The UK Representative of an Overseas Business Visa allows a senior employee of an overseas company to move to the UK and set up its first branch or subsidiary. Get expert immigration advice for this route. Book your appointment with Visa and Migration today.
The UK Representative of Overseas Business is a business visa has that has replaced the former Sole Representative visa that was closed for new applicants from 11 April 2022.
A person seeking permission as a Representative of an Overseas Business must either be a media representative (an employee usually a journalist, but may be other employees, for example producers, news cameramen, or front-of-camera personnel of an overseas news agency, newspaper, or broadcasting organisation posted to the UK on a long-term assignment) or be seeking an extension or settlement in the UK as a sole representative (this is a senior employee of an overseas business being assigned to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary).
Dependants (partners and children) are permitted to apply for this route. This visa also leads to ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) or permanent settlement in the UK.
One cannot make a new application as a Sole Representative. However, Sole Representatives already in the UK can still apply for extension of their stay in the Representative of an Overseas Business route. Overseas businesses looking to establish a first UK branch or subsidiary may be able to assign workers on the GBM (Global Business Mobility) - UK Expansion Worker route.
The applicant applying to obtain entry clearance to the UK or permission to stay here on the Representative of an Overseas Business route must apply online on gov.uk using the specified application form.
Applicants applying from outside the UK will have to apply using the “Other work” on the “Find and apply for other visas from outside the UK” form, and applicants applying from inside the UK will have to apply using the form “Application to extend stay in the UK: FLR(IR)”.
An application for obtaining entry clearance to the UK or permission to stay here on the Representative of an Overseas Business route must fulfil all the following requirements:
• The applicant must be 18 or over at the time of their application.
• Any visa application fee and IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) must have been paid;
• The applicant must have enrolled their biometric information when required.
• The applicant must have given a valid passport/other travel document to establish their nationality and identity.
• If the applicant for this visa route has, in the last 12 months prior to the date of their application, received an award from an International Scholarship agency or Government covering their fees as well as living costs for study in the UK, they must submit a consent letter along with the application from that agency or Government.
The person applying for permission to stay (switch to, or extend) as a Representative of an Overseas Business must, on the date of application, be in the UK.
A person cannot apply to switch to the Representative of an Overseas Business visa if they are currently in the UK on:
A UK visitor visa
A UK short-term student visa
A UK Parent of a Child Student visa
A UK Seasonal Worker visa
A UK domestic worker in a private household visa
Outside the Immigration Rules.
Anyone in the UK with one of the above visas must leave the UK and apply for a UK Representative of an Overseas Business visa from abroad.
The applicant applying to switch to this route who currently has, or last had, permission as a student, must satisfy one of the following:
They have completed the course of study they were sponsored for; or
They are studying for a PhD full-time, and have been for 24 months or more
Any existing UK sole representative of an overseas business visa holder can also not switch to the Representative of an Overseas Business visa.
Any application for the Representative of an Overseas Business visa route that fails to meet all the validity conditions (listed above) may be rejected as invalid and not considered.
The applicant must not fall for refusal under the Immigration Rules - Part Suitability.
Those applying for permission to stay must not be:
(a) in breach of UK immigration laws, except that where the section called “Exceptions for overstayers” under the Immigration Rules - Part Suitability applies; or
(b) on immigration bail.
The applicant seeking permission to come to the UK on the UK Representative of an Overseas Business route must apply for and obtain entry clearance before coming to the UK.
Further, the applicant must fulfil the work, sufficient funds, and genuineness requirements.
Unless exempt, they must also satisfy the English language requirements.
The overseas media or business organisation that the Representative of an Overseas Business visa applicant represents must be active and trading outside the UK. Its headquarters and principal place of business should also remain outside the UK.
The applicant must have been hired as an employee outside the UK by the organisation they will represent.
The applicant must intend to work full-time in the UK as a representative of an overseas media or business organisation and must not intend to work for any other business or engage in any business of their own.
The applicant must be:
(a) a Sole Representative who already holds, or was last given, permission as a Sole Representative and is an overseas business's senior employee, who is sent to the UK to establish and supervise an overseas business's branch or subsidiary, where that branch/subsidiary will actively trade in the same type of business as the overseas business; or
(b) a Media Representative (an employee usually a journalist, but may be other employees, for example producers, news cameramen, or front-of-camera personnel of an overseas news agency, newspaper, or broadcasting organisation) who is posted to the UK on a long-term assignment on behalf of a news agency, newspaper, or broadcasting organisation.
The decision maker must be fully satisfied that the applicant applying for this route is a genuine Representative of an Overseas Business. They must not have reasonable grounds to believe the business is being set up in the UK by the overseas business, or the applicant has been appointed as a representative of the overseas media or business organisation, primarily so the applicant can apply to obtain entry clearance or permission to stay.
Unless exempt, the applicant must show their English language ability in speaking and listening to at least level A1 under the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).
The applicant must be able to satisfy the decision maker that they can, and will, adequately maintain and house themselves, and any dependants in the UK, without the need to access public funds.
The applicant will be required to fulfil additional requirements for this route. For example, they must not have a majority stake in, or otherwise have ownership or control in a majority of the overseas business they represent, by means of a shareholding, sole proprietorship, partnership agreement, or any other arrangement.
