I will always consider myself an “immigrant”, partly because I refuse any negative connotation in relation to this term; I was born and raised in Iran. At the age of 17, I packed my entire life and got on a plane to the UK in pursuit of further education, all alone. 

Well, every story starts somewhere, and my immigration story began shortly after I finished High School in Iran. Initially, I moved to Manchester on a student visa to attend college/pre-university preparation. My educational journey came to an end when I was 22 and obtained my master’s degree in law from Newcastle University. 

Shortly after, I developed a business idea based on my experience with renting accommodation as an international student, which later became StudyFlats. This idea was supported by Newcastle University and got me a 1-year visa as a graduate international entrepreneur. 

Subsequently, I obtained a three-year visa (which led to my settlement after it ended). During this period, I scaled StudyFlats to over 30 UK cities, hired a team of four and managed a global client base across property sites around the UK. 

Going through the business immigration journey was one of the most difficult journeys that I could embark on. It profoundly changed my worldview, self-perspective and professional skill set. 

There are some big lessons that I learnt along the way. My hope is for these to resonate with others experiencing the same hardships or learning curve, and to raise awareness of the immigration narrative from an entrepreneurial and personal perspective. 

You are at a disadvantage, in many things…

Yes, this is a fact, nor is this some “woke/snowflake” rant. Racism, discrimination and prejudice exist in the UK. They can be witnessed within many fabrics of the society, such as:

-Housing

-Employment 

-Healthcare 

-Media 

Of course, each person’s experience is unique. One individual may only encounter discrimination and racism in one area but not necessarily in another. 

The argument is that discrimination exists and it can become a professional and personal barrier.

Personally, I may have been lucky or privileged to not experience many of these. However, the journey of being an immigrant certainly taught me about what discrimination looks like.

You think more about the world 

One side effect of a multinational and global personal perspective is that it forces you to think more. 

You compare different nations and question how and why they come to differ. This will lead to even more questions. 

How did they come to differ? What differentiates the two societies and the way they are administered? 

These are examples of questions that you may have, and it’s a good thing. 

These questions, and comparative outlook, will contribute to your growth and level of knowledge. 

The question of “identity”

This is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of being an immigrant, or you could also say a “global citizen”. 

Once you spend long enough in another country/ your new “home”, you will undergo a series of changes. 

After a while, it just seems like you don’t fully belong anywhere. Your identity is now a reflection of different, and sometimes contrasting, viewpoints. 

Whilst inconvenient, such experiences will either make or break you. 

These are some of the things that I learnt as an immigrant who moved to the UK alone at the age of 17…Now I help other aspiring global citizens start their businesses abroad.

About | My name is Sohrab Vazir. I’m a UK-based entrepreneur and business consultant. At the age of 22, and while I was an international student (graduate), I started my own Property Technology (PropTech) business, StudyFlats which I scaled to over 30 UK cities. I currently help other entrepreneurs and businesses of all size across several domains. For my credentials, please see here.