The ECAA Visa

The ECAA visa allows Turkish nationals who are aged over 18 to come to the UK to set up or join a business. The ECAA visa is closed for new applicants.

Nikita Swift

1 min read

What is an ECAA Visa?

An ECAA Visa (also known as the European Community Association Agreement visa) was founded under the Ankara Agreement to promote economic relations between Turkey and the European Community.

What is the Ankara Agreement between the UK and Turkey?

The Ankara Agreement allowed Turkish nationals who were over the age of 18 to enter the European Community and set up or join existing business in the European Community as either workers or businesspersons. The purpose of the Ankara Agreement was to enhance economic ties between Turkey and the European Community.

The UK had been a signatory to the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) by virtue of its membership of the EU. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, entry clearance applications for a Turkish Businessperson visa have closed, however there remains provisions to extend existing Turkish Businessperson visas and to settle in the UK under Appendix ECAA of the Immigration Rules for Turkish workers, businesspersons, and their dependants.

Is the Ankara Agreement still valid in the UK?

No, the Ankara Agreement is no longer valid in the UK. The agreement was signed between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC) and aimed to establish a customs union and promote trade relations between Turkey and the EEC. However, following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the Ankara Agreement no longer applies to the UK.

As of 1st January 2021, the ECAA visa has closed to new applicants. However, individuals in the UK may be eligible to extend their ECAA visa.

Who can apply for an ECAA extension?

Turkish workers, businesspersons and their dependants may be able to apply for an ECAA extension to able them to extend their visa.

Applying to extend the ECAA visa: ECAA Workers

In order to apply for an extension of stay as an ECAA worker, you must:

Have permission to be in the UK as an ECAA worker;
Have been lawfully employed in the UK with the same employer for 3 years or have been lawfully employed in the UK for at least 4 years (including three years with the same employer and the remaining time in the same occupation;
Will continue to be employed in the UK; and
Not fall for refusal based on their character or any immigration or criminal history.

Applying to extend the ECAA visa: ECAA Businesspeople

In order to apply for an extension of stay as an ECAA businessperson, the individual must:

Have permission to be in the UK as an ECAA businessperson;
Have established, taken over or have become a director of one or more genuine businesses in the UK and that business must be financially viable;
Intend to keep operating your business; and
Not fall for refusal based on their character or any immigration or criminal history.

Applying to extend the ECAA visa: Dependants

In order for dependants of those in the UK to apply for an extension under Appendix ECAA, they must:

Already have been granted permission or have successfully applied to stay in the UK under the ECAA before 31/12/2020 where they are a partner or spouse of a qualifying ECAA sponsor; or
If they are a dependant child under the age of 21, they can apply for entry clearance or for further permission to stay in the UK irrespective of whether they have previously held or applied for leave under the ECAA; or
If they are a dependant child over the age of 21, they must have already been granted leave under the ECAA.

Enquire now about the ECAA Visa

If you have permission to stay in the UK under the ECAA and are either looking to extend your visa or settle in the UK, then please get in touch to speak to an expert immigration lawyer.

How long will the ECAA visa be valid if the application for an extension of stay is successful?

Applicants who have already been granted permission to stay in the UK under the ECAA are likely to be granted 3 years’ further leave in the UK should an extension application be successful.

Applicants who are businesspersons that have already been granted permission to stay in the UK under the ECAA, but the business is experiencing difficulties, producing financial losses or has no evidence of accounts, are likely to be granted 12 months’ further leave in the UK should an extension application be successful.

Dependants will be granted leave in line with the ECAA sponsor should an extension application be successful.

How can I use the ECAA visa to apply for indefinite leave to remain?

Turkish workers, businesspersons and their dependants may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in the UK once they have spent 5 continuous years in the UK with an ECAA visa.

An indefinite leave to remain application is made online and the current fee is £2,404.00 for a standard service application.

The current decision wait time for indefinite leave to remain applications is 6 months.

Applying for indefinite leave to remain as an ECAA worker

In order to apply for indefinite leave to remain as an ECAA worker, you must:

Be an ECAA worker and have resided in in the UK for continuous period of 5 years (of which the most recent period of leave must have been granted as an ECAA worker);
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of English language and Life in the UK;
Be able to support themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds; and
Be of good character.

Applying for indefinite leave to remain as an ECAA businessperson

In order to apply for indefinite leave to remain as an ECAA businessperson, you must:

Be an ECAA businessperson and have resided in in the UK for continuous period of 5 years (of which the most recent period of leave must have been granted as an ECAA businessperson);
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of English language and Life in the UK;
Have established or taken over or become the director of one or more genuine businesses in UK and has genuinely operated said business whilst in UK as ECAA person and that business is viable, and they intend to keep operating that business; and
Be of good character.

Can the ECAA visa lead to British citizenship?

If you have permission to stay in the UK under the ECAA, you must first have held indefinite leave to remain for at least 12 months before you apply for naturalisation as a British citizen. It costs £1330 to apply for British citizenship and the application is made online.

How much does it cost to apply to extend the ECAA visa?

There is no fee to apply to extend an ECAA visa.

How long does it take to receive a decision on the ECAA extension?

The current decision wait time for the ECAA visa is 6 months.

How can Paragon Law help?

At Paragon Law, our expert immigration solicitor, Nikita Swift assists individuals with matters of the ECAA visa. For further advice or assistance in relation to the ECAA visa, please email Nikita at [email protected].

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The ECAA Visa

What is an ECAA Visa?

What is the Ankara Agreement between the UK and Turkey?