Apply for a Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa

THIS ROUTE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH THE UK EXPANSION WORKER VISA.

This visa route offers the representatives the eventual opportunity to gain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (also known as Permanent Residence in other jurisdictions), through the 5-year route.

The representatives, as well as their families, can spend up to 5 years residing in the UK on the Representative of an Overseas Business Visa (including extension).

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.

Sole Representative Visa costs

The Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa will cost £625 if applied for from outside the UK and £719 if you are applying from inside the UK.

There are also additional costs that must be considered, such as the £19.20 that you will need for biometric information, immigration health surcharge as well as fees for legal advice – which is highly advisable when applying for a Business Visa such as this one.

Indefinite Leave to Remain

The Representative of an Overseas Business Visa offers 3 years of stay, with the option to extend for another 2 years. After 5 years of stay in the UK, you may be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This will allow you to run your branch or subsidiary – or work for your news organisation – with the reassurance of Permanent Residence.

There is an application process that must be completed in order to be granted ILR, and there are some additional requirements that you may have to meet. You can learn more about paths to Indefinite Leave to Remain here.

How QC Immigration will help you

Our team has all of the expertise and experience needed to assist you with your Representative of an Overseas Business Visa. With extensive experience in immigration law for business people, we will make sure that your visa application highlights that you meet all requirements.

Contact us or book a consultation today to make sure that your application is in the hands of a competent team with an impressive track record.

Have a questions?

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How we work

1
consultation.

We start a discussion by understanding your history, and we will clearly outline the best option available and any recommendations to save you time and costs.

2
instruction.

Once you instruct us to be your legal representative, we will start preparing your case. We may require more information about you to help you more effectively.

3
documents.

Documentation is a crucial part of an immigration application. We will customise a document list to guide your preparation. Your dedicated lawyer will check the documents and advise of any improvements needed.

4
application.

We will complete your application to the Home Office and may also write a cover letter with strong legal arguments where relevant. We may discuss this with you to confirm the final details.

5
submission.

We will submit your application to the Home Office, Court authorities securely. We will represent you as the main point of contact with them for any further requests.

6
interview.

You may sometimes be invited to attend a Home Office interview or Court hearing. While this may sound daunting, we will help you prepare and provide guidance on what questions to expect.

7
decision.

As soon as we receive a decision from the Home Office, we will get in touch with you to share the news.

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What clients say

We did multiple assignments with QC and were very happy with the fast response and results we achieved on our applications.

manish rungta
manish rungta
Google five star client rating

Qiyin was very quick to respond to my inquiries. She was very professional, supportive and helpful. Highly recommended!

Ainul Nadhirah Hanafiah
Ainul Nadhirah Hanafiah
Google five star client rating

Qiyin listened very attentively to my concerns and reassured me. Gave me a lot of insight into how I need to plan my application in a very personal way. Would definitely highly recommend.

Sashi Ganes
Sashi Ganes
Google five star client rating

Very professional team, who helped me gain EU Settled status pre-Brexit using a new Android app. It is refreshing to see that QC-immigration team adopts fast the technology and is on top of all changes in legislation. They got my full trust.

Victoria Rusnac
Victoria Rusnac
Google five star client rating

Hafsah made my application look so simple and easy even though i was doubtful about my case before approaching QC. I can’t believe my ILR application got approved by Home office within 24 hrs of biometric appointment. Thank you Hafsah for helping me get this done.

Shubha Shet
Shubha Shet
Google five star client rating

It was a pleasure working with Qiyin and her team. They were very helpful and responsive all the time. They helped me with my Permanent Residence which was succesful and was received in less than a month. I will work with them again in the future, so I strongly recommend this Immigration office to everyone.

