Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa

A UK sole representative visa allows an overseas company to send an employee to the UK to help set up a UK branch or a wholly owned subsidiary.

Key requirements for a sole representative visa

The key requirements for a sole representative visa are:

  • The employee must have been recruited and taken on as an employee outside the UK by a business which has its headquarters and principal place of business outside the UK
  • The sole representative must be a senior employee with extensive industry knowledge and experience
  • The applicant must have full authority to make operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business
  • Will be employed full-time as a representative of the overseas business
  • Cannot be a majority shareholder in the overseas business
  • Cannot take any other employment or self-employment whilst in the UK
  • Must be fully competent in the English language
  • The employee will be able to maintain and accommodate him/herself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds in the UK.

Length of a sole representative visa?

 A sole representative will initially be granted a 3-year visa to enter the UK as a sole representative of an overseas business. The visa can be extended for a further 2 years.

After 5 years in total, an employee may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (‘ILR’) in the UK.

Can an overseas business representative bring family members to the UK?

Dependent family members are entitled to join a sole representative of an overseas business in the UK.

Evidence will have to be provided to establish the family relationship e.g. marriage and birth certificates.

If the dependent is an unmarried partner of the sole representative, then evidence of co-habitation for a minimum period of two years will have to be provided.

Similar to the main applicant, family members will also be eligible for ILR in the UK after 5 years of residence in the UK.

If you would like to apply for a UK sole representative visa, or discuss your business visa options  the UK, please contact us.

*Please note that all immigration matters are dealt with by Muldoon Britton Immigration Limited (SRA Number: 829759).