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• The Home Office UK made important changes to the UK visas for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to start a business or set up a branch in the UK
• The UK Home Office has reformed, revised and introduced new visas under the Appendix UK Global Business Mobility route on April 11th, 2022
• Under the UK Global Business Mobility route, the UK Expansion Worker Visa permanently replaced the UK Sole Representative Visa – also known as Sole Rep Visa UK
• Sole Representative Visa UK used to be a popular visa category for business expansion UK
• Now, the UK Expansion Worker Visa is one beneficial UK Visa category for expanding business to UK

How does the UK Expansion Worker Visa allow you to set up a branch in the UK of your existing business?

• The UK Expansion Worker visa is for overseas business owners who want to set up a branch in the UK of their existing business which is operating outside of the UK
• You can also be a senior management employee or a specialist employee in the existing business
• If your business is currently registered and operating in the UK, you should apply for a ‘Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker visa’
• The UK Expansion Worker visa does not allow Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, i.e. Permanent Residence
• However the applicant can switch to UK Skilled worker visa from a UK Expansion Worker Visa that does permit Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK

• If you want to set up a branch of your existing overseas business in the UK through the UK Expansion Worker Visa, keep in mind that you must meet all the requirements. Below mentioned is the list of documents required to apply for a UK Expansion Worker Visa:
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
• Evidence that you have been operating your current business for at least 12 months. For e.g. salary slips, bank statements, Profit & loss accounts, Balance sheets, etc.
• Valid passport with enough blank pages
• Evidence demonstrating that you have sufficient personal savings to fund your stay in the UK. For e.g. bank statements
• Proof of relationship with your partner or children (if they are applying along with you to come and live in the UK)
• Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate (if required)

Below mentioned is the UK Expansion Worker Salary requirement:

• You must receive a minimum of £42,400 annually as salary from your UK business, after you begin your business operations in the UK

• If you are looking to set up a branch in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa, you must know that this visa is not a pathway to settlement
• UK Expansion Worker Visa lasts only for 1 year, and can be extended for an additional 1 year
• You can then switch to a UK Skilled Worker visa to be eligible for settlement in the UK
• If your business can meet the requirements within a year, you won’t be required to extend the visa for another year
• A UK Skilled Worker visa is valid for 5 years. Therefore, after 6 to 7 years of continuous residence in the UK, you can apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

• The UK Expansion worker visa will help businesses to set up a branch in the UK and expand your business into a country with a booming economy
• Since the UK Sole Representative visa has been closed, the ideal way to set up a branch in the UK is via the UK Expansion Worker visa
• If you are looking to set up a branch in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa and aren’t sure of how the process works, we’re here for you
• Our UK immigration lawyers have helped many clients with their immigration process and they have established overseas businesses in the UK
• Our team of experts will assess your documentation and application to ensure no delays or refusals
• Our team works out of all parts of India – Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru
• We also consult clients worldwide via Zoom & Skype and also have clients visiting our offices for in-person consultations