Interesting read: Know more about minimum salary requirement for Sole Rep visa extension

Published on: 21st June 2022
Reading time: Approx 4 mins

The UK’s Representative of an Overseas Business visa is a suitable business visa for business owners and entrepreneurs from around the world to set up a wholly-owned branch or subsidiary in the UK with ZERO investment. It’s also referred to as the ‘Sole Representative visa OR Sole Rep visa’. This is a settlement route and suits businesses looking to diversify internationally by setting up a presence in the UK.

The applicant must:

• Have the Leave to Remain in the UK on the Sole Representative visa
• Work for the same business as they were when the initial visa was granted
• Act as the representative of that same overseas business and work towards growing it in the UK
• Provide evidence that he/she will continue to represent the overseas company as its sole UK representative

Lastly, the headquarters of the company incorporated in the UK, for whom the applicant is the sole representative, must remain centred overseas only.

Immigration rules do not provide a minimum salary requirement for the applicants. However, the Home Office does require the applicant to demonstrate that they are earning an adequate amount to support themselves and their family members without recourse to public funds. The remuneration can include any benefits like car, housing, and commission payments.

The Home Office UK will also evaluate whether the sole representative will be paid on a ‘full-time’ basis, that is, whether the salary portion of their package is sufficient to allow them to maintain and accommodate themselves without having to work elsewhere while in the UK.

The applicant must apply ONLINE for his/her UK Sole Representative visa extension application. Sole Representative visa extension costs £704 per applicant and applications for any Sole Rep visa dependents must be made separately. Applicants must provide supporting documentation of the UK company’s activities and operations.

This will mostly include the following:

• Branch registration or incorporation documents
• Information on the UK company’s business structure
• Details of accounts
• Evidence of Proof of payment/earnings of the past 12 months

The decision for a UK Sole Representative visa extension is usually made within 8 weeks.
The applicant’s existing Leave to Remain continues until a decision is made on their application provided the applicant submitted his/her application before the expiration of their initial visa.
The maximum extension period for a Sole Representative visa is 2 years. After 5 years in the UK, the applicant may be eligible to apply for settlement.

There are several other options still open for businesses seeking to set up a presence in the UK including:

• UK Expansion Worker visa
• UK Innovator visa
• UK Start-up visa
• UK Service Supplier visa

• To know about all the eligibility criteria and other requirements of the above UK visas, get in touch with our team of UK visa experts. Our experienced team can assist you in setting up your footprint in the UK. Our UK-qualified solicitor and immigration lawyers are well versed in all matters concerning UK business visas.
• We assist in these areas from legal advice to Full Representation service and filling out appeals
• To get in touch with us, email info@smartmove2uk.com or call us at +91 98191 27002 to book a consultation with our UK visa experts.