Table Of Contents:
- What is a UK Expansion Worker Visa
- Eligibility
- Documents Required for a UK Expansion Worker Visa
- How to Apply
- How Long Can You Stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker Visa
- What can you do in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker Visa
- Final Thoughts
The UK expansion worker visa route falls under the UK global business mobility visa category. This visa gives an opportunity to foreign companies to set up their first branch or subsidiary in the UK. This is a sponsored route visa. The overseas company needs to obtain a sponsor license in the UK and then sponsor their employee they want to send to the UK. The company will have to comply with the sponsor’s duties. On the other hand, the employee, the expansion worker visa applicant, will need to meet the eligibility requirements. The UK expansion worker visa replaced the old sole representative visa.
What is a UK Expansion Worker Visa?
The UK expansion worker visa is a work visa, and it is a point-based visa. A senior manager or specialist employee of a foreign company can apply for this visa to come to the UK to set up their company’s branch or subsidiary in the UK. The company must not be trading yet in the UK. If the company is already trading in the UK, the applicant should apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa. This is a sponsored visa route. This means that the overseas company needs to obtain a sponsor license first and then issue a certificate of sponsorship to the employee it wants to send to the UK.
The UK Expansion Worker visa offers great career opportunities to eligible employees. They come to the UK to lead the expansion efforts. Through this process, they can gain invaluable international experience, develop their leadership skills, and enhance their professional profile.
Eligibility
A first important point to note is that the organization you are working for overseas must obtain a sponsor license in the UK. After that, it must issue you a certificate of sponsorship. You need to have worked for your employer overseas. The job you are being offered needs to be on the list of eligible occupations, and you need to be paid the minimum eligible salary required for your job. You may also need to meet the financial requirements.
As this is a point-based visa, you need to be awarded a total of 60 points for sponsorship, salary, and skill, respectively.
1. Points Requirement
You need to be awarded 60 points in total. You will earn 20 points for a valid certificate of sponsorship. You will be awarded 20 points each for salary and skill. To score 20 points for skill, you must have sponsorship for an eligible job role at or above an appropriate minimum skill level. To score 20 points for salary, you must have an annual salary of at least £48,500 or the ‘going rate’ for that job, whichever is higher.
2. A valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Your employer (also your sponsor) will need to issue you a CoS. The CoS (an electronic record, not a paper document) must contain information about the role you will do in the UK. You will need to enter the CoS reference number for your UK expansion worker visa application.
3. Need to Have Worked Overseas for Your Employer
You must have worked for your employer for at least 12 months outside of the UK unless one of the following is true:
- You are earning more than £73,900.
- You are a Japanese national working for a Japanese company that is expanding its business to the UK.
- You are an Australian national or permanent resident of Australia working for an Australian company that is expanding its business to the UK.
4. Salary Requirement
Your annual salary must be at least £48,500 or the ‘going rate’ for your job—whichever is higher. Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. You can check the 4-digit occupation code from your CoS and the going rate for your job here.
5. Financial Requirement
You must show that you can support yourself financially in the UK. For this, you must demonstrate that you have £1,270 or more in your bank account. You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 consecutive days in your bank account.
You don’t need to have this amount in your bank account if you are already in the UK on another visa for at least 12 months.
If your dependent children and partner are also applying, they also need to prove that they can support themselves financially while in the UK.
Documents Required for a UK Expansion Worker Visa
In order to prove your nationality, identity, and the fact that you meet eligibility requirements, you must submit the supporting documents. You can scan and submit the copies of these documents online when applying for the visa, or you can get them scanned at a UKVCAS in the UK or at a VAC outside the UK, depending on where you are applying from.
The list of documents includes the following, but the list is not limited to these documents.
- Your CoS reference number.
- A valid passport or other document to prove your identity and nationality.
- Your job title and annual salary.
- The 4-digit occupation code of your job.
- The name of your employer and their sponsor license number—you will find this on your CoS.
- Evidence such as bank statements or pay slips to prove that you have enough money to support yourself financially in the UK.
- Proof of your relationship with your partner or children, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate of your child, if they are also applying.
You will need to submit more documents if requested by the Home Office. For example, evidence that you have worked for your employer overseas.
How to Apply?
- Apply Online – You must apply online, irrespective of whether you are applying from outside the UK or applying to switch to a UK expansion worker visa from within the UK.
- Apply within Time Allowed – You have a window of up to 3 months, before the day you will start working in the UK, to apply for this visa. The date you are supposed to start working will be listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
- Prove Your Identity – You need to prove your identity as part of your application. Depending on where you are from and what type of passport you have, you can do this either
By using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, or
By enrolling your biometric information (your fingerprints and photograph) at a VAC (if outside the UK) or at a UKVCAS (if inside the UK). - Get a Decision – If you have applied from outside the UK, you should receive a decision from the Home Office within 12 weeks, and within 8 weeks if you have applied to switch from within the UK. You can also pay for ‘priority’ or ‘super priority’ service to get a faster decision.
The Home Office may request further information or evidence while processing your application, which can delay the decision on your visa application.
How Long Can You Stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker Visa?
You can stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa for 12 months after the start date of the job on your CoS or the time given on your CoS plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.
You can also apply for an extension of your visa by 12 months. Hence, you can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa only for up to 2 years.
You may not be able to stay on a UK Expansion Worker visa for as long if you have spent time in the UK on this visa or any other visa. You can stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years only in any 6 years if you have spent time in the UK on any of these visas:
- Intra-company Transfer visa
- Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
- Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
What can you do in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker Visa?
You can work for your sponsor, study, travel overseas and return to the UK, do unpaid voluntary work, and bring your dependent partner and children to the UK.
Final Thoughts
Are you working for an overseas company in the role of senior manager or specialist employee? Is your company looking to establish its presence in the UK? Are you being given the responsibility for doing this? If yes, you need to apply for a UK expansion worker visa. Your employer also needs to either already have or apply for and obtain a sponsor license. Thereafter, it needs to issue a certificate of sponsorship to you for an eligible job role with the appropriate skill, with a minimum salary required for the visa. You may also have to meet the financial requirements.
You can only stay for 12 months in the UK on a UK expansion worker visa. You can apply for an extension of another 12 months, but no more extensions after that. Applying for a UK expansion worker visa is a complex task. Hence, you should get expert advice from an immigration lawyer or agency.
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