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The GSC International Business Hub –

Enter the UK Market with GSC

The UK remains the world’s sixth largest economy. According to the World Bank, it ranks eighth for ease of doing business, with a history of low corporate taxation and high innovation, and a highly skilled workforce.

Yet entering the UK market presents any organisation with challenges. From employment and tax law to property, data protection and immigration, the UK’s practices present a range of risks and pitfalls for the unwary or unknowing.

That’s why it helps to have a legal and commercial partner by your side, a partner that has helped organisations from Asia, Africa and Europe establish and scale operations in the UK market.

Introducing the GSC International Business Hub

The GSC International Business Hub is a customisable one stop hub designed to help entrepreneurs, businesses, and international companies enter the UK market. At every stage of your journey we’re by your side, offering tailored, targeted support when you need it.

From UK settlement to start-up launch, from finding commercial premises to protecting your intellectual property, and from employing staff to efficiently structuring your tax arrangements, GSC Solicitors and our strategic partners are ready to help.

Because we’re lawyers, we can help protect your interests, avoid the unexpected and mitigate risk. Because we think entrepreneurially, we can help you seize opportunities you may never have realised existed.

Why choose the GSC International Business Hub?

Because, over the course of 50 years of legal excellence, GSC Solicitors LLP has represented major institutions including Universal Music, Channel 4 and PRS for Music. Because we are a Legal 500 Leading Firm. Because our expertise has helped shape UK law. And because we have helped more than hundreds of international organisations build successful businesses in the UK.

Our services

Corporate and commercial

• Company formation and structuring advice
• Shareholder agreements and articles of association
• Business & corporate sales and purchases
• Joint ventures
• Mergers & acquisitions
• Asset, business and share sales & purchases
• Management buy-outs and institutional buy-ins
• Private equity, venture capital and angel investment
• Cross-border transactions
• LLP, partnership and shareholder issues & disputes
• Share option schemes, share buybacks and capital reductions

Property

• Commercial real estate search
• Commercial property legal advice
• Commercial litigation

Business & financial

• Tax advice and structuring
• Accountancy services
• Business consultancy services including business plan writing

Corporate immigration

• Sponsor License applications, compliance reviews and retainer services
• Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker visa routes for UK subsidiaries or branch offices
• Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker visas for intra-company transfers
• Innovator visa for tech leaders
• Skilled Worker visas for long term employment in the UK
• Global Talent visas for leaders or potential leaders in academia, arts & culture
• Citizenship by Investment programme for EU and Caribbean countries

Employment law

• Employment contracts and service agreements
• Staff handbooks
• Sickness absence policies and application
• Family-friendly policies
• Employee option schemes
• Termination of employment
• Settlement agreements
• TUPE transfers

Launch or scale your business in the UK with the support of the GSC International Business Hub. For more information, please call 0207 822 2222 or email Shareena Rahman on  [email protected]

Skilled Worker Visa

If you’re looking to immigrate to the UK, applying for a skilled worker visa is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa. You can stay up to 5 years under this visa before you apply to extend or update your visa when it expire or if you switch jobs.

If you’re eligible, it’s important to note that your application must be supported by an employer who will sponsor you for a visa. You also need to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for a skilled worker visa. We’ll cover those in detail below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Skilled Worker visa, you need to meet the following criteria:

-You must have a job offer from a UK employer who can sponsor workers.

-Your employer must already be approved by the Home Office and hold a valid Sponsor License.

-You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship issued by your employer stating the information about the role you have been offered in the UK.

-Your job must be on the list of eligible occupations.

-For some job role, you will be required to obtain criminal record checks prior to applying for your UK visa.

-You must meet minimum salary requirement for your occupation which is the higher of:

• £26,200 per year; or
• £10.75 per hour; or
• the “going rate” for the type of work you’ll be doing

-You must meet the English language proficiency requirement which is currently set at CEFR B1.

The above are the Mandatory 50- points that you must meet to be eligible for a skilled worker visa.

In addition to the mandatory points, applicant will also require an additional 20 ‘tradeable points’ for a total of 70. There are various ways to earn these points and it is listed below:

A	The applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both £26,200 and the ‘going rate’ for the job’s SOC code	20 points
B	The applicant has a PHD in a subject relevant to the job (the sponsor must provide a “credible explanation” as to how it is relevant) and their salary equals or exceed both £23,580 and 90% of the going rate for the SOC code	20 points
C	The applicant has a PHD in STEM subject relevant to the job and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both £20,960 and 80% of the going rate for the SOC code	20 points
D	The job is in a shortage occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both £20,960 per year and 80% of the going rate for SOC code.	20 points
E	The applicant is a new entrant to the labour market and their salary equals or exceeds both £20,960 per year and 70% of the going rate for SOC codes.	20 points
F	The job is in listed health or education occupation and the applicant’s salary equals or exceeds both £20,960 per year and the going rate for SOC code	20 points

 

Some points to note: who is a new entrant?

1. Those under the age of 26 at date of application.
2. Those applying for a postdoctoral position in a certain science role.
3. Those whose job offer is for a UK regulated profession and the applicant is working towards one of those professions.
4. Applicants who are working towards full registration or chartered status with relevant professional body for the job they are being sponsored for.
5. Applicants who last had leave at a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur).
6. Applicants who last had leave as a student which expired up to two years before application and completed a Bachelor, Masters, PGCE or PHD in the UK.

