-5 years.
Startup visa costs £363. You need a viable new innovative business idea, which has to be endorsed by a college or business incubator, and English to CEFR B2. It lasts 2 years, then if the business takes off you can apply to switch to the innovator visa. You can do any work alongside your business.
Innovator visa costs £1,021. You need a viable new innovative business idea, which has to be endorsed by a college or business incubator, £50,000 to invest and English to CEFR B2. It lasts 3 years at a time. You can run your businesses but no other work.
Intra company transfer visa costs from £610 to £1,408. It needs your employer to be a sponsor and to transfer you to their UK branch for an eligible occupation earning £41,500 or £23,000 for graduate trainee visa or the going rate if higher, and either have employed you for 1 year or pay you £73,900, or you are a graduate coming for a specialist or managerial role after 3 months employment. It lasts 5 years or 1 year for graduate trainee visa, or until your sponsorship ends if sooner. You can study or work in your sponsored job and an extra 20 hours a week at the same level in the same occupation elsewhere or on the skilled worker shortage occupation list.
Skilled worker visa costs from £610 to £1,408. It needs a sponsor employer paying you £25,600 or the going rate if higher (unless you qualify for PhD, STEM, graduate or shortage occupation exemption) for an eligible occupation, and English to CEFR B1. It lasts up to 5 years at a time, with settlement after 5 years. It also lets you study.
Domestic servants broadly have to be over 19 and have been the employer's servant for a year, intend to leave within 6 months and have enough maintenance. They can switch domestic employers after travelling to the UK with the original employer, but can only extend with the original employer. It is a route for indefinite leave to remain for those who started working before 06/04/12. It does not allow partner or child applications.
Partners of, and maintained non-independent children of both living or parental responsibility holding parents who are, part 5 leave holders can apply under immigration rules para 194 unless they entered on certain short term visas and seek to remain.