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 businesspeople 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.
All applicants must meet the English Language requirements:
Scoring at least A1 in English on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), tested by an approved English language test provider. Must be the UKVI version of the test. (OR) Having a university level qualification which was taught in English; this must be equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, and evaluated by UK NARIC
Nationals of the following countries already meet the English language requirement:
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
New Zealand
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
USA
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.
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.
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.
Contact Us today for More Information
Universal Fortune Limited
497 Sunleigh Rd,Immigration attorney in Wembley, England