The Turkish Businessperson Visa – Ankara Agreement Visa (ECAA Visa) has been abolished as of 31.12.2020 due to the UK leaving the European Union after Brexit.

✓ What will be the situation for Ankara Agreement visa holders?

With this category, the rights of people who reside in the UK will be protected, visa extension, family reunification, permanent residence, and citizenship procedures will continue. The Home Office has made the necessary arrangements for this, according to the new regulation.

✓Ankara Agreement Family Reunification Visa

Turkish citizens in the UK under the Ankara agreement visa should apply for the ECAA3 Dependent Visa to include their partners and their children under the age of 21 in their visa.

Under the new regulation, if you want to bring your partner, you have to show an annual income of 18,600 GBP, and your spouse must pass the A1 English proficiency test; unlike the previous regulation, there is an application fee. However, there is no application fee for children under 21. In addition to 18,600 GBP of annual earnings, you are required to show annual earnings of 3,800 GBP for the first child and 2,400 GBP for each additional child.

Spouse and children gain the right to residence and work permit in the UK with a family reunification visa.

Application for Ankara Agreement Family Reunification (Dependent) Visa:

• The partner of the person who owns a business under the Ankara agreement must be over 18 years old.
• If the parties are married, their official marriage must be documented. Unmarried partners must provide evidence that they have been together for at least 2 years. However, in some exceptional cases (for example, having children together) family reunification applications can be made even if they have not been together for 2 years.
• Children must be under the age of 21 to apply for a Family Reunification visa.
• The owner or employee who has a visa under the Ankara Agreement must have the financial capability explained above to support his or her family.
• The partner who comes to England under the Ankara agreement Family Reunification visa has the right to work. However, when applying, the possible income of the partner is not taken into account, only the financial situation of the main visa holder.
• If the family travels to the UK, it must be documented that they have the appropriate residence standards.
• Since the ECAA3 Family Reunification Visa depends on the original visa holder, that person’s visa requirements apply. Family members are given a visa for the duration of the main applicant’s visa. This will be the case for the partner and children if the original visa holder loses their immigration status.
• The visa extension, permanent residence, and citizenship process work for family members the same way it works for the main visa holder. Partners and children with family reunification visas also have to extend their visas, apply for indefinite residence, and apply for citizenship at the end of the process.
• First of all, your situation is reviewed by our immigration law experts from our Hawflein team. Subsequently, we organize and follow up on the appropriate information and documents prepared in our consultancy. We carefully examine all legal requirements and prepare your file.

✓ Permanent Residence and Citizenship Right with Ankara Treaty Visa

The right of permanent residence is the immigration status without any time limits that can be obtained by those who have chosen England as their main residence when they meet the specified conditions.

The right of permanent residence is granted as a result of the right of residence for a period. The conditions for obtaining the right of permanent residence vary depending on which residence right will be obtained.

In this article, we will talk about the conditions of a permanent residence permit as a result of the Ankara Agreement visa.

People with Ankara Agreement visas are entitled to apply for an indefinite residence in the fifth year of their business life in England. This involves a three-stage process for those who are self-employed under the Ankara Agreement visa. Permanent residence and citizenship rights are obtained at the end of this process.

If you meet the necessary conditions at the end of the first year and appear to be financially successful in your business, your visa will be extended to three-year periods by the UK Home Office. If you fulfil your job requirements at the end of a total of five years, you will have the right to permanent residence.

In order to apply for an indefinite session, the conditions of passing the B1 level English exam, the integration exam called life in the UK exam, and paying a fee for the application are necessary. In addition, in the last five years, you should not have spent more than 180 days outside of the UK each year.

In order to obtain the right to British citizenship, you must live in the UK for one more year after you have the right to permanent residence.