Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker visa

The Global Business Mobility UK Expansion Worker route is for overseas businesses wanting to establish their first UK branch or trading presence. It allows an overseas company to sponsor and send a nominated employee to the UK to set up operations and begin building a UK footprint.

This route is designed for companies that want to expand into the UK market without relocating their entire operation. It is commonly used to test the UK market, open a new office, or begin trading before transferring additional staff.

The first step is for the UK entity to obtain a sponsor licence. After this, the employer can sponsor a worker so they can apply for the Expansion Worker visa.

The worker can apply to bring dependants with them to the UK, although this visa route does not lead to settlement.

The employee must already work for the overseas business and must be coming to the UK specifically to establish the UK branch. They must meet the skill and salary requirements for the route.

The requirements to meet:

• Sponsorship. The overseas business must sponsor the employee through a valid sponsor licence linked to the new UK entity.
• Eligible job and skill level. Only specific roles that meet the required skill level are eligible for this route.
• Overseas employment. The employee must have been employed by the overseas business for at least 12 months, unless they qualify as a high earner. They must also be currently working for the overseas business at the time of application.
• Salary requirement. The role must meet the minimum salary threshold or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher.
• Financial requirement. The applicant must show they have held the required amount of funds for at least 28 days, unless they have been living in the UK for at least 12 months.

Before your overseas business can sponsor an employee under the Expansion Worker route, the UK entity must first obtain a sponsor licence. To do this, you will need a UK footprint (such as a registered branch in the UK), trading presence outside the UK and a credible expansion plan in the UK.

We can assist your overseas business with obtaining the sponsor licence needed to use the UK Expansion Worker route and establish your first UK presence.

Once the sponsor licence is granted and the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned, the employee can apply for the Expansion Worker visa. If the employee is already in the UK on an eligible visa, they may be able to switch into this category.

Processing times vary depending on the Home Office and the complexity of the application. Early preparation is important, especially where the UK entity is newly formed and evidence needs to be structured clearly.

If you are planning to expand your business into the UK, contact us for tailored advice. We can prepare the sponsor licence application and guide your employee through the visa process from start to finish.