AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Yes, within limits. GOV.UK says a Skilled Worker can work up to 20 hours a week in another job or their own business while still doing the sponsored job, if the extra work meets the route's conditions, and that self-employment is allowed within that cap. To work for your own company full time on this visa, the company itself would need a sponsor licence and to sponsor you, which is possible but closely examined.
Many Nigerians in the UK on Skilled Worker visas, in nursing, IT, engineering and finance, have a business plan alongside the day job. The visa does not ban it, but it shapes how much you can do and in what form. Getting this wrong can put your permission at risk, so the details matter.
The second job rule
GOV.UK's Skilled Worker page on taking a second job says you can do up to 20 hours a week in another job, or in your own business, while you keep doing the job you are sponsored for. The key points:
- The 20 hours are on top of the sponsored job, not instead of it.
- The extra work must meet the conditions GOV.UK sets out: broadly, a job in a higher-skilled occupation, a job on the Immigration Salary List, or one in the same sector and at the same level as your sponsored role.
- You can be self-employed, for example as a sole trader, within the cap, and GOV.UK counts admin time for the business towards the 20 hours.
- Overtime in your sponsored job is not limited.
- To work more than 20 hours in the other job, you would need to update your visa with a new certificate of sponsorship.
Owning shares and being a director
The second-job page talks about work, not ownership. Holding shares in a company is not in itself work. Acting as its director, serving its customers or doing its bookkeeping is. Count every hour you spend on the business, including emails and admin, against the 20-hour limit, and keep a simple log.
Taking money out
Any salary, dividends or self-employed profit is taxable in the usual way. If you trade as a sole trader, you register for Self Assessment and pay Class 4 National Insurance at the rates on GOV.UK. Our guide to sole trader or limited company compares the two.
An example
Example only: a nurse sponsored as a Skilled Worker wants to run a weekend catering business. She plans 12 hours of cooking and deliveries a week and 4 hours of admin, 16 hours in all, under the 20-hour cap. But the hours are not the only test: she must also check whether catering work meets the occupation conditions on GOV.UK's second job page, since it is not the same sector or level as nursing. If it does not, the plan needs rethinking, for example waiting for settlement or letting a partner with suitable permission run it.
Going full time: self-sponsorship
If the business grows and you want to leave your sponsored job for it, the company would have to become your sponsor. Latitude Law's commentary, published by EIN in October 2024, says self-sponsorship is not prohibited, and that the 10% shareholding cap that applied to sponsored workers under the old Tier 2 route does not appear in the Skilled Worker rules. It also stresses the practical hurdles:
- the company needs a sponsor licence, and the Home Office looks closely at whether it is a real, trading business
- at least one settled, UK-based person, usually a director or company secretary, must hold the key sponsorship roles and be active day to day
- the sponsored role must meet the salary rules; GOV.UK lists the general minimum as the higher of £41,700 or the going rate for the job, as updated in September 2026
- the company should be able to show it can pay that salary, for example through its bank balance
The full requirements and fees are in getting a sponsor licence for your own company.
Other routes
- Innovator Founder
- Designed for founders building a new business; needs endorsement. See Innovator Founder costs.
- A partner's permission
- If your partner has permission that allows self-employment, the business could sit with them; check their own visa conditions.
What to check first
- Read the second job conditions on GOV.UK against the work your business will do.
- Plan realistic hours, including admin, and keep them under 20 a week.
- Keep the sponsored job as your main role.
- Register for tax correctly from the start.
- Take advice from a regulated immigration adviser before any switch to self-sponsorship.
Where Pryme fits
Keeping the side business's money separate from your salary makes the hours and income easier to evidence. A Pryme Business Account can be opened from any country, holds GBP and NGN separately, and payroll tools help if the business takes on staff. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners. This page is information, not immigration advice.
Questions people ask
Can I have a side business on a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, up to 20 hours a week alongside your sponsored job, if the work meets the conditions on GOV.UK's second job page.
Can I be self-employed on a Skilled Worker visa?
GOV.UK says sole trader work is allowed within the 20-hour cap, and admin time counts towards it.
Can my own company sponsor me for a Skilled Worker visa?
It is possible if the company gets a sponsor licence, according to Latitude Law's commentary, but the Home Office scrutinises such applications closely.
Is there a shareholding limit for Skilled Workers?
Latitude Law says the 10% cap from the old Tier 2 route does not appear in the Skilled Worker rules.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, taking a second job · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job (updated 14 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- EIN (Latitude Law, Natasha Willett): Is self-sponsorship possible under the Immigration Rules? (15 Oct 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: National Insurance, how much you pay · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.