Please note: This route is now closed for all new Applicants. Existing applicants may be able to apply for an extension of their current visa or settlement if they qualify.
The Overseas Representative of Business, otherwise known as the Sole Representative Visa, allows business individuals or foreign investors to establish an overseas company or brand of an existing company in the UK.
There are many qualifications and terms that you will need to meet in order to qualify for a Sole Representative Visa, but working with an experienced UK Immigration firm can ensure a successful application and significantly simplify the complicated process of applying for the Sole Representative visa.
Although the application process is complicated, there are benefits of securing a Sole Representative Visa: it does not fall under the UK’s points-based system, it is available to businesses of all sizes and once you are granted the visa, you’ll have the opportunity to build your UK business. Under this visa, you are permitted to employ other people or even apply for a sponsor licence to take on more overseas staff. Successful applicants are granted three years’ stay with the opportunity to extend to five years and then can even apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
What are the requirements for people applying for a Sole Representative Visa?
The applicant must be a senior employee of an overseas business that has no existing branch or subsidiary in the UK, and only one Sole Representative visa is permitted per company
The business must have a headquarters and principal place of business overseas, and you must have been recruited to the business from outside of the UK
You need to have full authority to take operational decisions on behalf of the business
The business or UK subsidiary you establish must undertake the same type of work as the overseas business
You cannot be a majority shareholder in the company and only own shares up to 50%
The applicant must be a full-time employee and must prove that they can maintain and accommodate themselves and their dependents without recourse to public funds
Proof of sufficient English language ability, CEFR level A1