The Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa category is for businesses that would like to send a senior employee to establish a commercial & physical presence in the UK. The parent company must be a genuine business based outside of the UK and the applicant must not hold more than 50% of the shares in the business to be eligible under this category.
Sole Representative Visa Eligibility Requirements
In order to qualify for a sole representative visa, the applicant and the overseas parent company must satisfy the following requirements.
Overseas parent company:
- Must be a genuine and actively trading business
- Not have any other branch, subsidiary or representatives in the UK
- Intends to establish the presence in the UK to be operating the same type of business as the overseas business
- Maintains the centre of operations outside of the UK
The applicant will also need to demonstrate that they are:
- One of the senior employees in the overseas parent company
- Recruited outside of the UK
- Empowered with full authority to take any operational decisions for the business
- Hold no more than 50% of the shares in the business
- Competent in English language to at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening
- Be able to support themselves and family without relying on the public funds vy meeting the maintenance requirement
The applicant should ideally have worked for the parent firm for some time and have a senior position there, or be able to demonstrate operational knowledge by demonstrating an excellent track record in the same field and industry. An Overseas Business visa for a Sole Representative is usually valid for three years, following which the applicant can extend their stay for another two years. Applicants in this group may be eligible to apply for settlement after five years in the UK. The main applicant’s partner and any children under the age of 18 may accompany or join them as dependents. Sole Representative visa holders are prohibited from working for any company other than the one they represent in the UK.