The UK Expansion Worker visa provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to open their subsidiary or franchise in the United Kingdom. It is a sponsored visa that enables lawful and eligible organisations to sponsor a highly skilled company worker or a senior partner or specialist to legally, albeit temporarily migrate to the UK to establish/expand the sponsor’s business anywhere in the UK.
The business expansion visa is a supplanting of the Representative of an Overseas Business visa (ROB), which is an unsponsored visa. However, people who have come to the UK using the ROB route are eligible to apply for extended permission to remain in the country without having to apply for a new expansion visa.
Who Can Legally Apply for an Expansion Mobility Visa?
To be eligible for the UK worker expansion visa, candidates must at least be 18 years of age and above. The candidate must also be employed by the sponsoring business on the exact date the visa is being applied for.
The Eligibility of the Sponsor
The sponsor (or the employer must be a subsidiary of a franchise or a fully-owned foreign business. It is important to note that in the case of the expansion worker visa, only businesses that haven’t started trading in the UK are eligible to apply.
The Requirements for the Global Mobility UK Expansion Worker Visa
The global business mobility visa is points-based. The applicant is required to secure 60 total points in three different eligibility categories such as salary, skill level, and sponsorship.
To get 20 points in the sponsorship category, the candidate must provide an up-to-date CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship). This will be given by a licensed sponsor/employer. The CoS must be in line with the UK expansion visa requirements.
For an eligible sponsorship, unless the candidate has a salary surpassing the £73,900 mark or if he/she is a Japanese employee that’s representing a Japanese business opening a subsidiary in the UK, the candidate must show proof of current employment and that they have been employed by the overseas business for at least 1 year.
The Application Process for the Expansion Worker Visa
As part of your Expansion Worker visa, you will be asked to verify your identity and provide the necessary documents. Such as:
- An up-to-date Certification of Sponsorship from a sponsor that’s verified by the UK Home Office.
- A valid passport or another up-to-date travel document proving your nationality.
- Verifiable proof that you have been working for the sponsor in the country of the sponsor for at least 1 year.
- If applicable, you will be asked to provide proof of funds.
- If applicable, you will be asked to provide a verified TB (tuberculosis) test certificate from the sponsor’s country.
Bottom Line
At TheOneWorld, we offer a range of specialised services to help foreign businesses establish operations in the UK. We collaborate with eligible companies and help them fulfil the necessary expansion Worker Visa requirements for a successful application.
