Strictly for Business Owners
With this visa, you can establish a branch/office/subsidiary in the UK and nominate a key member of staff with relevant experience to represent the company.
How does this works?
Setting Up
The Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa allows a senior employee of an overseas business to come to the UK to set up and can operate a UK branch of an overseas parent company – which retains ownership of the UK company.
Legal Stay
The main applicant will receive a residency visa that allows legal stay in the United Kingdom for 3 years, with dependents (spouse and children under18), included. This leads to a 2-year extension and then to permanent residency (ILR).
Duration
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) can be achieved after 5 years in the Representative of an Overseas Business visa category.
Citizenship
After one year of holding Indefinite Leave to Remain, the applicant will qualify for UK Citizenship as long as you have not been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during the five years preceding your application and you have no criminal convictions or questionable circumstances.
Eligibility Check
Skills
Have the skills, experience and knowledge to do the role.
Position
Hold a senior position within the business (but do not own or control the majority of it) and have full authority to make decisions on its behalf.
Establish
Intend to establish the overseas business’s first commercial presence in the UK, either as a registered branch or a wholly owned subsidiary.
Legal Entity
You may also be eligible if the business has a legal entity in the UK that does not employ staff or do any business.