You can come to the UK for an initial period of 3 years, you may be able to extend your visa for another 2 years. After you have been in the UK for 5 years, you can apply for permission to settle permanently in the UK. The main benefits are;

Work for your employer, full time, bring your family (‘dependants’) with you to the UK, apply to extend your visa, apply to settle in the UK after you’ve been here for 5 years.

However, you cannot:

work for yourself or any other business, stay in the UK if the sole representative arrangement is ended by your employer, switch to this visa from any other visa category and get public funds.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK. A Representative of an Overseas Business visa costs £610. An employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation costs £610.

To be eligible for a Sole Representative visa you must demonstrate that you:

• have full authority to make decisions on behalf of the business

• hold a senior position within the company

• do not hold more than 50% of the shares of the overseas business

• have sufficient funds to support yourself and dependants 

• have extensive knowledge and experience in the industry

• meet the English Requirement

• do not intend to take any other employment whilst in the UK

• the overseas business intends to set up the business’ first branch or subsidiary in the UK

• be an existing employee of a business which recruited the individual abroad and which has and will continue to have its headquarters and main place of business outside the UK

• 

• be applying for purpose of representing that business in the UK by establishing and operating a registered UK branch or a wholly-owned UK subsidiary which:

◦ will actively trade in the same type of business as that overseas business, and

◦ is not being established solely for the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of the applicant

Not many law firms will offer you free advice, but we do! You can contact our expert immigration lawyers for free advice about immigration, granted that it is not something too complicated. In the latter case, we arrange an appointment for a detailed consultation. You can access the general advice facility via a telephone call, email, or video chat.