Sole Rep Visa

Overseas Business Visa UK Sole Representative

The Representative of an Overseas Business Visa (also known as a Sole Representative Visa) is a good option for foreign nationals who wish to work in the UK for their firm or expand their businesses into the UK. This visa enables you to live and work in the United Kingdom for 3 years, as well as bring your family to the UK without restrictions. Businesses located abroad can use the Sole Representative Visa to create a presence in the United Kingdom and explore the market without incurring the costs of opening a branch office and recruiting local personnel.

The United Kingdom, as the world's fifth-largest economy, provides a plethora of chances for creative businesses looking to advance. The UK and India's computer industry, for instance, are a "match made in heaven," according to the British High Commissioner. Sending a lone representative to ‘soak their feet in the water' before creating a complete investment is one approach to outperform competitors present in Britain.

What does a Sole Representative Visa imply?

The Sole Representative Visa enables foreign businesses to establish commercial operations in the Uk by sending a prominent representative (Sole representative) to the country. The Sole Representative Visa allows Indian and other foreign firms to establish a branch or affiliate of their original company in the United Kingdom.

Who is eligible to be a Sole Representative?

A sole representative applying to work in the UK must be a foreign national who meets the following criteria:

  • An (employee) of a company based outside of the UK who is looking to open a new branch or division in the UK.

  • A corporate executive who is not the founder but has the expertise and power to make strategic decisions in the firm's interest.

  • Replacing the sole representative who had previously served.

  • An employee of a journal, media organization, or broadcasting firm based in a country other than the United Kingdom.

The Sole Representative Visa's Responsibilities

The single representative is in charge of establishing a multinational branch or division and making important organizational decisions on the company's behalf. The entrance approval officers additionally consider the following factors:

  1. The only representative's employment contract.

  2. Sole representative's position description.

  3. Overseas company's existing and future goals.

What are the prerequisites for obtaining a Sole Representative Visa?

You must give evidence of the following to be qualified for a Sole Representative Visa:

  • You must give evidence of the following to be qualified for a Sole Representative Visa: a business that is active and trades internationally.

  • Has had and will continue to have its base and administrative centre outside of the United Kingdom.

  • Aims to launch a branch office or a completely owned franchise in the United Kingdom.

  • The applicant is sincere.

  • The parent business sent me to work in another country.

  • Is establishing the organization's first foothold in the United Kingdom.

  • Has extensive expertise, abilities, and understanding of the parent business as well as its industry.

  • Has a senior position in the firm and is capable of making autonomous decisions.

  • choices on behalf of the parent business.

  • Is not a prominent shareholder or has a significant position in the company through a partnership arrangement or sole ownership.

  • Has the necessary English skills.

  • Has enough money to sustain themselves and any dependents while on leave to stay.

Can you stay on a Sole Representative Visa for an extended period of time?

If your sponsor licence application is approved, you will receive an A-rating. The Home Office gives this grade to trust companies who have demonstrated that they have the required mechanisms in place to fulfil sponsor responsibilities. To keep an A-rating, a sponsor must keep their policy and system up to date. The Home Office has the authority to re-evaluate at any time, and these conformity inspections will determine whether or not an organisation still satisfies the description for an A-rating.

If your Sole Representative Visa application is accepted, you will be able to visit the UK and settle for three years to grow your company, after which you can apply for permission to continue your stay. Your stay in the UK will be extended for another two years as a result of this.

You can apply for Unspecified Leave to Remain and permanently reside in the UK after five years of representing an International firm in the UK as an experienced worker. The following requirements must be met by applicants living in the United Kingdom on a Sole Representative Visa:

  1. No access to government money

  2. They are unable to conduct their own business or represent the interests of any third-party firm.

  3. If necessary, police registration is required.

For the Sole Representative visa, the following documents are required:

The Sole Representative Visa comes with a slew of perks, including:

When applying for a Sole Representative Visa, both you and the firm you work for will be required to provide a lengthy set of papers. Our experts can help you gather the required papers and answer any questions the Home Office may have about them.

