If you are an overseas business owner wishing to expand your business in the leading market of the UK, then give wings to your dream with a sole representative visa or commonly known as a Sole Rep Visa.
If you are a senior employee in the business equivalent to a Senior HR manager and the business owner is willing to establish a branch or the business or a subsidiary, you could just be the right candidate to become a Sole representative.
Let’s consider various aspects of a Sole representative visa.
What are the requirements for a Sole rep visa?
The requirements are quite straightforward and clear, the following requirements will be required to demonstrate by the overseas business:
- the overseas parent business is fully active and trading lawfully
- the parent business’s headquarters and main place of business must be outside the UK and you must have evidence to prove this
- the parent business must not have any other active branch, subsidiary or representative working in the UK for the same work.
- Both the businesses, in the UK and overseas should have the same kind of business activity
- the overseas business must prove that their primary operations will always be centred outside the UK.
Requirements for the Sole representative
As a sole representative, you must show some proof in order to be eligible for a Sole representative visa.
- You should be a senior employee of the overseas business
- You have been recruited outside the UK but will now work in the UK
- You are an existing employee in the overseas business and not a third party person
- You hold full capacity and authority to make operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business owner
- You do not hold more than 50% of the company’s shares
- have the required skills, experience and knowledge of the business to handle the business in the UK as a sole representative
- You must also have the English language proficiency of A1 level in reading, writing and speaking as per CEFR
- If you have a degree taught in English by a UK recognised institution then you can be exempted from giving the English language test.
However, one must note that the UK visa immigration strictly scrutinizes your application. You must be in full compliance with the UKVI. A Y & J Solicitors have been helping many sole representatives seek a successful Sole representative visa application journey.
Prove that your business is genuinely trading in the UK
Many visa applicants labour under this confusion so as to how they can prove their business to be genuine.
Here’s a few things that show that your business is genuinely trading.
- Demonstrate a Business plan: it is not mandatory to show a business plan but it’s always better if you show your business plan. It just reinforces your genuine and trading business presence.
- Show a minimum turnover or profit: It is best to prove that your business is trading by evidencing the turn over. It reassures the UV visa immigration
- The primary site of the operations should be outside the UK: show proof that the parent business is established outside the UK and you have only a branch in the UK
How long can you stay in the UK with a Sole representative visa?
A Sole rep visa allows you to stay and work in the UK for 3 years. You can further extend it to 2 more years.
You can also take your dependents in the UK, your partner and child. However, the child should be below 18 years of age.
Once you have lived for 5 years or more,you can seek to apply for Indefinite leave to remain and eventually go for British citizenship.
You will not be able to switch your visa with any other visa. You can write for us immgration