You can be granted up to four years’ permission to stay in the UK under the new entrant requirement.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply for Skilled Worker visa:

-You will need to complete an online application form, provide evidence of your job offer, personal information about you and your dependents if any.

-You will need to pay the application fee and the amount varies depending on the length of your visa.

-Gather and submit your documents to support your application which includes Certificate of Sponsorship, proof of English, valid passport, proof of funds to support yourself in the UK and a criminal record certificate(if applicable).

-For the proof of funds, your employer can opt to ‘certify your maintenance’ or alternatively, you will need to demonstrate that you have held funds for 28 days in your personal account. The relevant amount to show is:

• £1,270 for main applicant
• £285 for dependant partner
• £315 for a first child
• £200 for each subsequent child

-Arrange and attend a Biometric appointment to provide your fingerprints and photograph at your nearest visa application centre.

Period of grant

Depending on your application request, your visa can be granted up to a maximum of five years at a time.

There is no longer a ‘cooling-off period’.

Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

You will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain once you have completed 5 years of residency under the Skilled Worker visa (or variation of other eligible visa combination). You must continue to meet the salary requirement under your job category, and you must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.

INNOVATOR VISA

The Innovator Founder route is designed for experienced business leaders who want to establish a new business in the UK. It is a 3 year visa and can be extended.

As a leading business leader in the tech industry, it is important to ensure that your business idea is viable, innovative and has the potential for growth and job creation in the UK. You must be able to exhibit your ability to execute the business plan successfully.

ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for this visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must have a viable, scalable, and innovative business idea.
• You must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body. The endorsing body will assess your business idea and your ability to execute it.
• You must be able to speak, read, write, and understand English at a proficient level (CEFR Level B1).
• You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before applying for Innovator visa or extending it. It is for you to have enough money to support yourself in the UK .
• You will be given the rights to take up employment in addition to running your business. The Employment must be at least at RQF Level 3.

Undeniably, there is a lot of (and often confusing) paperwork that needs to be completed associated with investing in or establishing a UK company. This includes the initial process to apply for an endorsement for this visa route.

We pride ourselves in partnering with some of the most reputed business experts so that we can offer you the support and assistance you seek as an Entrepreneur in the UK.

For more information, please contact our Corporate Immigration team to discuss your next steps.

 

Residential Property

GSC’s residential property lawyers deal with high value conveyancing throughout England and Wales, including Crown property and other historical estates.  We understand the complex issues that can arise when dealing with such properties and we know that your best interests are only best served when your conveyancing is managed in a way that fits seamlessly with your tax, family and private wealth management.

That is why residential conveyancing with GSC is never carried out in isolation.  Talk to us and you will find your property lawyers working alongside our Private Client team to ensure all your interests are carefully considered and protected.

Our property lawyers can assist in all aspects of residential property including the disposal or acquisition of freeholds and leaseholds, lease extensions, enfranchisement and rights of first refusal.

Contact us – we are here to help you.

Real Estate Finance & Banking

The GSC team manages a wide variety of real estate finance work, including bilateral and syndicated loans for the acquisition, construction, development and refurbishment of real estate assets.

GSC is particularly known for our broad mix in acting for both banks and borrowers.  Our team acts for a number of major lenders.  However, we are equally likely to represent the borrowers.  This gives us a strong understanding of the requirements of all parties, allowing us to represent both more effectively and contributing to our reputation as practical, deal-making lawyers.

That is particularly true of our work with the hotel and leisure sector, where we have helped a number of major hotel owners finance the acquisition and development of their hotels.  We also manage the property financing of a number of major fast food and coffee shop franchisees, each with a large number of outlets and are specialists in the care sector, helping owners and operators handle all aspects of real estate financing in this highly regulated industry.

For new loans for acquisition, construction, development and refurbishment, for loan restructuring, for lender representation and for advice in the tax aspects of real estate finance, talk to GSC.

Contact us – we are here to help you.

Islamic Law Finance

Our Islamic finance department will be able to advise you on a wide range of Islamic finance products including alternatives to the conventional mortgage known as a murabaha contract (fixed rate mortgage alternative) or a diminishing musharaka contract (variable rate mortgage alternative).

We can also advise on a number of other products including ijarah (leasing contract) and musharakah (joint partnership financing).

Islamic finance products are designed to comply with Islamic law and the industry has boomed since its introduction to UK markets in the 1980s. The main concept surrounding Islamic finance is the prohibition on usury (interest). However, Islamic law does not reject the notion of time value for money and financial institutions are therefore permitted a return. The return is usually achieved through risk sharing – financial institutions make a profit on a transaction as a reward for the risk they take in a customer. Alternatively, a financial institution can receive financial compensation as a result of forgoing other opportunities.

Islamic finance products are only available in relation to investments, acquisitions and transactions that adhere to Islamic principles. Therefore, dealing with anything haram (illicit) such as alcohol or gambling is strictly forbidden.

Covid-19 has impacted financial institutions worldwide, however the Islamic banking and finance institutions have managed to remain relatively unscathed. It is suggested that due to providing financing based on profit and loss-sharing, the system is less susceptible to financial crisis and distress. This was also the case in the 2008 global financial crisis.

If you wish to discuss Islamic finance products and the options available please feel to contact Leila Mustafa. We look forward to helping you with your Islamic finance needs.