You'll need to make the following items:

  1. Passport and other original travel documents

  2. Details of your UK accommodation

  3. Proof of your English Skill

  4. Your job description and salary

  5. Proof of right for making independent choices on the company’s account

  6. Proof you can financially support yourself and your dependents

  7. Your tuberculosis test results

  8. A complete summary of your organisation

  9. A letter stating that the company wants to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary or branch office in the United Kingdom.

  10. Proof that you work for the firm and are not just an agent

  11. Proof that you worked outside the UK and will solely work for the company

What are the benefits of obtaining a visa as a sole representative?

The Sole Representative Visa comes with a slew of perks, including:

  1. If sole representatives function effectively during the first three months of their stay, they can seek a two-year visa extension.

  2. Applicants can seek permanent residency after five years.

  3. Applicants can seek British nationality after six years.

  4. Sole representatives can qualify for 10 years of residency by combining time spent in the UK with other visa types.

  5. Businesses considering growth can send a single senior employee to the United Kingdom to research and test the market without having to spend a lot of money.

Is it possible to get a Sole Representative Visa extension?

By re-verifying your eligibility and paying a small charge, you may simply renew your lone representative visa in the United Kingdom, including your eligible beneficiaries. After the original three-year visa duration, it can be extended for up to two years. After you process your request, the home office will reach you within 8 weeks. The following are the requirements for extending your visa:

  • To extend your visa, you must be residing in the UK.

  • You must be employed by the same firm that issued your first visa.

  • You must deal with a firm that is registered outside of the United Kingdom.

  • You're still attempting to keep the company afloat in the United Kingdom.

How much does an international business visa representative cost?

The cost of obtaining a sole representative visa in the United Kingdom is £610 per application, plus an extra health premium of GBP £624 per year/per person OR GBP £470 per year/each kid under the age of 18. They have the option to charge a premium for biometrics and other processes.

Is it possible to bring your dependents with you on the UK Sole Representative Visa?

Yes, it's true. The bearer of a UK sole representative visa is allowed to bring their family members with them. If the dependents are from outside the UK, they will need a visa. Your husband, wife, or partner, as well as your kid under the age of 18, might be considered dependents. You can not bring your dependents with you if they own the majority of the firm you will be promoting. If your kid was born in the United Kingdom, you can seek to have them added as a dependent on your visa.

What can I do if my application for a sole representative visa is turned down?

If your sole representative visa immigration approval or an extension of a Sole Representative Visa is denied, you have the right to request an Official Investigation and, if the Operational Evaluation is unsuccessful, a further Judicial Review. Please contact our team, who will investigate the grounds for your refusal and provide you with the right professional advice and guidance.

How long does the Sole Representative Visa take to process?

According to our experience, the Home Office takes 4-6 weeks to process a Sole Representative Visa application. The earliest you may apply is three months prior to your scheduled departure.

What is the procedure for becoming a UK sole representative?

Unless you are from North Korea, you must apply for a Sole Representative Visa online. You will also need to provide your biometric information in addition to the appropriate paperwork. These will be collected from a local visa application centre. When applying for a Sole Representative Visa, both you and the firm you work for will be required to provide a lengthy set of papers. Our experts can help you gather the required papers and respond to questions of UK Visas and Immigration formalities.

What is a Business Plan for a Sole Representative?

The Business Plan should include all information on the company's operations outside of the United Kingdom. You must first determine your key objectives and reasons for expanding your firm in the United Kingdom. It will continue to have its primary office and centre of operations outside the UK since it must be a successful and trading international firm. Its goal is to establish and regulate a branch office or wholly-owned unit in the United Kingdom.

The rejection of your single representative application is quite possible as a result of submitting a poorly prepared business plan that does not answer all of these essential points. At Global Talent Visas, we help those who are having trouble writing a good business plan. Here are the measures we will take to assist you.

