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UK Sole Representative Visa

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UK Sole Representative Visa Applications

What is a UK Sole Representative Visa?

A Sole Representative visa allows an individual to come to the UK in order to set up a UK branch or subsidiary on behalf of an overseas company, if the company does not already have a representative in the UK.

If you intend to apply under the UK sole representative visa category, you should be a senior employee of the overseas company. The company can recruit someone specifically for this role but they would have to be recruited overseas. The applicant cannot be a majority shareholder in the overseas company but must be senior enough to have full authority to take operational decisions in respect of the UK office operations without prior approval from the parent business.


UK Sole Representative Visa Requirements

Applicants must apply from outside the United Kingdom;

Applicants must be an employee and a representative of a company operating outside the UK which has no branch, subsidiary, or other representatives in the UK;

Applicants must be recruited and employed outside the UK;

Applicants must have extensive related industry experience and knowledge;

The applicant must be a senior employee with full authority to take an operational decision for setting up a branch in the UK or wholly-owned a subsidiary on behalf of the overseas company;

The applicant must be a full-time employee of the company;

The applicant cannot be the majority shareholder in the company thus shareholding must be less than 50%;

The applicant must not take any other job;

The applicant must have enough money to maintain and accommodate themselves and their dependent/s (if any) without recourse to public funds; and

The applicant must meet the English Language Requirement.

The UK Sole Representative visa applicant will need to meet the English Language requirements at level A1 of the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR). This requirement can also be met if the applicant has a degree acceptable by UK NARIC.

A UK Sole Representative cannot take any other employment and must intend to work full-time in their role as a representative of the parent company overseas.

Documents requirement for UK Sole Representative Visa

• A full description of the parent company’s activities, including details of assets and accounts;

• A letter confirming the overseas company will establish a wholly-owned subsidiary or register a branch in the UK in the same business activity as the parent company;

• Your job description, employment contract, and salary details;

• A letter confirming you’re familiar with the company and have the power to take operational decisions;

You should also provide evidence that you:

• Are directly employed by the parent company and aren’t acting as a sales agent (ie hired by a company to sell or distribute their products within the UK, but working for yourself and providing your services for a fee)

• Were recruited to the company outside of the UK, hold a senior position and are able to make decisions on its behalf and have the authority to establish and operate a registered branch

• You will be working full time for the company for the duration of your stay and won’t carry out any other work

• You are not a majority shareholder in the company

Benefits of a Sole Representative Visa 

Your family members - Spouse and Children under 18 can join you; 

Your children can study free in a state School; 

You and your family can settle in the UK after 5 years leading to  Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK & British Citizenship; and

You can extend your stay withthe in UK or switch to another Immigration Category if your employer does not need you


UK Sole Representative Visa Extension

The initial sole representative visa is given for 3 years and could be extended for a further 2 years (or 3 years, if the applicant was granted leave prior to 1st October 2009). Following this, an applicant can make an application for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK.

At the point of extension, evidence of the commercial activity of the UK company must be presented to show that the company has been set up in the UK, legally registered, and actively trading in the UK. Usually, this can be done by providing company accounts, contracts, invoices, tax returns and so on.

There is no requirement for the company to generate a minimum level of turnover. However, the company in the UK must be stable enough to support the Sole Representative and its ongoing commercial enterprise inside the UK. It is also important that the overseas company have its main centre of operations outside the UK throughout the five-year period, and that the conditions attached to the last leave have been breached.

How We Work

  • We assess your circumstances and provide you a quote for our services; If you want to move ahead -  
  • We Provide you with a comprehensive checklist of documents according to your circumstances; 
  • We provide you with templates and approved and accepted by the Home Office; 
  • We advise you on the evidence and process of submitting the application from the country you apply from or from within UK; 
  • We review all the evidence and suggest any amendments you may require (and/or We draft letters or templates for you where necessary);
  • We do not leave any scope for refusal of your application - if there is anything which is of concern we point this out to you and help you to remedy the issues;  
  • We complete and prepare the application forms and we always send this for you to review and confirm to avoid any simple mistakes;
  • We prepare and finalise your application for submission and book you an appointment in the country where you provide your biometrics;  
  • We prepare detailed representations for the Home Office or UKV&I in reference to the Immigration Rules; and 
  • Should there be a delay beyond the processing timings we will chase the application for you.

If you need more information or expert immigration advice regarding UK sole representative visa application, contact us now.

Do you need to apply for a UK Sole Representative Visa?

Speak to our experts to find out about our fast, friendly and affordable service



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Visa and Migration is a private OISC regulated company (F201500999) and is not an official Government body. If you would like to prepare and submit your UK immigration application yourself you can do so by visiting the UKVI website.