Apply for a Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa

About The Sole Representative Visa

The Representative of an Overseas Business Visa is also known as the Sole Representative Visa. It enables you to establish a UK branch or a wholly-owned subsidiary for an overseas parent company.

Individuals who work for overseas newspapers, agencies, or broadcasters can also pursue this visa path, offering journalists, correspondents, and those in similar roles a stable period of stay during long-term or indefinite assignments.

Sole Representative Visa requirements:

To successfully receive a Representative of an Overseas Business Visa, you must meet certain specific requirements as well as the more general ones, such as meeting English language requirements and proving that you can support yourself and your dependants should you choose to bring any along.

Additionally, the company that you are employed by and are representing must meet certain requirements in order for you to be eligible as its sole representative in the UK.

Who is eligible to apply:

In order to apply for this visa, you need to either be:

• The sole representative of an overseas company planning to set up a UK-based branch or a wholly-owned UK subsidiary for an overseas parent company.
• An employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation posted on a long-term assignment to the UK.

You may apply as the employee who:

• Is employed by a company that is outside the UK and was recruited to the business outside of the UK.
• Aims to set up the first commercial presence of the company in the UK.
• Has comprehensive relevant industry experience.
• Has a senior position in the company.
• Has full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business for the purpose of representing it in the UK.
• Is applying to be the sole representative in the UK of an overseas employer who intends to establish and operate a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary, and that branch or subsidiary will operate in the same type of business activity as the overseas business.
• Is not a majority shareholder in that overseas business (under 50% shareholding).
• Intends to work full-time for the organisation.
• Does not intend to take any other employment.
• Provides evidence that they can maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds.
• Meets the English language requirement.

Your employer must have:

• Its headquarters and principal place of business outside the UK.
• No active branch, subsidiary, or another representative in the UK.
• A UK registered branch / wholly-owned subsidiary that will operate the same type of business as the overseas business.

If you are unsure about meeting the requirements or would like to make sure that your application properly highlights your eligibility, please contact us.

Our team has extensive experience in putting together strong applications that have a good chance of being approved by the Home Office. This can reduce the risk of a drawn-out appeal process.