Since 1 December 2020, Skilled Worker visa holders can own 100% of a UK company. Your visa conditions are unaffected by company ownership. Hearthstone Supported Living Ltd — a CQC-ready supported living company — is transferred to you free. You maintain a 12-month infrastructure service agreement at £199/month by direct debit. Zundara stays as your strategic partner with a 15% stake.
Since 1 December 2020, Skilled Worker visa holders can own 100% of a UK limited company. The old Tier 2 restriction (10% maximum shareholding) was not carried over to the Skilled Worker visa.
The UK Companies Act 2006 imposes no residency requirement on directors or shareholders of UK companies. Foreign nationals can be UK directors and shareholders. Bank account opening, HMRC registration, and Companies House filings are all sortable as a non-resident or visa holder.
Operating the company is a separate question. Day-to-day operational involvement may be restricted by the conditions of your Skilled Worker visa, depending on your sponsor and the nature of your sponsored role. Zundara’s strategic partnership is the bridge for visa holders who can own but may prefer or need a partner involved — or who choose to appoint a family member as operating director.
The recommended structures:
Important. This is editorial guidance based on published analysis by UK immigration law firms (Lewis Silkin, Gherson, OTS Solicitors, Richmond Chambers). It is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration solicitor for your individual circumstances.
The company is given to you free. The service agreement covers the infrastructure that runs alongside it, plus the strategic partnership.
| What You Receive Each Month | Detail |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure | |
Hosting & Website hearthstoneliving.co.uk — already live |
Professional branded site already indexed. Hosted, maintained, updated. SSL, backups, uptime monitoring — managed for you. |
Business Email Mailboxes on hearthstoneliving.co.uk |
Professional addresses for you and your team. Spam protection, deliverability, archive. |
Phone Numbers & Voice UK business number, voice infrastructure |
Dedicated business line, voicemail, call routing. The number is yours for the life of the partnership. |
| Compliance & Documentation | |
Full CQC Documentation Library 205+ documents — unlimited, unrestricted |
CQC policies and procedures (88) covering all five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-Led), operational documents (50), HR & training pack (40), financial models & business plan (27), and more. Updated as regulation changes. |
Administrative Support Ongoing back-office help |
Document updates, registration support, compliance reminders, infrastructure changes. |
| Strategic Partnership | |
Quarterly Review Calls Direct partnership engagement |
Review performance, address blockers, plan growth. We win when you win. |
Funding Application Support Help with Start Up Loans, grants, lender packs |
Documentation is mapped to assessor questions. Application support is included for the life of the partnership. |
Network Introductions & Growth Advisory Strategic partner support, not vendor support |
Local authority contacts, recruitment partners, sector connections, second-property planning, syndicate structuring. |
Annual prepay option. £1,999 by single payment instead of £199 monthly. 12-month minimum applies either way.
Hearthstone Supported Living Ltd is a registered UK limited company at Companies House. On signing the partnership agreement and starting the service agreement, the company is transferred to you. You become a director and majority shareholder. Zundara retains a 15% non-PSC minority stake.
Supported living generates higher revenue than domiciliary care because you provide both accommodation and care. The trade-off is property — you need to rent a 3–4 bed home for residents. This makes Hearthstone particularly suited to syndicate ownership, where a group pools resources for property setup costs.
Verify Hearthstone Supported Living Ltd at Companies House (No. 16281736) →
Zundara retains a 15% minority partnership stake in Hearthstone. We are not a Person with Significant Control. There are no drag-along rights. You and your co-founders hold 85% and full operational control.
The 15% gives us informational rights and observer status — we see how the business is performing so we can support its growth. It is not a control mechanism.
You have a voluntary buyout option. If you wish to acquire the 15% stake later, the partnership agreement sets out a fair valuation method. There is no obligation to do so — many partners prefer the ongoing engagement.
If you stop the service agreement, the partnership terms remain in force but Zundara stops providing the infrastructure (hosting, email, phone, admin support, documentation updates). Like cancelling any service contract — you can re-engage later.
