United Kingdom

UK Expansion Visa

The UK is a diverse and multicultural society with exceptional global links. The UK Expansion Visa replaced the Sole Representative visa and now allows for business owners and majority shareholders obtain residency and is the first step towards permanent residence in the UK – and ultimately, UK citizenship. The UK Expansion visa entitles you to passport-free travel throughout the Common Travel Area (CTA) of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Learn more about your UK Expansion Visa options below, or get in touch with our team of specialists today.

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Visa-free travel throughout the UK and CTA

Swift visa processing with 100% success rate

No English requirement for first 2 years

No minimum capital investment requirement

WHY CONSIDER UK RESIDENCY AND CITIZENSHIP?

The UK is one of the most well-connected countries on the planet, and its capital city – London – is a cultural phenomenon that attracts citizens of virtually every nation to live, trade and create. The UK's financial, commercial and cultural reach is unparalleled. It has an attractive tax regime and provides a safe investment environment.

What Can You Expect from a United Kingdom Expansion Visa?

Although it is leaving the EU after more than four decades of membership, there's no reason to believe that the UK's influence in the world will wane. Certainly, the nation's entrepreneurial spirit and high standards of education and governance are set to stay as the nation looks towards a broad-based, global future.

The UK has long been an important link between Europe and America, with multiple daily flights to New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. It is also extremely well-connected to Europe and Asia. Paris is just over one hour away, Moscow less than four hours and a flight to Beijing takes a little over ten hours. With a time-zone between the US and Asia, a UK Expansion Visa is ideally suited for international businesses looking to expand into the UK.
The UK is an excellent option for sophisticated investors and their families, who will benefit from access to London, one of the world's great cities, as well as many of the world's leading businesses, private schools and universities.

The UK Expansion visa does not require English proficiency for the first 2 years, only upon switching to the Skilled worker visa would the applicant then require to have a basic B1 level of English language. What’s more, it opens a path to permanent residence in the UK in as little as five years.

Capital city: London	Languages: English
Visa free countries: 5 (UK & Republic of Ireland)	Currency: Pound Sterling £
Total area: 242,495 km²	Population: 65 million (2017)
Nearest country: France	Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time (UTC)

UK EXPANSION VISA REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must fulfil the following UK residency requirements:

Sponsorship

To be eligible for sponsorship, an applicant must currently be working for an overseas linked employer and have done so for at least 12 months and paid a minimum salary of £42,400. An exemption to this is where the applicant is earning over £73,900 or is a Japanese national doing work for a Japanese company expanding to the UK. For high-earners or qualifying Japanese nationals, they must be working for an overseas linked employer, but don’t need to have worked outside the UK for any specific period.

Considerations

Must have a UK Footprint
Must have a Certificate of Sponsorship
Applicants must be from outside the EEA or Switzerland
Will be required to meet a minimum salary requirement
No English proficiency required for first 2 years

UK Footprint

When applying for a licence to sponsor applicants on the UK Expansion Worker route, the sponsor must show what’s known as a UK ‘footprint’. This can be demonstrated with evidence of UK business registration. They must also prove an overseas trading presence, together with credible plans to expand to the UK. To do this, the sponsor will usually need to show that the overseas business has been active and trading for at least 3 years, and that it intends and is capable of establishing a new UK branch or wholly-owned subsidiary within a period of 2 years following the grant of a licence

UK EXPANSION VISA APPLICATION PROCESS

Stage 1

Our team will set up a " UK footprint"
Apply for Sponsors Licence
Assign Certificate of Sponsorship to applicant
Visa granted for 12 months .

Stage 2

Upon 2 years of residency, switch visa to Skilled worker category

Stage 3

Following 5 years residency, no more than 180 days absent from the country each 12 months.

Apply for permanent residency in UK