The UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) has since 11 April 2022 has replaced the old Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa. The UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) is suitable for businesses outside the United Kingdom seeking to expand their presence by setting up a branch of their overseas business from within the United Kingdom.
It is important to note that the UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) applies to businesses that have not started trading in the UK and you must already work for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee. If your business has already started trading in the UK, you will have to apply for the Senior or Specialist Work Visa (Global Mobility Visa) instead. Our Immigration Solicitors and Barristers can help you successfully apply for the UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa).
What is the UK Expansion Worker Visa?
The UK Expansion Worker Visa is one of the Global Mobility Visa Routes. The UK Expansion Worker Visa is suitable for businesses outside the United Kingdom seeking to expand their presence by setting up a branch of their overseas business from within the United Kingdom.
It is important to note that the UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) applies to businesses that have not started trading in the UK and you must already work for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee.
If your business has already started trading in the UK, you will have to apply for the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) instead.
What are the Key Requirements of the UK Expansion Worker Visa?
The key requirements of the UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) are as follows:
- Have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer: You need to have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship assigned to you by your UK Sponsor Licence Holder for the job you are planning to do in the UK.
- You must be aged 18 years or over
- You must have worked for your employer outside the UK for at least 12 months unless certain exceptions apply: You must have worked for your employer outside the UK for a period of at least 12 months UNLESS (a) you are high earner earning an annual salary of £73,900 or more; or (b) you are a Japanese national working for an overseas Japanese company expanding its business in the UK. Your overseas employer must be linked to your UK Sponsor Licence Holder by common ownership or control.
- Your job must an eligible job listed on the list of eligible occupations: Your job must be an eligible job listed on the list of eligible occupations in the Table of Eligible Occupations under the Home Office’s Guidance on Global Business Mobility: Eligible Occupations and Codes.
- You must be paid a minimum eligible salary for your job: You must be paid a minimum eligible salary of at least £42,400 per year or the “going rate” for the job, whichever is higher.
- You are sponsored to do a job for which there is a genuine vacancy: The Home Office will need to be satisfied that the job you are planning to do in the UK is genuine and vacant and that the job is skilled to at least RQF Level 6 or above (Graduate Equivalent).
- You will need to meet the Maintenance Requirement: You will need to satisfy the Home Office that you can maintain and accommodate yourself without recourse to public funds.
- You will have to obtain a Tuberculosis (TB) certificate: You will need to obtain a valid TB certificate if the country you are applying from requires a TB test to undertaken before grant of visa to the UK. You must check if your country is listed on the Home Office’s list of countries for a TB test.
If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements of the UK Expansion Worker Visa, you may want to speak to our expert Immigration Lawyers for legal advice and representation.
How long can you stay in the UK on the UK Expansion Worker Visa Route?
You can stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa for whichever is shorter of:
- 12 months after the start date of the job on your Certificate of Sponsorship; or
- the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days.
If you want to stay longer in the UK, you can extend your visa by 12 months. The maximum time you can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years.
If you have spent time in the UK on this or another visa, you might not be able to stay on a UK Expansion Worker visa for as long.
However, you can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period if you have spent time on any of these visas:
- Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
- Intra-company Transfer visa
- Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
- UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
What are the key advantages to apply under the UK Expansion Worker Visa?
The key advantages to apply under the UK Expansion Worker Visa (Global Mobility Visa) are:
- You do not need to satisfy an English language requirement: This is distinct from other visa applications, where an English language requirement is required to be met. For the UK Expansion Worker Visa, you do not need to meet any English language requirement.
- Your UK Sponsor Licence Holder does not need to pay an Immigration Skills Charge: Employers with a valid UK Sponsor License are exempted from paying the Immigration Skills Charge if they are sponsoring an employee on the UK Expansion Worker Visa.
If you would like to know more about the advantages of applying for the UK Expansion Worker Visa, you may want to speak to our expert Immigration Solicitors and Barristers for legal advice and representation.
Can my dependants join me in the UK on the UK Expansion Worker Visa?
Yes, you can apply for your dependant partner and children to join you in the UK on the UK Expansion Worker Visa.
There may be some additional requirements you will be required to meet if your dependants are joining you in the UK, so you may want to speak to our expert Immigration Lawyers for legal advice and representation.
Can I apply for settlement in the UK on the UK Expansion Worker Visa?
Unfortunately, the UK Expansion Worker Visa does not provide a direct route to settlement in the UK. If you would like to settle in the UK, you will need to apply for settlement through a combination of visas in the UK that together allow you to apply for settlement in the UK.
The UK Settlement Visa process can be very complicated, so we encourage you to speak to our expert Immigration Solicitors and Barristers for legal advice and representation.
Successfully apply for the UK Expansion Worker Visa with OneLaw Chambers
At OneLaw Chambers, our Immigration Solicitors and Barristers regularly assist with Immigration and Visa applications in order for applicants to relocate to and settle in the UK. We have assisted many foreign nationals to prepare and submit successful Immigration and Visa applications and we have represented clients from all over the world. We are well equipped to prepare and submit your application for the UK Expansion Worker Visa.
Whether you require expert immigration advice on the requirements of the Immigration Rules, an independent immigration assessment of your prospects of qualifying for the UK Expansion Worker Visa Route or professional immigration representation with preparing your application for the UK Expansion Worker Visa, our Immigration Solicitors and Barristers can help you.
We are committed to ensuring that our Immigration Solicitors and Barristers prepare every immigration visa application with utmost quality and skill so that a successful outcome is achieved every time. Our Immigration Solicitors and Barristers operate in a friendly and cooperative manner to provide our clients with the best client care and service during the entire immigration application process.
Submit our Contact Form or contact us by phone or email to find out how we can help you with your UK Expansion Worker Visa application.