Supported living needs both the operational chassis (covered by the £199/month service agreement — the company itself is free) and property setup costs (deposit, first months’ rent, light adaptations). Together this typically runs £5K–£15K up front. The syndicate model is built for this.
Start Up Loans are available to anyone legally resident in the UK with the right to work — including Skilled Worker and Health & Care visa holders. Up to £25,000 per individual at 6% fixed, unsecured.
Multiple directors can each apply. The Hearthstone company structure supports multiple shareholders and directors. A common structure: visa holder is shareholder, family member with right-to-work serves as operating director. Both can be loan applicants.
The Hearthstone documentation library is mapped to assessor questions. Funding application support is included in your service agreement — for the life of the partnership.
| Hearthstone (Supported Living) | Wrenbury (Domiciliary Care) |
|---|---|
| Year 2 revenue: £334,800 — based on 4-bed property at full occupancy. | Year 2 revenue: £542,508 — based on full-capacity carer roster. |
| Premises required — 3–4 bed property rental + setup costs (~£5K–£15K). | No premises required — CQC does not require an office for domiciliary care. |
| Documents: 205+ | Documents: 402 |
| Best for: larger syndicates (5–10 partners), groups with property capital. | Best for: individuals, small groups, lower setup risk. |
| Free company · £199/mo · 15% Zundara stake | Free company · £199/mo · 15% Zundara stake |
| Apply for Hearthstone → | View Wrenbury → |
No. Visa conditions are unaffected by company ownership. Since 1 December 2020 there is no shareholding restriction for Skilled Worker visa holders. The Tier 2 cap of 10% was not carried over to the Skilled Worker visa. You can own 100%; you can be a director; you can receive dividends. None of that breaches your visa.
That depends on your sponsor and your specific visa restrictions. Many visa holders own without operating; others arrange to operate with sponsor consent. Some Skilled Worker visas allow supplementary employment; some do not. Working as a director (administrative governance — board meetings, financial review) is treated differently from working as an employee. We strongly recommend discussing your specific situation with your immigration adviser.
Yes. The Hearthstone company structure supports multiple directors. A common structure: you (the visa holder) are the shareholder and a non-operating director; a family member with right-to-work in the UK (settled status, British citizen, EU pre-settled, dependant visa with work rights) serves as the operating director. They draw a salary; you receive dividends. Entirely legitimate, frequently used.
Zundara retains a 15% non-PSC (not a Person with Significant Control) minority partnership stake. There are no drag-along rights. You and your co-founders hold 85% and have full operational control. The stake gives Zundara informational rights and observer status — we see how the business is performing so we can support its growth. There is a voluntary buyout option in the partnership agreement.
Property costs vary by location. A 3–4 bed house typically rents at £800–£1,500/month. You will need a deposit (often 6 months for commercial use) plus light adaptation costs. Total additional property setup typically runs £5,000–£15,000. This is why Hearthstone suits the syndicate model — pool resources for the property layer.
Yes. The company structure supports multiple shareholders and directors. A syndicate of 10 at £500 each plus shared funding for property costs is a viable model. A shareholders agreement governs decision-making, profit distribution, exit terms, and director responsibilities. We can help you structure this.
Supported living generates more revenue per service user because you provide both accommodation and care. Year 2 revenue of £334,800 from just 4 residents is achievable. If you have a larger group or more capital, supported living offers stronger returns. If you prefer no premises and lower setup, see Wrenbury (Domiciliary Care) — same partnership terms, no property layer.
The service agreement is a 12-month minimum term. Frame it as an annual partnership term, billed monthly (£199/month) or upfront (£1,999/year). After the first 12 months it continues monthly until you choose to end it. The free company transfer is contingent on maintaining the agreement for the first 12 months.
Yes. Once Hearthstone is CQC-registered, the company can apply for a Sponsor Licence. You can then sponsor yourself as an employee — for example, as Registered Manager or Care Coordinator — opening a route to continued visa status and eventually Indefinite Leave to Remain. This requires a separate Certificate of Sponsorship and visa application, but the pathway is established.
A CQC-ready supported living company. Yours, free. £199/month service agreement. 15% Zundara partnership stake. Visa conditions unaffected.
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