Nasos Balasis
Nasos Balasis
Google five star client rating

Definitely the best law firm I've ever dealt with. Hafsah Awan is an amazing lawyer, she is extremely professional, she truly cares, and gives great advise to ensure all goes smoothly. My entire process with Hafsah went really well, and we successfully got our Start-up visas to the UK, many thanks to Hafsah for her great efforts. I also loved that they are very responsive, to emails, calls, etc. Qiyin Chuah, the founder, actually helped me in the last moment during her weekend, I was very thankful for that, as not many people would even get back to you during the weekend. Overall, an amazing law firm, I'm very pleased, and I truly wish Hafsah, Qiyin, and the rest of QC Immigration team all the best, God bless you all :)

Ahmad Agha
Ahmad Agha
Google five star client rating

I had an exploratory conversation with QC Immigration. Qiyin was professional and personable throughout our conversation, explaining clearly the current criteria and regulatory considerations to keep in mind. I would have no reservations in appointing them for representation should there ever be a need, as Qiyin provided from the outset, the calm assurance of having the knowledge, experience and an individual approach that I strongly value.

May Loke
May Loke
Google five star client rating

Very good service and professional company! I contact them trough a friend because I had problem with a Family Visa in Scotland, they helped me and advised in all the process and they solved what I needed to solve so quick. Specially Qiyin and Marianna. I would always come back to them again if I needed and also recommend them. As I said, very good and Professional.

Martin Nicolas Camaño Martin
Martin Nicolas Camaño Martin
Google five star client rating

Both my fiancé and I used QC Immigration this year for our new visa and naturalisation applications, respectively, and were very happy with the service. Our main point of contact was Marianna, who was very prompt and thorough in her preparation of our applications and helpful throughout every step of the process with our concerns, etc. Highly recommend QC Immigration. Thank you again, Marianna!

Sarah Monaco
Sarah Monaco
Google five star client rating

My friend had recommended QC Immigration and I was not disappointed! Marianna was my main point of contact and she was kind, prompt and very efficient. I had a lot of questions and Marianna was very quick in replying to me. I would definitely recommend QC Immigration.

Malulie Tongprasert
Malulie Tongprasert
Google five star client rating

They were extremely professional and thorough throughout the application process. I even shared my travel plans and they worked based on my timelines, which based on experience, most companies don't prioritise. Highly recommend working with them if you want to be stress free and want your application handled with care.

Shruthi Padmanabhan
Shruthi Padmanabhan
Google five star client rating

I have been using QC Immigration to help prepare for my partner's Proposed Civil Partnership Visa application. We have been dealing with Marianna since January, and have found her to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and personable. She has always responded to my queries and concerns, (however neurotic!) and she has paid great attention to detail. It has been an invaluable service, and should our application be successful in this instance, I will not hesitate to appoint QC Immigration again to assist with the next stages. Many thanks again for your hard work and for showing us such an understanding and caring attitude! :)

Bethany Taylor-James
Bethany Taylor-James
Google five star client rating

My partner and I recently used QC Immigration when applying for a UK partner visa. They were very professional throughout and dealt with all questions and queries accordingly. Marianna was our main point of contact and was extremely diligent and reassuring throughout the process. We appreciated their attention to detail and extensive knowledge of UK immigration law and would highly recommend them to any prospective clients.

Eliot Parker
Eliot Parker
Google five star client rating

FAQ

When is the earliest that I can apply for a Representative of an Overseas Business visa?

The earliest you can apply for a Representative of an Overseas Business visa is 3 months before you travel to the UK.

Can I bring family with me under this Representative of an Overseas Business Visa route?

Yes, your partner and children under the age of 18 may apply to join you as dependants. You must show that you can support yourself and any family dependants without recourse to public funds.

How long will it take to receive a decision on a Representative of an Overseas Business visa?

Generally, you will receive a decision on a Representative of an Overseas Business visa within 8 weeks. There are options to pay additional fees to obtain a decision faster. You can check the guide processing times on the Home Office official website to find out how long it will take to receive a decision in your country.

How long can I stay under the Representative of an Overseas Business visa?

Once you are granted a Representative of an Overseas Business visa, you can come to the UK for 3 years. Thereafter, you may be able to extend your visa for additional 2 years. When you have stayed for 5 years in the UK, then you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This will offer the opportunity to then work towards British Citizenship.

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