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Questions To Ask

First email to AIM / Charity Entrepreneurship

Ask for the operating model before asking for the visa.

If AIM/CE incubates the AI uplift project, would the first UK phase sit inside Charity Entrepreneurship as a CE-employed role, or would the project be expected to become a separate organisation from the start?

The visa implication is important: if CE is my genuine employer, Skilled Worker can probably run through Charity Entrepreneurship's existing sponsor licence. If the project is separate, we likely need a UK entity, fiscal sponsor, or sponsor licence setup before I can work in the UK.

Follow-up if CE/AIM might employ you

Ask:

  • Which legal entity would employ me?
  • Is Charity Entrepreneurship the entity that would assign the Certificate of Sponsorship?
  • What would the job title and duties be?
  • Who would manage me?
  • What outputs would CE/AIM own?
  • Would the role support AIM's own programmes, incubated charities, or external client organisations?
  • Would the role be full-time?
  • What salary range is possible?
  • What start date and minimum duration are realistic?
  • Would CE/AIM cover sponsor-side costs that cannot be passed to me?
  • Would outside consulting be allowed, and under what limits?
  • Which immigration solicitor does CE/AIM use for Skilled Worker filings?

Follow-up if CE/AIM wants a separate org

Ask:

  • Should the AI uplift project be a UK charity, company limited by guarantee, CIC, or something else?
  • Would CE/AIM provide fiscal sponsorship, governance, or seed funding?
  • Would the fiscal sponsor be a UK entity that can employ and sponsor staff?
  • Would Players Philanthropy Fund be involved only for US donation processing, or as the actual institutional home?
  • Who would be on the initial board or management layer?
  • Who would own IP, data, contracts, and funds before spinout?
  • Would Impact Ops help with entity setup and sponsor licence work?
  • What interim work can I do from outside the UK while the sponsor machinery is created?

Questions for Impact Ops

Ask:

  • If AIM/CE incubates a new AI uplift organisation, what is the fastest compliant UK setup you would recommend?
  • Can you help create the entity, bank account, PAYE, insurance, payroll, and sponsor licence?
  • Which legal form would make the most sense for a grant-funded AI uplift consultancy?
  • What is the realistic timeline from "go" to sponsor licence?
  • Which steps are on the critical path: bank, PAYE, office lease, insurance, governance, licence, CoS, visa?
  • Have you recently helped a similar high-impact project obtain a Skilled Worker sponsor licence?
  • What immigration solicitors would you use?
  • Can any interim work happen from outside the UK or as limited contractor activity before the visa is granted?
  • Would Impact Ops ever be the direct employer, or only the ops provider?

Questions for the solicitor

Ask:

  • Is the proposed role a genuine vacancy for Skilled Worker?
  • Which SOC code is safest?
  • Does the under-26 salary discount apply?
  • Does the role trigger ATAS because of AI, biosecurity, or dual-use research content?
  • Is the Immigration Skills Charge due or exempt?
  • Can the role involve support to multiple organisations without violating third-party labour guidance?
  • How should contracts describe the sponsor's control over outputs?
  • What outside work can Alejo do while sponsored?
  • Can the application be made from inside the UK, or must Alejo apply from outside?
  • Is priority or super-priority available for this application path?

Documents to request early

Request these before the process is live:

  • draft role description;
  • salary and hours;
  • start date and intended duration;
  • reporting line;
  • sponsor legal entity details;
  • sponsor licence number or register entry;
  • draft employment contract;
  • funding confirmation for salary;
  • board or leadership approval;
  • solicitor engagement letter;
  • English-test plan or exemption analysis;
  • ATAS analysis if the role touches sensitive AI/biosecurity research.

The one question that resolves the whole ambiguity

Ask every organisation:

If the Home Office asked who controls my work, duties, outputs, pay, and reporting line, what would the truthful answer be?

If the answer is one UK sponsor, Skilled Worker may work.

If the answer is "several organisations" or "Alejo controls it himself", look at Global Talent, Innovator Founder, or a new entity with real governance.