Overseas business visa UK

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UK Sole Representative of an overseas business visa

The Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa is designed primarily to allow senior executives and managers of an overseas company to enter the UK in order to set up the company's first UK office, branch, or subsidiary.

The representative cannot own more than fifty percent of the business and the main business should remain outside the UK. The UK business area should be in a similar area of business as the overseas business, and the overseas business outside the UK should in practice probably be much larger than the proposed UK business.

The business in the UK must not already be trading and must not have transacted any business yet. This is different, for example to the Tier 2 Sponsor Licence requirement where you have to show that the business in the UK has already started trading.

For busines speople we have a news report that covers many of the issues involved if wishing to come to the UK.

Length of stay

This visa is valid for an initial period of 3 years, and can be extended for 2 years. Towards the end of 5 years in the UK visa holders can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants for the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa must meet several eligibility requirements for their visa to be granted.

Documentation

Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa applicants must supply several documents with their application. These include:

  • Current passport and/or other travel documents
  • Proof of maintenance funds for themselves and any family members
  • Details of where they will be living in the UK
  • Proof that they meet the English language requirement detailed above
  • A clear tuberculosis (TB) test result letter, if the applicant is from one of the countries on the Home Office's TB testing list.

The Sponsor License Compliance Audit covers all areas of sponsorship compliance, including the challenging areas of

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Guyana

St Lucia

The Bahamas

Barbados

Jamaica

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Belize

Canada

Trinidad and Tobago

New Zealand

Dominica

Grenada

USA

St Kitts and Nevis

Business representatives applying for this visa must also meet the following conditions:

  • Already be employed overseas by a company based outside of the UK
  • Be a senior employee of the overseas company (such as a manager or executive) but not own more than fifty percent of the shares.
  • Be travelling to the UK in order to establish the company's first UK office, branch, or subsidiary
  • Journalists applying for this visa must be genuinely employed by an overseas news agency or broadcaster.
  • journalists do not need to meet any other eligibility requirements.

Further information, help, and advice

If you would like to learn more about the freedoms and restrictions of being the sole rep of an overseas business in the UK, contact our sole representative team.

We regularly prepare and submit sole rep visa applications on behalf of our clients, helping overseas organisations to establish their first business presence in the UK.