UK Ankara Agreement (ECAA) route: Turkish nationals only

The route is only for Turkish nationals who already hold ECAA permission as a business person or worker, and their family members. New Turkish businessperson or worker applications from outside the UK are no longer possible. Appendix ECAA: Extension of Stay covers ECAA workers, business persons and family members who are already in the UK with ECAA permission, plus children of ECAA migrants applying to join them. Extensions made after 11pm on 31 December 2020 must use the current online form “Turkish Businessperson or Worker”, otherwise they are invalid. People of any nationality, Turkish nationals included, who plan to start a business now need the Innovator Founder visa.

You must be a Turkish national in the UK with ECAA business person permission, running one or more genuine and viable businesses. You must show your investment is proportionate to your interest and remains your own, that you can meet your share of the liabilities, that your role is not disguised employment and that your share of profits supports you and any dependants without public funds. Joining an existing business requires the partnership terms, 12 months of accounts and evidence of a genuine need for your investment. A successful applicant receives up to 36 months.

After 5 years of living and working in the UK on the ECAA route without public funds, and no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain. You must meet the knowledge of language requirement and pass the Life in the UK Test, and business persons must still be running a business. The fee is £3,226 per person and decisions usually take up to 6 months. Partners are eligible after 5 continuous years as your dependant; otherwise a partner extension costs £1,407.

ECAA workers must have been lawfully employed for at least 3 years with the same employer (granted up to 12 months) or at least 4 years including 3 with the same employer and the rest in the same occupation (granted up to 36 months), and show continued employment with a valid contract and pay. Holidays, statutory leave, limited sick leave and registered involuntary unemployment count as employment.

A partner must already be in the UK with ECAA dependant permission to extend; partners cannot apply for entry clearance on this route. Children can apply from outside the UK as dependants using the “Join or accompany a family” form. ECAA migrants with permission count as sponsors for the partner family visa, so a new spouse can apply under Appendix FM instead.

A refused ECAA extension can be challenged by administrative review under Appendix AR. Applicants can also seek advice from a regulated immigration adviser before reapplying.