UK Visa As A Sole Representative Of An Overseas Business

The requirements to be met by a person seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom as a representative of an overseas business are that he:

(i) has been recruited and taken on as an employee outside the United Kingdom of a business which has its headquarters and principal place of business outside the United Kingdom; and

(ii) is seeking entry to the United Kingdom:

(a) as a senior employee of an overseas business which has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the United Kingdom with full authority to take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business for the purpose of representing it in the United Kingdom by establishing and operating a registered branch or wholly owned subsidiary of that overseas business, the branch or subsidiary of which will be concerned with same type of business activity as the overseas business; or

(b) as an employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation being posted on a long-term assignment as a representative of their overseas employer.

(iii) where entry is sought under (ii)(a), the person:

(a) will be the sole representative of the employer present in the United Kingdom under the terms of this paragraph;

(b) intends to be employed full time as a representative of that overseas business; and

(c) is not a majority shareholder in that overseas business.

(iv) where entry is sought under (ii)(b), the person intends to work full-time as a representative of their overseas employer.

(v) does not intend to take employment except within the terms of this paragraph; and

(vi) has competence in the English language to the required standard on the basis that

(a) paragraphs 2(b) or (c) of Appendix B of these Rules applies to the person, or

(b) the person is competent in the English language to a basic user standard, including the ability to understand and use familiar everyday expressions, to introduce himself and others and to ask and answer questions about basic personal details, and

(1) provides an original English language test certificate from an English language test provider approved by the Secretary of State for these purposes, which clearly shows the applicant's name, the qualification obtained (which must meet or exceed the level that the Secretary of State specifies in the guidance as being required to meet the standard described above) and the date of the award, or

(2) has obtained an academic qualification (not a professional or vocational qualification) which is deemed by UK NARIC to meet the recognised standard of a Bachelor?s degree in the UK, and

(i) provides the specified evidence to show he has the qualification, and

(ii) UK NARIC has confirmed that the qualification was taught or researched in English to level C1 of the Council of Europe?s Common European Framework for Language learning or above, or

(3) has obtained an academic qualification (not a professional or vocational qualification) which is deemed by UK NARIC to meet or exceed the recognised standard of a Bachelor?s or Master's degree in the UK, and provides the specified evidence to show that:

(i) he has the qualification, and

(ii) the qualification was taught or researched in English,

(vii) can maintain and accommodate himself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds; and

(viii) holds a valid United Kingdom entry clearance for entry in this capacity.