The applicant will be required to provide:
Their valid passport or other travel document showing their identity and nationality
Evidence such as bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months that show the applicant has sufficient savings to support themselves in the UK
Proof of their knowledge of English (if required)
Afull description of the activities of the parent company, including details of assets and accounts
Confirmation that they will be representing the employer in the UK in a full-time role for the long term
Those applying from overseas will also need to provide:
Details of where they will be staying during your stay
Proof of their TB (Tuberculosis) test results if they are from a country where they have to take this test
The applicant may be asked to give additional documents by UKVI.
Any documents not in English or Welsh must be submitted with a certified translation.
The applicant must apply online, and no more than 3 months before they travel to the UK.
They will have to prove their identity as part of their Representative of an Overseas Business visa application. For this, they will have to enrol their biometric information (fingerprints and facial photograph) taken at a VAC (Visa Application Centre).
The applicant will need to pay the visa application fee of £769 plus an immigration health charge, which is usually £1,035 per year.
The applicant can upload their documents along with their online application or have them scanned at the VAC (if attending an appointment to enrol their biometrics).
The applicant must apply online from within the UK before their current UK visa expires.
They will have to prove their identity as part of their visa application. Depending on where they are from and what type of passport they hold they will have their biometric information (fingerprints and facial photograph) taken at a UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service) service point or they can use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document – they will also create their UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) account or sign into their existing UKVI account.
The applicant will need to pay the application fee of £885 plus an Immigration Health Charge, which is usually £1,035 per year.
The applicant can upload their documents along with their online application or have them scanned at the UKVCAS (if attending an appointment to enrol their biometrics).
The applicant can ask to cancel their Representative of an Overseas Business visa application. They will only get their fee refunded if their application has not been processed yet.
After having applied online, proving identity, and providing the documents, the applicant will, if they use the standard service, normally get a decision on their application for entry clearance within 3 weeks, and those who have applied to switch to a Representative of an Overseas Business visa will normally get a decision within 8 weeks.
The applicant will receive an email containing UKVI's decision on their application. This email will explain what they need to do next.
If the application is complex and will take longer, UKVI will contact the applicant, for example, because:
UKVI needs to verify the documents of the applicant
The applicant is required to attend an interview
Of the applicant’s personal circumstances (for example, if they have a criminal conviction)
If the decision maker is completely satisfied that the applicant has fulfilled all the suitability and eligibility criteria for this route, the application will be approved; otherwise, the application will be refused.
The applicant can come to or stay in the UK for an initial period of up to 3 years.
The lead applicant’s (a person applying for a Representative of an Overseas Business visa) family members (‘dependants’) can come with the lead applicant when they come to the UK on this visa.
A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:
Husband/wife or partner
Child aged under 18, including if they were born in the UK during the lead applicant’s stay, or
A child aged over 18 if they currently have permission (leave to 'enter’ or ‘remain’) to be in the UK as the lead applicant’s dependant.
If the dependent partner or dependent child’s application is successful, their visa will usually expire on the same date as that of the lead applicant. A child’s visa will end on the earlier of the parents' visa expiry dates if their parents' visas have different expiry dates.
A sole representative’s husband/wife or partner cannot be in the UK as their dependant if they have majority ownership or control of the majority of the overseas business they will be representing.
It’s in your best interest to seek professional advice before you apply for a representative of an Overseas Business visa, in order to save unnecessary loss of time and expenses.
Our UK Immigration solicitors have the expertise to help applicants seeking to apply for this visa. Our job is to provide you with comprehensive support when applying for the UK Representative of an Overseas Business visa. We make sure the application process is smooth, accurate, and compliant with Home Office requirements. We begin with assessing the business's eligibility, confirming that the overseas business is genuine, active, and intends to establish its first commercial presence in the UK. We make sure you meet the requirements as an applicant, including seniority, decision-making authority, and employment history with the overseas company.
We assist you in preparing and organising all required documentation, such as business plans, company financial records, employment contracts, and evidence of the overseas business’s operations.
We guide you in gathering the necessary documents that meet UK visa standards and are correctly presented to reduce the risk of delays or refusals. We also guide you through completing the application forms, booking biometric appointments, and paying the relevant fees.
We help you with tailored advice on drafting strong supporting statements that clearly explain the business’s expansion plans in the UK and your role as its representative. You receive ongoing communication, updates, and post-application support from us, which gives you confidence and clarity at every stage of your visa journey.
For expert advice and queries, you can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 or write to info@visaandmigration.com
This is a business visa that allows representatives of overseas businesses to come to or stay for a long-term assignment in the UK.
The UK Representative of an Overseas Business visa is for an employee of an overseas media organisation (news agency, newspaper, or broadcasting organisation) assigned on a long-term assignment to the UK.
You cannot apply for a new application, but applying for an extension is still allowed for those already in the UK as a Sole Representative.
If you are a representative of an overseas business planning to set up its first UK branch, you need to apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa under the Global Business Mobility route instead.
You can switch (change) to this visa from inside the UK if you are an employee of an overseas media organisation and working on a long-term assignment in the UK.
Yes, you can bring your partner and/or children on this route.
No, they will need to apply to extend. If they do not do so, their visa will be valid until its original expiry date.
Usually, it takes about 8 to 12 weeks after the application submission.
Yes, you may get a faster decision by using ‘priority’ or ‘super priority’ service.
The fee for priority service is £500, and for super priority service is £1,000. These amounts are in addition to the visa application fee. However, these services cannot be opted on the representative of overseas business category.
No, you must not travel outside of the UK before you get a decision. Doing so will result in your application being withdrawn.
You can apply for an administrative review. Within 14 days
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