Telephone Consultation

We'll have a casual conversation to learn more about you, your company, and the goal of the business plan.

Questionnaire for Business Plan

Once we've chosen to work together, we'll send you an application to fill out.

Draft Company Strategy

Our specialists will go to work on putting together a fantastic business plan. The draught business plan usually takes 3-4 weeks to complete. It depends on the project's complexity, the amount of information previously supplied, and what more information we want from you.

Reviewing the Business Strategy

After we provide you with the business plan, you must evaluate it and send us any necessary modifications through email. At this point, we always advise our clients to read the list completely. You will receive a Word document and a pdf version of the business plan, financial predictions, and other documents after the remaining amount are paid.

Take Effective Help From Global Talent Visas

Global Talent Visas boasts a reputation for being the top immigration law practice firm in the United Kingdom. We have years of immigration law expertise and have assisted over four thousand customers with UK immigration cases, work visas, visa renewals, and visa extensions, including Sole Representative Visas. Global Talent Visas is a group of experienced immigration specialists who can help you apply for a Sole Representative Visa. We've been industry experts for a long time and are particularly familiar with the problems and complexity that candidates may experience during the application process, and we can assist you!

Global Talent Visas has a team of skilled professional immigration lawyers ready to walk you through the process of applying for, and successfully acquiring a Sole Representative Visa. We recognise the difficulties that candidates may experience, as well as the considerable documents that must be provided. As a result, we can direct you through the procedure to ensure a positive conclusion. We're here to assist you with every stage of starting a business in the United Kingdom. Get in touch today!

Frequently Asked Questions

If I apply as a sole representative, may I bring my family with me?
You can appeal to bring your family with you if you qualify. Dependents include your spouse or partner, as well as any children under the age of 18. Your spouse or partner is not allowed to "have a majority stake in, or otherwise own or control, that foreign firm, whether such ownership or control is through a shareholding, partnership, sole proprietorship, or any other structure," according to the Immigration Rules.
Is it possible to use a single representative visa to move our parent business to the United Kingdom?
No, the only authorization you have under this visa is to open a branch or subsidiary. You won't be able to relocate your headquarters to the United Kingdom.
Can IELTS be used to apply for the UK's sole representative visa?
UK Visa and Immigration announced that IELTS for UKVI will be recognised as one of the safe English language tests (SELT) for all UK permits that require applicants to prove their English proficiency skills.
Is it possible for the foreign firm to deploy more than one senior representative to the United Kingdom?
To open a branch or a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, an overseas firm can only send one sole representative. If the firm wants to deploy additional personnel, they may be able to apply for a sponsor licence once the branch is established in the UK. Qualified personnel can apply to work in the UK through the skilled workforce or intra-company transfer routes. We know sole representatives well and out, and we're professional and results-oriented. Please contact us if you have any questions about UK immigration legislation. We're here to assist you!
What is the duration of my sole representative visa?
If your application is first approved, you will be allowed to stay in the UK for three years. You can request an extension, which will be given for another two years if accepted. If you have spent a continuous 5 years in the UK as a Sole Representative and fulfil the conditions, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. Under the Sole Representative category, there is no limit on the number of extensions you may get, but you must comply with the requirements to get one.
Is it possible to obtain British citizenship on a sole representative visa?
Yes, obtaining British citizenship on a sole representative visa is possible. If you marry a British citizen, you may be eligible for citizenship as soon as you are given ILR status, as long as you satisfy all of the conditions. If you are not married to a British citizen, you may be eligible to apply for British citizenship after 12 months of ILR designation, provided you match the criteria.
Do I have to make a certain amount of income/salary?
The only monetary criterion for a sole representative visa is that you have to maintain sufficient funds in your bank account yourself during your stay. You should be paid according to industry norms and your level of seniority in the company.