United Kingdom

Expansion Worker Visa

United Kingdom

UK - Expansion Worker Visa

In simple terms, the UK Expansion Worker Visa allows overseas businesses to send senior management staff to the UK to establish a branch of their company. Unlike the previous Sole Representative Visa, this new route requires the business to hold a Sponsor Licence and allows multiple employees to come to the UK for this purpose. The visa initially grants a 12-month stay, with the option to extend for another year. However, this visa does not lead to permanent residency. To qualify, applicants must meet a minimum salary requirement of £42,400 per year, or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. The job must also be on the list of eligible occupations, typically for senior managers or specialist employees. Applicants must have worked for the company for at least 12 months unless earning over £73,900.

If you are coming to the UK as an Expansion Worker (under the Global Business Mobility route), you must:

  • Be employed by a business that operates and trades outside the UK.
  • Your employer must hold a valid Sponsor Licence from the UK government to sponsor your visa.
  • The company’s headquarters and principal business operations must still be outside the UK.
    · You must have at least 12 months of experience working with the overseas business (unless you are a high earner with a salary over £73,900).
  • You need to hold a Senior position within the company or be a specialist employee, but ownership percentage is no longer a restriction under the Expansion Worker route
    · You must be coming to the UK to help establish a branch or subsidiary of the overseas business.
  • The UK entity must have a non-trading presence (i.e., no active operations yet) and must not already employ staff.
    Unlike the previous Sole Representative Visa, the UK Expansion Worker Visa allows businesses to send multiple employees to the UK for the purpose of expansion

Where is United Kingdom?

What you can and can’t do on a Expansion Worker Visa

You can

You can't

Visa Application Fees

The UK Expansion Worker Visa has two main components: the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Applicants can also opt for priority service, which incurs an additional fee but provides faster processing times, reducing the wait by a few weeks.

Eligibility Requirements

Requirements for initial application (12-Month visa)

  1. Employment and Shareholding:
    • You must be employed by a business outside the UK that is actively trading and have worked for the company for at least 12 months unless you are a high earner (earning £73,900 or more)
    • The company must not already have a trading presence in the UK

  2. Sponsorship Requirement:
  3. The UK business entity must hold a Sponsor Licence to sponsor the visa

  4. Criminal Record Check
  5. You need to provide a criminal record check for yourself and any family members over 18 from your home country or any country where you've lived for more than 12 months in the past 10 years

  6. English Language Requirement
  7. Unlike the Sole Representative Visa, there is no English language requirement for the UK Expansion Worker Visa

  8. Business Plan
  9. While a formal business plan is not necessarily a requirement, you must provide evidence of your company's expansion plans to the UK, showing how you will establish and grow the UK entity within 2 years

Requirements for Extension Application (another 12 months)

Eligibility for Extension:

You must meet the following conditions:
  • You must be still employed by the same overseas employer who sponsored your initial visa.
  • The UK branch must still not be trading yet, as this visa is only for setting up the business

Visa Duration:

You can extend your stay for 12 more months, but the maximum stay under the UK Expansion Worker Visa is 2 years

Indefinite Leave to Remain and Settlement

  • No Direct Path to Settlement:
    • Unlike the Sole Representative Visa, the UK Expansion Worker Visa does not lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
    • If you wish to settle in the UK after 2 years, you will need to switch to a different visa category, such as the Skilled Worker Visa

British Citizenship

The UK Expansion Worker Visa does not offer a direct path to British Citizenship, as it does not lead to ILR. Applicants must first switch to another visa route that offers permanent settlement​

Key Changes Summary:

  • Sole Representative Visa is no longer available.
  • UK Expansion Worker Visa requires sponsorship and is valid for 12 months, extendable up to 2 years.
  • The new visa does not lead to settlement and lacks the English language requirement.

 UK Expansion Worker Program

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